Antiques (100+ years old, non-ivory) 🇮🇹 Italy
Bringing antiques INTO Italy is generally allowed, but exporting Italian cultural goods OUT of Italy requires a government export licence.
Can I bring Antiques (100+ years old, non-ivory) into Italy?
Bringing antiques INTO Italy is generally allowed, but exporting Italian cultural goods OUT of Italy requires a government export licence.
No quantity limit on import; export requires individual licence per item (for items >70 years old)
- Standard customs declaration for high-value goods on import
- Licenza di Esportazione from Ministero della Cultura required before exporting
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Travellers arriving in Italy may import antiques and cultural goods from abroad, subject to standard customs declaration requirements for items of significant value. However, Italy has some of the world's strictest cultural heritage export controls under Codice dei Beni Culturali e del Paesaggio (Decreto Legislativo 42/2004). Exporting antiques, artwork, or cultural goods older than 70 years out of Italy without a Licenza di Esportazione (export licence) issued by the Ministero della Cultura is a criminal offence. This is not a restriction on bringing goods in, but travellers acquiring antiques in Italy should plan their export before purchase.
If you plan to purchase antiques in Italy and bring them home, apply for a Licenza di Esportazione at the nearest Ufficio Esportazione (export office) of the Ministero della Cultura before leaving Italy. Budget extra time for this process.
No quantity limit on import; export requires individual licence per item (for items >70 years old)
- Standard customs declaration for high-value goods on import
- Licenza di Esportazione from Ministero della Cultura required before exporting
Decreto Legislativo 42/2004, Codice dei Beni Culturali e del Paesaggio; Ministero della Cultura export licence procedure
This page covers destination customs rules in Italy. Whether you can carry antiques (100+ years old, non-ivory) through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Related rules
Antiques (100+ years old, non-ivory) rules in other countries
Antiques (100+ years old, non-ivory)
🇪🇬 Egypt
Bringing antiques INTO Egypt is generally permitted, but Egypt's Law 117/1983 makes exporting genuine antiquities a criminal offence.
Antiques (100+ years old, non-ivory)
🇹🇷 Turkey
Antiques may be brought into Turkey but must be declared; export of Turkish cultural property is prohibited without government permission under Law 2863.