Italy is one of the simplest moves in the EU and one of the most misreported. People arrive expecting a breed list and a permit; there is neither. Cooper and I have done this one twice, and both times the only thing that needed care was the order of the microchip and the rabies shot. Here's what I wish someone had told me: Italy repealed its dangerous-breeds annex, and it said why.

Bringing a pet to Italy requires three documents in the right order: a microchip, a rabies vaccine within the destination's wait window, and a government-endorsed health certificate. The table below lays out exactly what's required, what's not, and where each rule comes from.

How Italy handles your pet

Key points

  • What happens at the border: pets arriving from outside the EU are presented at one of Italy's 57 designated points of entry (41 airports, 16 seaports), where the competent authorities carry out a documentary and identity check — "At the time of entry, you must contact the competent authorities present there, who will check your pet's documents and identity." (europa.eu)
  • If those checks fail: "it may be returned to the country of departure, be placed in quarantine until such time as it complies with EU health rules or if neither of these options are possible, the animal may be euthanised." (europa.eu)
  • Ticks and tapeworm: Italy states the negative explicitly — "A preventive treatment against ticks and echinococcus is NOT required for the introduction of pet animals in Italy." (salute.gov.it)
  • Breed rules: Italy's current ordinance replaced the earlier one by eliminating Annex A, the dangerous-breed list, on the reasoning that a dog's risk cannot be established from its breed
  • No breed is banned from entry

Downloadable forms

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · StandardISO 11784/11785verified 2026-09-03
Microchip · Tattoo accepted Yesverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-09-03
Quarantine · Typenone_if_compliantverified 2026-07-31
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved labs list
  • https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/movement-pets/designated-laboratories-performing-rabies-antibody-titration-tests_en
verified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Issuerofficial veterinarianverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Endorsed bycompetent authorityverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Bilingual required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-09-03
Tapeworm treatment · Required Noverified 2026-09-03
Internal parasite treatment · Required Noverified 2026-09-03

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-09-03

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -21 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -10 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Conditional requirements

These rules apply only to some travellers — where the pet is departing from, where it has been, or who is travelling with it. Most people can ignore them, but if one applies to you it can change what you need, or mean denied entry if you skip it.

Pet arriving from, or recently in, a third country or territory NOT listed in Annex I or II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 — If your pet has been in one of 154 higher-risk countries in the last 6 months:

  • Rabies titer (blood) test: Rabies antibody titration test >= 0,5 IU/ml, on a sample taken by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the primary vaccination and not less than 90 days before the animal health certificate is issued, performed in a designated laboratory (Del. Reg. (EU) 2026/131; model certificate Annex III to Impl. Reg. (EU) 2026/705, point II.3.1).

Trained service dog — recognized by many EU airlines with proof of training

  • Import permit: Service/assistance dogs recognized under EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 concerning rights of disabled persons in air transport. Proof of training (e.g. IGDF, ADEu, or national accreditation) required. EU Pet Passport and standard rabies vaccination still required.
  • Carrier required: Service/assistance dogs recognized under EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 concerning rights of disabled persons in air transport. Proof of training (e.g. IGDF, ADEu, or national accreditation) required. EU Pet Passport and standard rabies vaccination still required.

Ports of entry (57)

  • ALGHERO AEROPORTO FERTILIA
  • ANCONA AEROPORTO FALCONARA
  • BARI AEROPORTO BARI PALESE
  • BERGAMO AEROPORTO ORIO AL SERIO
  • BOLOGNA AEROPORTO BORGO PANIGALE
  • BOLZANO AEROPORTO SAN GIACOMO
  • BRESCIA AEROPORTO MONTICHIARI
  • BRINDISI AEROPORTO DEL SALENTO
  • CAGLIARI AEROPORTO ELMAS
  • CATANIA AEROPORTO FONTANAROSSA
  • COMISO AEROPORTO PIO LA TORRE
  • CROTONE AEROPORTO SANT'ANNA
  • CUNEO AEROPORTO LEVALDIGI
  • FIRENZE AEROPORTO AMERIGO VESPUCCI
  • FOGGIA AEROPORTO GINO LISA
  • GENOVA AEROPORTO CRISTOFORO COLOMBO
  • GROSSETO AEROPORTO DELLA MAREMMA
  • LAMEZIA TERME AEROPORTO SANT'EUFEMIA
  • LAMPEDUSA AEROPORTO
  • MILANO LINATE AEROPORTO
  • MILANO MALPENSA AEROPORTO
  • NAPOLI 1 AEROPORTO DI CAPODICHINO
  • OLBIA AEROPORTO COSTA SMERALDA
  • PALERMO AEROPORTO P. RAISI
  • PANTELLERIA AEROPORTO ITALO D'AMICO
  • PARMA AEROPORTO G. VERDI
  • PESCARA AEROPORTO D'ABRUZZO
  • PERUGIA AEROPORTO SAN FRANCESCO D'ASSISI
  • PISA AEROPORTO GALILEO GALILEI
  • REGGIO CALABRIA AEROPORTO DELLO STRETTO
  • RIMINI AEROPORTO MIRAMARE F.
  • ROMA CIAMPINO AEROPORTO
  • ROMA FIUMICINO AEROPORTO
  • SALERNO AEROPORTO COSTA D'AMALFI
  • TARANTO AEROPORTO MARCELLO ARLOTTA
  • TORINO CASELLE TORINESE AEROPORTO
  • TRAPANI BIRGI
  • TREVISO - AEROPORTO SAN GIUSEPPE
  • TRIESTE AEROPORTO FVG
  • VENEZIA AEROPORTO MARCO POLO DI TESSERA
  • VERONA AEROPORTO V. CATULLO
  • ANCONA PORTO
  • BARI PORTO
  • BRINDISI PORTO
  • CATANIA PORTO
  • CIVITAVECCHIA PORTO
  • GENOVA PORTO PASSO NUOVO
  • MONFALCONE PORTO
  • NAPOLI PORTO
  • PALERMO PORTO
  • PORTO EMPEDOCLE
  • RAVENNA PORTO
  • SALERNO PORTO
  • SAVONA PORTO
  • TRIESTE PORTO INDUSTRIALE
  • TRIESTE PORTO PUNTO FRANCO NUOVO
  • TRIESTE PORTO PUNTO FRANCO VECCHIO

verified 2026-09-03

The pet must have a working microchip, also called a transponder, before getting its rabies vaccination for travel to the EU, and the veterinarian must scan the microchip before giving the vaccination. That scan is the step people skip. Ask for it at the appointment so the number on the certificate is read from the animal rather than copied from an earlier record.
Italy removed its dangerous-breeds annex rather than revising it. The ordinance states the list neither reduced attacks nor could be justified, because veterinary literature does not allow the risk of greater aggression to be established from a dog's breed or its crosses. So there is no breed to check against for import. Carry the standard documents and the breed is not a question.
The certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian until the documentary and identity checks at the traveller entry point designated by each EU country. The clock therefore stops at the border check, not at departure. Book the official vet inside the 10 days before arrival and keep the original with the animal.
So Italy: microchip scanned before the rabies shot, an official-vet certificate used inside 10 days of the border check, no import permit, no quarantine, and no breed list at all. The repeal is worth knowing if someone has told you a bully breed cannot enter — it can. Build a personalized plan with your dates and we'll sequence the chip, the shot and the certificate for you.
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