Those who wish to enter Italy bringing a pet with them must ensure that they have all the required documentation; in particular the pets accompanying their owners must have an EU pet passport and must be identified by electronic microchip or clearly legible tattoo.

What is an EU pet passport?

It is a document issued by a vet authorised by the appropriate body in the Country of origin and it must certify that the pet has been vaccinated against rabies and, where necessary, that a second vaccination against rabies has been administered. You must apply to the veterinary service of the EU Country of origin to obtain it. Proof of preventive treatment of pets against ticks and echinococcus is not required for entry into Italy.

The conditions for entry into Italy from EU Member States may also apply to the Countries listed below, if the European Commission has ascertained that those Countries apply regulations equivalent to those of the European Union:

• Andorra
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• Norway
• San Marino
• Switzerland
• Vatican City

In any case, bringing dogs and cats aged less than 3 months and not vaccinated against rabies into Italy is prohibited.

Air transport - Almost all airlines permit transport of pets. When booking air travel accompanied by your dog and cat, it is advisable to check whether the flight involves stopovers in transit Countries with changes of airline company or aircraft, both because transfer from one aircraft to another may entail risks to the pets themselves (breakage of the pet carrier and mislaid pets), but above all because pets may be detained in the transit country for health checks or even be held in quarantine. It is therefore advisable to obtain information beforehand not only on the health requirements in the destination country but on those of the transit country too. As far as access on board is concerned, there is no single regulation valid for all airline companies; each company may in fact establish the kind of pet carrier to be used to transport the pet, the number of animals carried in the cabin, whether or not they may be let out of the pet carrier, etc. A certain number of pets are generally permitted to travel in the cabin on each flight: small dogs (weighing less than 10 kg) and cats (some companies accept traditional cat carriers, others require special models). Medium and large-sized dogs on the contrary travel in the pressurised hold in special reinforced crates. Some companies guarantee assistance by specialised personnel, with pet assistance and refreshment centres during stopovers. Canaries and other small pets travel in the cabin in cages.

Rail transport - An anti-rabies vaccination certificate is essential for entry into some EU Countries. Restrictions and different modes of transport are in force depending upon the kind of train taken (Eurostar, Intercity, regional and inter-regional or Wagon-Lit). It is advisable to ask for information from the railway company prior to departure; in any case, dogs, cats, birds, fish and other small pets may travel by train provided that they are kept in special cages, unless specific prohibitions are in force. Small-sized dogs and cats may travel with their owners but only in second class carriages. Large-sized dogs may travel unleashed but only if the whole compartment has been booked (their owners must however pay to disinfest the compartment). They may travel in compartments with other passengers provided that they do not cause a disturbance and are kept on a leash and wearing a muzzle.