Lead time needed
30-36 weeks
Quarantine
30 days
Route complexity
High
Airlines
4 carriers on this route
Start my quote
Home/Routes/Italy to Australia
IT
AU

Pet Transport from Italy to Australia

Getting a pet from Italy to Australia is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. Allow about 30-36 weeks; the requirements are detailed but predictable once mapped out. A 30 day quarantine stay applies once your pet arrives. A rabies titre …

In short: Preparing to move a pet from Italy to Australia typically takes around 30-36 weeks. Expect 30 days of quarantine on arrival. A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.
Verification date not recorded. Confirm current requirements with the destination authority.
Prepared by , Senior Pet Relocation Consultant
Step by step

The Italy to Australia import process

Every step must be completed in sequence. A single missed deadline can add months to your timeline. We own the entire process.

1
First. The vet who takes the rabies blood sample scans it, and every document carries its number. DAFF does not accept microchips starting with 999 for dogs.
Check or implant an ISO compatible microchip

Responsible: Your vet

2
At 84 days of age or older. It must stay valid, without a single day's gap, from the blood test until export.
Rabies vaccination

Responsible: Your vet

3
Before the rabies blood test, at a separate visit. Without it, quarantine in Australia is at least 30 days instead of 10.
Official identity check by a government veterinarian

Responsible: Official government vet

4
3 to 4 weeks after the vaccination, FAVN or RFFIT, result 0.5 IU/ml or more. The 180-day wait starts the day the sample arrives at the laboratory, not the day it is taken.
Rabies blood test (RNATT)

Responsible: Government approved vet and laboratory

5
DAFF says most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days, and some take up to 123.
Apply for the DAFF import permit through BICON

Responsible: You or your pet transport agent

6
After the import permit is issued.
Book the Mickleham quarantine place

Responsible: You or your pet transport agent

7
Within 45 days of export: a Leishmania infantum test for dogs, a Brucella canis test for dogs that are not desexed, and Leptospira Canicola vaccination or a negative test. Two internal parasite treatments at least 14 days apart, the second within 5 days of export. External parasite treatment from at least 30 days (dogs) or 21 days (cats) before export.
Pre-export tests and treatments

Responsible: Government approved vet

8
Within 5 days before export, after the final health check and the second internal parasite treatment, with every page signed and stamped.
DAFF health certificate signed by an official government veterinarian

Responsible: Official government vet

9
No earlier than 180 days after the blood sample reached the laboratory. Pets cannot travel in the cabin, and there are no domestic transfers.
Fly as manifested cargo directly into Melbourne

Responsible: Airline cargo

10
At least 10 days if the identity check was done before the blood test, otherwise at least 30 days.
Quarantine at Mickleham, Melbourne

Responsible: DAFF

Requirements

What your pet needs to enter Australia

Every item must be verified before your pet can board. We track each one against current standards.

Microchip
An ISO compatible microchip, readable by an ISO compatible reader. DAFF does not …
Rabies vaccination
Given at 84 days of age or older, and kept valid without a single day's gap from …
Rabies titre test
Required. Blood taken 3 to 4 weeks after the rabies vaccination, tested by FAVN …
Quarantine
At least 30 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne, …
Import permit
Required, from DAFF through its BICON system. DAFF says most permits are issued …
Health certificate
DAFF's veterinary health certificate, completed, signed and stamped on every …
Export permit
No export permit required for personal pet exports from Italy. Italy is an EU …
Costs

What this route typically costs

Australian government charges for one pet (DAFF import permit and …
Veterinary work, tests and the health certificate in the export …
Flight as manifested cargo to Melbourne: depends on crate size, …
Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, …

Critical points

Italy is in DAFF's Group 3, so the 180-day wait applies. It runs from the day the blood sample arrives at the laboratory, so time in the post is added to it.

Quarantine is at least 30 days unless an official government veterinarian verified your pet's identity before the blood test, in which case it is at least 10.

Pets enter Australia only through Melbourne International Airport, as manifested cargo.

Australia bans these dog breeds outright: dogo Argentino, fila Brasileiro, Japanese tosa, American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier, and Perro de Presa Canario, plus the wolf hybrids Czechoslovakian wolfdog, Saarloos wolfdog, Lupo Italiano and Kunming wolfdog. Non-domestic cat hybrids (Savannah, Safari, Chausie and Bengal, and their crossbred offspring) are banned, and Bengal cats have not been allowed into Australia since 1 March 2026 (DAFF).

Airlines

Approved carriers for this route

Not all airlines accept live animals. We book only with carriers that handle live animal cargo correctly.

Emirates
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Melbourne via Dubai. Pets travel as …
Cargo Only
Qatar Airways Cargo
Rome and Milan to Melbourne via Doha. Direct Doha-Melbourne service available. Confirm …
Cargo Only
Singapore Airlines
Via Singapore Changi to Melbourne. Pets as manifest cargo. Check AVS transit requirements …
Cargo Only
Etihad Cargo
Rome and Milan to Melbourne via Abu Dhabi. Pets as manifest cargo. Seasonal Gulf heat …
Cargo Only

How Australia handles incoming pets

Australia has a detailed set of import rules, and each one needs to be satisfied before travel. None of it is unusual, but the order and timing are what catch people out.

What experienced owners do

Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.

Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.

Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.

Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.

FAQ

Common questions

DAFF says to allow at least 6 months for a Group 3 move. The fixed part is the 180 days from the day the blood sample reaches the laboratory, plus the time before it for vaccination and the blood test, and quarantine after arrival.
Yes. Every pet goes to the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne for at least 30 days, or at least 10 if an official government veterinarian verified its identity before the rabies blood test.
Yes. Italy is in DAFF’s Group 3. The blood is taken 3 to 4 weeks after the rabies vaccination and must show 0.5 IU/ml or more, and export is allowed no earlier than 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory.
Yes. Apply to DAFF through BICON before you book. DAFF says most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days, and some take up to 123.
DAFF’s own veterinary health certificate, completed, signed and stamped on every page by an official government veterinarian within 5 days before export.
Airline guides
  • Emirates
  • Qatar Airways Cargo
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Etihad Cargo
Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

Browse all breed guides →

Move your pet to Australia.

Get my free quote
IT AUItaly to Australia
International pet transport route
Lead time30-36 weeks
Quarantine30 days
ComplexityHigh
Airlines4
ServiceDoor to door
Get a free quote for this route
Country and airline guides
Shipping Pets from Italy→Australia pet import rules→Emirates pet cargo policy→Qatar Airways pet cargo policy→

Sources

Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.

Get a free pet transport quote

Tell us your route and pet details. We will send you a step-by-step plan and tailored quote.

Request a Quote