How to Bring Your Pet to Italy from the United States

By: Travel With Wally

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Getting Started

You have picked where you are going to live, you know when you are going to leave, and you are getting giddier and giddier by the day for your big move.  What else is there to do?  Do you have a pet? Are they coming with you? If you answered yes, then there are a couple of more steps to finish before heading off to the land of pasta and wine.  We are going to cover the process of how to bring your pet to Italy.

**This information is based on how we traveled to Italy with our dog, Wally.  How to crate your dog for travel in the cargo hold is not something that we can cover due to the lack of experience in that category.**  

First of all, this post is going to cover the APHIS category of dogs, cats, and ferrets.  Other pets have different processes and it can all be found on this really easy-to-understand USDA APHIS website.   

Well if this website is so easy to use, then what is the point of this post? You may be wondering.  Well, take it from someone who has brought their dog to Italy from the United States, there are some steps that can throw curveballs at you.  You just need to learn how to catch them.  

I went through some stressful times getting my dog ready for travel and I am going to share these experiences so that you can be ready or avoid them all together.  

ADVICE: 

• Start this process at least a couple of months early.  There are some things that cannot be done until a couple of weeks prior to leaving, but you can double check that everything is in order for your final vet visits and paperwork.

• Find a USDA Accredited Veterinarian to complete this process with.  They will be familiar with all of the paperwork that needs to be filled out.  All you should have to do is show up for your appointment, supply some simple flight information, and sign the paperwork.  

Step 1: Microchip

Easy, most dogs have to be microchipped nowadays for their registrations, so no big deal.  But wait!  It needs to be an ISO microchip with a 15-digit number.  How do you know for sure that your pet has this?  If you no longer have the paperwork from the microchip, you can contact your vet.  They can either tell you if it is an ISO or they can scan your pet to make sure.  

Do this early, at least a month before you leave, but I advise two.  And this is why…

If your pet is scanned and there is no microchip found or it is the incorrect chip, they will have to have one inserted.  That is quick and easy, no problem.

But here comes the issue:  the rabies vaccine HAS to be administered AFTER the microchip.  And it has to be administered at least 21 days prior to leaving the country.

I don’t know why and the vet assistant I discussed it with didn’t know why.  But I was so glad that I brought Wally into the vet for a check-up with plenty of time to figure this out.  (Yes, this happened to me! They re-chipped him, carefully recorded the time, and then administered another rabies vaccine.)  Wally ended up having to be double dosed for a 3-year rabies vaccine, but he was okay, with no side effects. 

So please, save yourself the potential panic and stress and bring your little friend to have their microchip scanned.  Just in case it isn’t where it’s supposed to be. 

Step 2: Rabies Vaccine

I mentioned this in the last section.  But it is essential that your pet is up to date on their rabies vaccine.  And it MUST have been administered the day OF or AFTER the microchip was inserted.  The only exception is if they had a non-ISO chip and it is still readable, and then they were inserted with the correct ISO chip.  They will not have to be re-vaccinated.  

So the easy way to read it is 

• if they were microchipped with an ISO chip and the vaccine was given the same day or after then you are good
• If they had a non ISO chip before the vaccine, and they were re-chipped, then they don’t need a new vaccine.

Step 3: Wait

The vaccine must have been administered at least 21 days before leaving the country for the EU.

You also will have to wait until at least 30 days before your  appointment for your pets ‘non-commercial’ health certificate (there is a commercial health certificate that we will not go over at this time.)

Step 4: Go to a USDA-accredited veterinarian or a military veterinarian to obtain a ‘non-commercial’ health form

This certificate is valid for 5 or fewer pets traveling within 5 days before or after the owner.  If this doesn’t apply to you, then you will need the other ‘commercial’ certificate.

Your USDA-accredited vet should be able to tell you what you need.

Your certificate is valid for 30 days after it is completed and signed by the veterinarian.  I advise that you give yourself some buffer time in case your flight is delayed.  Then you won’t have to start all over, spend more money, and delay your trip to paradise.  

The gentleman that was taking care of my paperwork was kind enough to advise me of this as well.  Thankfully our flight took off on schedule, but it helped with peace of mind. 

Step 5: Check airline guidelines for air travel with pets.  Call and reserve them a spot. 

Note that some dog breeds are often not allowed on planes.  Make sure to check with your airline in regards to your dog’s breed and ability to fly. 

Different airlines have different carrier-size requirements for small dogs.  Make sure to check that your dog’s carrier is the proper size.  When Wally and I flew from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, I was on one of the last flights that allow emotional support animals to fly out of their carriers.  So at that time, we didn’t have to worry about a carrier, but I needed one for our next flight to Florence.  

*If your dog is a working dog, then it will probably get to fly for free in the cabin.  It is still a good idea to double-check the airline rules. 

Airlines usually have a page on their website dedicated to pet travel.  It is usually required that you call to reserve a spot for your pet.  They can also tell you the fee for flying with your pet and other requirements.  

Step 6: Packing for your Pet’s Trip to Italy   

Here are some things I learned about packing for your trip to Italy.  You can also check out this post (add link) about traveling with your dog in Italy. It shares a lot of great ideas that crossover with your initial trip to the land of wine and pasta.  

1. Pet Carrier: Find a carrier that is the correct dimensions for the airline you are flying with. Some carriers can fold down for easier storage when it isn’t needed. I bought this one and was able to fold it down to fit in my backpack.  

This is the carrier I used on our flight

1. Pee-Pads: Bring potty training pee-pads for when you can’t find a pet relief area.  I also recommend reminding your pet how to use them before your trip.  Wally refused to use them and held his bladder for the entire trip. 

Many airports have relief areas for pets.  But I found out that they are not necessarily accessible to everyone, as it can depend on the terminal you are in.  

*In Minneapolis they have a small indoor area in terminal 1.

3. Water Dish: When you are taking a long trip with animals, it can be easy to forget that they need to stay hydrated.  I love using collapsible water dishes which are great for traveling.  They collapse to be flat and easy to stow in your pack. 
4.  Medication: Wally gets some anxiety when he travels.  It is something we have been working on and he is improving.  But for a long trans-atlantic flight, our vet prescribed him some medication to help him relax.  

Make sure to keep track of when you gave your pet their medication and if they 

need another dose.  Be sure to account for the time zone changes.  It is good to get enough 

           long-term medication for a couple of months while you find a local veterinarian. 

Have a Safe and Stress-Free Trip

Traveling with your pet may be second nature to you or it may be a new experience.  But I hope that you are able to find some peace of mind here, and learn from some of my mistakes.  

If I could go back, I wish I had spent more time trying to convince Wally that pee-pads are acceptable indoor relief areas.  I also wish I had looked at the APHIS website sooner.  I am just glad that I randomly made an appointment to bring Wally to the vet to make sure he was ready to fly.  

There is always something that we look back on and wish we could change.  But these are opportunities to learn and improve in the future.  I applaud you for researching and reading all of the way to the end.  I hope that I brought a little bit of light to the process of bringing your pet to Italy. 

Check out this post for More Helpful Tips and Tricks for traveling With dogs in italy