How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pet from Canada to Italy?
Italy follows the European Union pet movement rules, and for a pet travelling from Canada those rules are gentler than the reputation suggests. Canada is a listed country, so no rabies titre test is required. What you need is a microchip, a current rabies vaccination and a single EU animal health certificate endorsed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The rest of the bill is the crate and the flight.
What it costs, line by line
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| CFIA export certification, EU animal health certificate | Set by the CFIA at the endorsement appointment | CFIA |
| Rabies titre test | Not required from Canada | EU |
| Microchip, ISO 11784 | Set by your clinic | Your veterinarian |
| Rabies vaccination | Set by your clinic | Your veterinarian |
| Tapeworm treatment | Not required for Italy | EU |
| Import permit | None | EU |
| Quarantine | None | EU |
| IATA crate | CAD $80 to $340 at retail depending on size | Retail |
| Airline freight | Quoted per booking | Airline |
On this route the timing matters more than the money. The microchip has to be implanted before the rabies vaccination, not after. If it goes in afterwards the vaccination does not count and has to be given again. After a first vaccination you wait 21 days before entering the EU, while a booster given before the previous one expires counts immediately. The health certificate is valid for 10 days from the veterinarian’s signature, so it is the last thing you arrange rather than the first. If your pet travels separately from you, the movement has to happen within 5 days of your own. No more than five animals may travel under these rules. Tapeworm treatment applies to dogs entering Finland, Malta, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so it does not apply to Italy.
How flight pricing works on this route
Live animal freight from Canada is priced per booking rather than from a rate card. Chargeable weight is whichever is greater, the actual weight of pet and crate together, or a volume figure taken from the crate’s dimensions, so for most dogs the crate decides the price. Flights from Canada to Italy usually route through Rome Fiumicino. Send us the two cities and the crate size and we will quote the real rate.
What is not included here
Your vet sets their own fees. The microchip, the rabies vaccination and the certificate paperwork are priced by your clinic and vary by province. Boarding, and domestic travel to the departure airport, also sit outside these figures.
What moves the price
Crate size drives the flight cost, as on every route. After that it is the season, whether the routing is direct, and how close your rabies vaccination date sits to your travel date. A vaccination given too late forces the 21 day wait and can cost you the booking.
Figures and sources
Checked September 2026. Requirements come from CFIA guidance on non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets to the European Union. The CFIA certificate fee is re-indexed every 31 March. Government rules change, so check the source before you book.
Want this priced for your pet and dates?
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemised plan, a timeline and a real number for your pet rather than a range.
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