Pet Transport Italy to South Korea: 2026 Guide

South Korea’s QIAS authority categorises countries by their animal health standards and rabies status. The EU, including Italy, is recognised as having established animal health certification systems. For EU-origin pets, QIAS applies a faster inspection process compared to pets from rabies-endemic non-EU countries.

This means two significant differences for Italian pet owners. First, there is no FAVN titre test requirement for EU-origin pets entering South Korea (unlike for pets from Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, or Thailand). Second, the on-arrival inspection period at Incheon is significantly shorter: typically 1 to 3 days rather than 5 to 10 days.

That said, inspection on arrival is not waived entirely. Your pet will spend at least one day at the QIAS facility at Incheon for a health check and documentation review. This is much less disruptive than the extended quarantine for non-EU origins, but it is still something to plan for.

Your pet still needs a valid ISO microchip, a current and valid rabies vaccination, and an advance QIAS notification submitted before arrival. The critical documentation requirement is the health certificate in Korean QIAS format, which is different from the EU pet passport. This is where many EU-origin owners make a mistake: presenting the EU pet passport at Korean customs rather than the specific Korean import health certificate. The Korean certificate must be issued by an official Italian vet (veterinario ufficiale) and endorsed by the Italian Ministry of Health.

In Italy, health certificates for animal exports to non-EU countries must be issued by a veterinario ufficiale (official vet), which is a vet authorised by the Italian veterinary public health service (Azienda Sanitaria Locale, or ASL). This is different from a private vet, even if your private vet is highly experienced.

The official vet issues the certificate using the Korean QIAS import template. This template is different from the standard EU-format certificate and includes fields specific to Korean import requirements. If you go to an official vet who is not familiar with the Korean format, ask them to contact the Italian Ministry of Health for the correct template, or engage a pet transport agent who can supply the template.

Once the certificate is completed by the official vet, it is endorsed by the Italian Ministry of Health before departure. This endorsement confirms the certificate was issued by a qualified official vet and meets Italian export standards. Plan 3-5 working days for the Ministry endorsement process.

The certificate is valid for 10 days from the issue date. Time the appointment carefully: you need Ministry endorsement before your pet departs, but the certificate must still be valid (within 10 days) on arrival in South Korea.

Korean Air Cargo operates direct connections between Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Seoul Incheon (ICN). Korean Air is the most direct and experienced option for this route. The Korean Air Cargo team at FCO is familiar with QIAS documentation for EU-origin pets.

Asiana Cargo also flies FCO to ICN. ITA Airways can coordinate connections for cargo to Korean Air or Asiana services. From Milan Malpensa (MXP), the same options apply: Korean Air Cargo and Asiana Cargo both serve the Italy-Korea corridor.

Cargo costs from Rome or Milan to Incheon typically run USD 900-2,200. A small cat in a compact crate costs toward the lower end; a large breed dog in a reinforced crate costs toward the upper end. The flight from Rome to Seoul is approximately 11-12 hours.

Add the Italian official vet certificate (EUR 80-200), Ministry endorsement, IATA crate (USD 100-400), and the Incheon QIAS inspection fee (KRW 50,000-150,000 for the 1-3 day EU-origin period), and total costs for Italy to South Korea are typically USD 1,500-3,500 for most pets.