How to Relocate Your Household & Pets to Italy

Jump right in:

• How to bring your goods to Italy
• What documents do I need to import my items?
• What are the customs regulations for Italy?
• Which items are prohibited or restricted in to bring into Italy?
• What vaccinations and health documents do you need for Italy?
• Moving to Italy with pets

How to bring your goods to Italy

Given the country’s advantageous location, you can choose to have your items shipped to Italy by road, air, or sea freight. How you move your household items and belongings may come down to personal preference, as you will likely have more than one option.

• Airfreight is the fastest option, but also the most expensive.
• Sea freight takes longer but allows you to transport a larger volume of goods at a lower cost compared to other methods.
• If you have the option to move your belongings by land, this is likely your best choice, as it is speedy and just as affordable as sea freight.

If you wonder how difficult it is to ship your belongings to Italy, you should know customs procedures may be inconsistent. While some expats experience no hiccups importing their household goods, others have faced setbacks due to missing documents or inconsistent communication about the status of their shipments.

Some moving companies include:

• Reloux
• Krügel
• UPakWeShip
• Earthrelo

What documents do I need to import my items?

If you’re moving to Italy and want to bring your household goods without paying import duties or taxes, you’ll need to meet certain conditions and provide the right documents. This mostly applies to people moving from outside the EU.

General requirements:

• You must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months.
• The items must have been owned and used for at least 6 months before the move.
• Your shipment must arrive within 12 months of your move to Italy.
• The goods must be for personal use.

Required documents:

• copy of your passport
• Codice Fiscale (Italian tax code) from the Agenzia delle Entrate
• detailed inventory list
• declaration that you don’t bring forbidden items (Dichiarazione di libera importazione)
• proof of residence outside the EU for the last 12+ months (e.g. utility bills, work contracts)
• customs declaration form (Dichiarazione Sostitutiva di Certificazione)
• residence certificate (Certificato di Residenza) or receipt of application from your local Italian town hall
• permit to stay (Permesso di Soggiorno), if you are a non-EU citizen

What are the customs regulations for Italy?

When moving to Italy, customs regulations vary depending on where you're moving from.

If you’re moving to Italy from outside the EU, you may be able to bring your household goods without paying any duties or taxes. To qualify:

• you must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months
• your belongings must have been used for at least six months
• you need to move your items within 12 months of arriving in Italy.

Customs rules may vary slightly depending on the office handling your shipment, so it's important to have all your documents ready and, if possible, in Italian.

On the other hand, if you're moving from within the EU, customs procedures are typically simpler due to the free movement of goods across member states.

What are customs allowances in Italy?

Customs allowances for Italy will vary depending on whether you are moving from within the EU or outside.

From within the EU:

From outside the EU:

Which items are prohibited or restricted to bring into Italy?

Some items are restricted or strictly forbidden to bring into the country. If you are transporting cash, you are only allowed to bring up to 10,000 EUR (11,000 USD) with you.

Objects such as firearms, knives, or other weapons are forbidden unless accompanied by an authorization by a competent body of the origin country. Weapons are held by the Customs Office until the authorization has been granted. Counterfeit goods are strictly forbidden.

There are no strict regulations for medicines intended for personal use. However, it’s recommended to carry a copy of your doctor’s prescription, especially for prescription medications or controlled substances. This helps avoid any issues at customs. If you need to bring large quantities or medications not commonly available in Italy, check in advance with Italian health authorities or the embassy to ensure compliance with local laws.

Household goods storage options

When moving to Italy, you might need temporary or long-term storage for your belongings. Availability of storage units depends on the location and prices can differ widely based on location and unit size.

There are different types of storage options, such as self-storage units and warehouse-style facilities. While some self-storage services offer compact units starting at around 36,90 EUR (43 USD) per month, larger storage rooms listed on various platforms can cost 1,000 EUR (1,170 USD) or more.

For more information on storage in Italy, consult the AISI (Associazione Imprese Selfstorage Italiane).

What vaccinations and health documents do you need for Italy?

There are no compulsory vaccinations required for entry into Italy. Routine childhood vaccines (for diseases like polio, DTP, MMR, and varicella) are required for school enrollment under Italian law. For adults, it's recommended to stay up to date with routine vaccinations like tetanus and flu, especially during winter. Additional especially recommended vaccines for adults based on national health guidelines include:

• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (TDAP)
• influenza
• hingles
• pneumonia
• meningitis
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
• Chickenpox

All in all, while no vaccines are mandatory for entry, making sure you're protected with routine immunizations and relevant additional ones is wise for health and peace of mind.

Moving to Italy with pets

Moving your dog, cat, or ferret to Italy requires following EU and Italian pet import rules. Here's what you need to know:

All pets must:

• be microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785-compliant chip (or have a clearly legible tattoo applied before 3 July 2011) and microchipping must precede rabies vaccination;
• be vaccinated against rabies, with the vaccination administered after microchipping and no earlier than 12 weeks of age. Pets can travel only 21 days after completing the vaccination protocol;
• not enter Italy if under 12 weeks old or between 12 and 16 weeks without meeting the full post-vaccination immunity window;
• normally, be accompanied by their owner, unless exceptional, documented circumstances exist allowing arrival up to five days before or after the owner;
• be limited to a maximum of five pets per person; more is only allowed for non-commercial entry (e.g., competitions), and if so, stricter requirements apply.

What documents do you need for your pet's relocation to Italy?

Taking your dog, cat, or ferret to Italy requires the following documents:

From EU Member States (and certain non-EU territories):

• Pets must have a European Pet Passport, issued by an authorized vet and containing chip ID and rabies vaccination details that meet EU requirements.
• Rabies vaccination must comply with the timeline (minimum age of 12 weeks, at least 21 days after vaccination before travel).

From Non-EU Countries:

• Pets must have an EU Animal Health Certificate, issued by an official vet within 10 days of entering. A written declaration of non-commercial movement is mandatory.
• If the country of origin is not on the EU’s low-risk list, a rabies antibody titration test is required. The test must be performed at least 30 days after vaccination and at least three months before arrival, with a required positive titer of ≥0.5 IU/ml.

Moving other pets to Italy

There are no special requirements for the entry of other animals in Italy, such as invertebrates, aquatic animals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, or rodents. These must simply be transported in appropriate containers, accompanied by the owner or authorized person.

If you coming from a third country, these pets must be accompanied by a health certificate signed by an official veterinarian or authorized competent authority. The certificate must confirm that the animal was examined within 48 hours prior to departure, shows no clinical signs of species-specific diseases, and is fit to travel. It should include a description of the animal, owner details, and the addresses of origin and destination.

For birds (excluding poultry, which are prohibited), stricter rules apply. Italy authorizes the introduction of live pet birds from third countries only in consignments of five or fewer. These birds must be accompanied by a health certificate conforming to the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1938, including a declaration from the owner or authorized representative.

For detailed information, please refer to the Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute) website