The Customs Agency governs existing rules for the importing into Italy of consumable goods, animals, plants, protected species, cultural assets, weapons, etc. Prior to entering Italy it is advisable to find out what items can be brought into the country.
Animals and protected species
Animals can be brought into the country (dogs, cats, ferrets, and so on) only if:
- they are over the age of three months
- they come with a health certificate issued by the competent health authorities of the country of origin. The certificate must contain data identifying the animal and the owner and must certify that the animal is healthy and compliant with the rabies vaccination.
“Protected species” is taken to mean animals in danger of extinction, some plant species and products deriving from animals or plants listed as protected species in the Washington Convention. For protected species it is necessary to produce the health certificate as per above and the CITES certificate authorising the plant’s export, issued by the authorities of the country of origin.
Weapons
In Italy it is forbidden to bring in any sort of firearm, sidearm or unsuitable weapon, except for arms accompanied by a legal permit issued by the competent bodies of the zone of residence of the traveller.
Cultural assets
If one wishes to import into Italy a cultural asset from a non-EU country, it is necessary to declare the fact when going through Customs for the application of relative taxation. It is necessary to produce the invoice attesting to purchase or certification as to the origin of the item.