With the number of hospitalisations dropping in Italy and with the vaccination rates increasing each day, the COVID-19 situation has significantly improved in the country.
However, the country is currently in an emergency state as it emerged from a lockdown that lasted for a couple of months after battling with a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, since the country has shown positive figures, the emergency state is expected to end at the end of 2021.
In order to keep the Coronavirus situation under control, Italy launched its EU COVID-19 Passport on June 15, which means that the country has long ago started to issue and accept proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, or negative COVID test certificates.
Nonetheless, due to the widespread of the virus and its strains, the country has made several modifications regarding the documents that are required in order to be permitted entry to the country.
If you are planning to travel to Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s what you need to know and expect.
Travellers From Which Countries Are Permitted to Enter Italy?
Following shutdowns over the winter holidays, the Italian border reopened in January 2021.
Countries currently allowed to enter Italy are divided into two groups, European countries and non-European countries.
Italy permits entry to most European countries, more precisely to Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
All persons arriving in Italy from any country mentioned above can enter Italy for non-essential purposes. All they have to do is present the COVID-19 Certificate, which proves whether the travellers have been vaccinated, recovered, or have e negative COVID-19 test result.
The five-day quarantine for these countries was abolished on May 17.
On the other hand, persons who have stayed or transited through the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, including Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Island, are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result carried within 48 hours before arrival and stay self-isolated for five days.
Except for the EU countries, travellers reaching Italy from one of the following third countries are also permitted entry: Albania, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Korea, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, United States of America, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
All of the countries mentioned above are part of Italy’s so-called List D. Based on the current rules that Italy has, travellers reaching Italy from one of the above-mentioned countries must fill in the passenger locator form, undergo COVID-19 testing within 72 hours before reaching the country, and show a Digital COVID-19 Certificate or an equivalent document
However, it should be noted that special rules apply to persons who have stayed or transited through the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, including Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Island. This group of people are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result carried within 48 hours before arrival.
Travellers who fail to meet these requirements must stay self-isolated for a period of five days after entering Italy.
Travellers from Japan, Canada, and the United States can also enter Italy under the same restrictions. They are required to present a passenger locator form, a negative test result taken within 72 hours one of the following EU Digital COVID certificates:
- Vaccination certificate
- Recovery certificate
- Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result
>> ECDC Says It Is Now Safer to Travel to Most EU Countries, Including Italy
Italy’s Current Restrictions for Countries With Higher COVID-19 Infection Rates
Arrivals from European countries that are allowed entry must present a negative PCR test result carried out within 72 hours of their arrival and fill in a self-declaration form. They are also required to report to the local authorities about their arrival.
The same rules apply to Israel and the UK arrivals, though with a test taken 48 hours before arrival.
Arrivals from any country that is permitted entry are exempt from the self-isolation requirement.
All persons who have been in Brazil during the past 14 days or transited through the country for more than 12 hours must provide a negative test result taken within 48 hours and undergo second testing on arrival. After that, they must quarantine for 14 days and undergo another test at the end of the quarantine period.
The restrictions against arrivals from Brazil have been extended until July 30.
Only legal residents of Italy may enter from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by presenting a negative test result taken within 48 hours of arrival. Anyone who has travelled through Bangladesh or India is required to take another test upon arrival and then quarantine for ten days at a place indicated by the authorities. They are required to undergo another test on day ten before leaving quarantine.
All persons travelling for essential purposes from countries that are banned entry must quarantine for 14 days.
COVID-19 Vaccine Passport
On May 4, Prime Minister Mario Draghi revealed plans for the establishment of a national “green pass”. The pass will indicate whether the holder has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from the virus, or has a recent negative test result, as a part of the EU vaccination passport initiative.
Draghi confirmed that tourists will also qualify for the pass and said that the country planned to launch it by mid-May, though no details have been given yet.
Italy has launched its EU COVID-19 Passport on June 15, and the country has already started issuing and accepting proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, or negative COVID test certificates. Nonetheless, due to the widespread of the COVID Delta variant, Italy plans to make some modifications on the document’s requirements.
Italy’s Green Pass
The Italian Green Pass is an extension of the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate. This means that the pass shows proof whether a person has been fully vaccinated against the virus, has recovered from it, or holds a recent COVID-19 test result.
Since August 6, the pass has been mandatory for all persons over the age of 12 who wish to be permitted access to certain activities and services, including restaurants, bars, cafes, museums, theatres and many other events.
Fast forward, on September 1, the pass was made mandatory for all those wanting to attend public transport modes such as aeroplanes, ferries, and busses, among others.
In addition, the Italian authorities have announced that starting from tomorrow, October 15, all persons who work in the public and private sectors must hold a Green Pass. Those who refuse to get vaccinated and are unable to provide a recovery certificate will be suspended and risk not getting paid after the fifth day.
What to Expect When Visiting Italy
In order to keep the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic under control, Italy has made a categorisation of its areas. Currently, all regions of Italy are part of the white list, which means that relaxed restrictions apply all over the country.
Regions that are part of the white zone, which have identified less than 50 infection cases per 100,000 inhabitants, are almost back to normality.
Nonetheless, during a stay in Italy, travellers must wear a mask at all times when using public transport. On the other hand, the requirement to keep a mask on when in outdoor places has been lifted.
In addition, everyone is required to keep a distance of at least one metre. Only high-speed trains do not have social distancing rules.
Since Monday, October 11, the cultural venues have been allowed to operate in their full capacity, meaning that theatres, cinemas, and concert venues do not have restrictions on the number of persons that are allowed to attend public and private events.
The capacity of the sports stadiums was also announced to increase to 60 per cent for indoor events and to 75 per cent for outdoor events. Moreover, the capacity of nightclubs has increased to 50 per cent for indoor places and to 75 per cent for outdoor places.
Restaurants, bars, and other shops are also open for everyone, provided that safety measures are met.
In general, since all of the regions of Italy are now white, citizens of the country and travellers can enjoy different activities and attend different places now. However, the authorities have highlighted that in order to be allowed entry to any of the above-mentioned activities, everyone must hold a Green Pass.
Travel Insurance: A Necessity for All Travellers
It is recommended that all persons wishing to travel to Italy or any other country during the summer purchase extended travel insurance that covers epidemic and pandemic situations.
Such insurance would ensure that in case of trip cancellations due to the COVID-19 situations, a considerate amount of money can be saved.
You can buy medical travel insurance protection for Italy at a very low cost from MondialCare, AXA Assistance or Europ Assistance.
COVID-19 Situation in Italy
As the first European country to be severely hit by the pandemic, Italy has been through many health-related hardships. However, a stringent lockdown put the Coronavirus situation under control.
Still, cases started increasing again in September, and another third wave took off in February 2021.
The first quarter of 2021 was spent by most of the country under lockdown restrictions, with infection rates increasing regardless of the measures.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) figures, as of October 14, 2021, Italy has registered 4,704,318 COVID-19 infection cases and 131,384 deaths.
As for the vaccination campaign, it is finally speeding up after months of delays. Based on the data provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the country has administered at least 85,340,965 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 78.3 per cent of the entire population being fully vaccinated so far.
Italy is mainly administering vaccines offered by Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
NOTE: This article was originally published on June 9. Since then, the same has been continuously updated with the most recent changes. The last changes to the article were made on October 14, in line with the most recent updates of the Italian authorities.
