Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Italy → South Korea
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
We’re re-checking these rules. An official source they rely on has changed since we last verified them, so something here may be out of date. Before you book or travel, confirm the details with the official authority.
- Overseas rabies-free countries (regions): list as of 4 April 2023 (HWPX attachment, in Korean) · page changed, noticed 12 Oct 2026
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Italy publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. The ministry's page is a short general note (updated 3 January 2025) with no deadline, fee or step-by-step procedure: your local ASL veterinary service says what applies for your destination.
How early to start
No fixed wait
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
No fixed wait
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
Which rules apply to you
Italy is in the group “On APQA's rabies-free list — no rabies antibody test” in South Korea’s published list.See every group
Headlines for South Korea
- Rabies blood test for some origins
What your dog or cat needs
Identification
ISO microchip
Every dog and cat must have a microchip. It should be ISO-compliant (ISO 11784 and 11785); with any other chip you must bring your own scanner. Its number must match the one on the health certificate.
Details and the official words
If this is missed: An animal without a microchip, or whose chip number doesn't match the certificate, may be quarantined longer so one can be implanted at the owner's expense.
“Microchips implanted in cats and dogs must be ISO-compliant (ISO11784 and 11785 standards). For any other chips, importers must bring their own microchip scanners.”
“it is mandatory that they have microchips implanted in them.”
Paperwork
Health certificate from the exporting country's government
A health certificate issued by the government agency of the country your pet is leaving. It must show the microchip number and birth date, and for pets aged 90 days or older not from a rabies-free country, also the rabies antibody test result. You hand it to the animal quarantine officer on arrival.
Details and the official words
APQA's pet page doesn't say how many days before arrival the certificate must be issued. Ask the exporting country's authority and APQA.
Health certification from your local ASL veterinary service: Get the information you need by contacting the embassy in Italy of the non-EU destination, or go directly to the veterinary service of your ASL (local health authority), which is competent to issue the health certification that may be needed.
The ministry's page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be: the destination's own requirements decide.
“a health certificate issued by the government agency of the exporting country confirming the animal's microchip number and the result of the rabies antibody test must be submitted to the animal quarantine officer.”
“a health certificate issued by the government agency of the exporting country which states the animal's microchip number and birth date.”
“È dunque opportuno reperire le informazioni necessarie contattando l’ambasciata in Italia del Paese terzo oppure rivolgersi direttamente al servizio veterinario della Asl di appartenenza competente per l’eventuale rilascio della certificazione sanitaria necessaria.”
On arrival
Quarantine inspection at the port of entry
On arrival the quarantine officer checks your documents and your pet's health with a clinical exam. If all is in order your pet may be released the same day.
Details and the official words
If this is missed: Animals with missing or mismatched microchip, missing antibody test or low titer may be quarantined for an extended period at the owner's expense.
“may be released on the day of arrival.”
Good to know
- Whether your pet needs a rabies antibody test depends on APQA's list of rabies-free countries. The only version we could read is dated 4 April 2023, and APQA changes the list as countries report rabies or declare themselves free. Ask APQA (or check its current list) before you rely on the 'no blood test' route.
- If you arrive without the government health certificate, your pet has to go back to the country it came from, at your cost.
- APQA's pet page does not set a rabies vaccination schedule or a waiting period; it asks for the antibody test (pets aged 90 days or older, not from a rabies-free country). Your vet will need to vaccinate before that test.
- When the destination is outside the EU, it can ask for health requirements and documents on top of those for EU countries, and the conditions vary by destination.
- Some non-EU countries have very strict laws, for example quarantine that separates the animal from its owner, even for long periods. Collect the information well in advance.
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.
Common questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Italy to South Korea?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into South Korea?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in South Korea?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog or cat need a microchip?
Yes: Every dog and cat must have a microchip.