How to get a pet passport for your Maine Coon in Aviano

You have just purchased your Maine Coon and you want to travel out of Italy. What do you need to do to make that happen?

1. Your cat needs a microchip
2. Your cat needs proof of up to date vaccinations (Specifically your vet booklet will display the vaccine history)
3. Your cat requires a Rabies shot within 2 years of the travel period
4. You require a note from your local vet that your cat is good to travel (Normally your vet will stamp this in your pet passport)
5. Your cat requires a pet passport

The earliest time you can travel outside of Italy with your Maine Coon (providing you have all the paperwork in order) is:

1. When your kitten is 4 months of age or older and;
2. The rabies shot was administered 21 days before travel and;
3. The rabies shot is valid and travel is undertaken within 2 years from when the rabies shot was administered.

To put this in other terms your Maine coon needs to be at least 4 months of age before travelling abroad. Your kitten also needs to have had a Rabies shot at least 21 days prior and within 2 years of the rabies shot having been administered. If your Maine Coon had a Rabies shot but this expired, your Maine coon will require a new Rabies shot and you will have to wait the 21 days before travel.

I have discussed the requirements regarding leaving Italy with your pet. However, I have not written about the requirements of entry within another country.

Each country has it’s own rules and may conflict with the Italian procedure. So you need to do your research and check to see what the requirements are for entering into a specific country.

For example, If your Maine Coon is leaving for Japan they have very strict regulations regarding Rabies. Their procedure requires commencement 9 months prior to travel otherwise you could find your pet quarantined there for 9 months.

Here is an example of Japan’s requirements and regulations: https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Japan.cfm

This is the easy part as you should already have the following documentation:

1. Your Maine Coon
2. Your vet booklet demonstrating up to date vaccines
3. Your Codice Fiscale (That is the green colored card with a number on it)

You take these three items with you to an Italian government vet.

You may not be aware but there are professional vets and government vets. In this instance one of the government vets in Aviano is Dottore Paola Cautero: https://asfo.sanita.fvg.it/it/personale/territorio/paola_cautero.html

They are generally very busy and would prefer that you follow their procedures. In Aviano you simply arrive at the clinic in the opening hours and wait your turn. Please be prepared and have all your documentation ready. The procedure for the vet in Aviano is to follow.

What you require

The vet will provide you with the following:

1. A microchip if required (approximately 10 euros)
2. Export document for USA if required (approximately 10 euros)
3. A European Pet Passport (approximately 10 euros)
4. A Rabies shot if required (approximately 35 euros)

Then 3 days before you travel take your Maine Coon and passport to your local vet. They will then stamp the passport saying your cat is good to travel.

One of our friends kindly photographed the payment details for Aviano should you require this info. These photos are listed below: