Italy: Full List of Food Items Travellers are Restricted from Bringing into the Country in 2026

• The European Union, of which Italy is a part, has published rules banning travellers from bringing meat, milk, and most animal products into Italy and other EU member states
• The restrictions stem from the risk of dangerous animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and classical swine fever entering the EU through personal baggage
• A small number of exemptions exist for specific products, including powdered infant formula and seafood, but strict weight limits apply

Travellers heading to Italy in 2026 face strict limits on the food items they can carry in their luggage, following European Union rules that ban most meat, dairy, and animal-based products from entering the bloc from non-EU countries.

The rules are set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2122, which the EU put in place to reduce the risk of dangerous animal diseases being introduced through personal baggage or postal parcels.

The EU cited the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic as a key reason for tightening controls, noting that pathogens responsible for diseases including classical swine fever can survive inside meat and dairy products.

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What travellers cannot bring into Italy

Under the current rules, anyone arriving from a country outside the EU is not allowed to carry meat, milk, or products made from them. The same restriction applies to goods sent by post from non-EU countries.

There is a limited exception for travellers arriving specifically from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland, who may bring in less than 10 kilograms of such products.

Powdered infant formula, baby food, and medically necessary special foods or pet feed are also permitted, provided each weighs under two kilograms, requires no refrigeration before opening, is sold in sealed, branded packaging meant for direct retail sale, and has unbroken packaging unless already in use.

How the rules are enforced

EU authorities enforce these rules at entry points into the bloc. Border control measures include scanning equipment and trained detector dogs to screen baggage, with illegal consignments seized and destroyed on the spot. Travellers found carrying prohibited goods can be held responsible for the costs of disposal and may face additional penalties.

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Italy, as an EU member state, applies these same rules at its airports, seaports, and land borders.

In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Italy had listed the benefits of becoming permanent residents in the country.

Categories of people ineligible for Italian PR

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported the categories of foreigners not eligible for permanent residency in Italy.

According to information published on the official website of the Polizia di Stato, five specific groups of people cannot apply for the permit regardless of their circumstances.

The first category covers people whose stay in Italy is for study, vocational training, or scientific research.

Source: Legit.ng