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BREXIT

Reader question: Why do I now have to register British visitors with the police in Italy?

After an update to the UK government's advice, there is some confusion over the rules on registering guests with the Italian police. Are these requirements new - and are they because of Brexit?

Reader question: Why do I now have to register British visitors with the police in Italy?
Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

QUESTION: Is it true that we now have to register any visitors from the UK who stay with us at our house in Italy? Is this a new Brexit rule or is it Covid-related?

There were some raised eyebrows this week after an update to the UK government’s advice for British nationals living in Italy warned they must declare guests from the UK to the local police:

“If you host a UK national (or any non-EU national) as a guest, you must inform your local immigration office (questura) within 48 hours after they arrive at your property. You could be fined if you fail to comply with this Italian immigration law,” the government website states.

In fact, this is not new – it’s a rule Italy has had in place for a long time for all non-EU nationals.

Brits now join Americans, Australians, and anyone else not from an EU member state or the Schengen travel zone in being legally required to declare their presence in Italy to the local police – even if they’re only here for a brief visit.

While these rules have been in place for years, they’re not well known and, as a result, not always well followed. Foreigners resident in Italy (and many Italians themselves) are often surprised to hear that this is a requirement.

“Foreigners who stay in Italy for visits, business, tourism or study for periods of less than three months are not required to apply for a residence permit,” the Italian police website states. “Instead, they must report their presence in the country.”

Of course anyone who already has a residence permit in Italy, and is therefore already registered with the Italian police, is not subject to this rule.

Anyone who stays for longer than three months must apply for a residence permit.

READ ALSO: Can Brits stay more than 90 days in the EU if they have a European spouse?

While the British government advises people living in Italy to register guests with the questura, there is some confusion about the rules as the Italian police website appears to say that it’s enough for arrivals to get a passport stamp at the Italian border.

Those arriving in Italy from non-Schengen countries “can report their presence to the border authorities and obtain a Schengen stamp in their travel document on the day of arrival. This stamp is considered the equivalent of the declaration of presence,” according to the Italian police website.

There is also the option to “report their presence to the local Questura (central police station in the province) filling out the relevant form (dichiarazione di presenza), within 8 days of their arrival.”

For filing the form with the questura, the process can vary significantly from one province to another. You will need to contact your local office for further details of how to do this.

The Local has requested clarification on the rules from the British Embassy in Rome.

If you’re staying in a hotel however, the registration procedure will be taken care of for you.

“For those staying in hotels or other reception facilities the registration form submitted to the hotel management upon check-in, signed by the foreign guest on arrival, constitutes the declaration of presence. The hotel will provide a copy of this form to the foreign guest who can show it to police officers, if requested,” the police website states.

It’s also worth noting that the Italian rule applies depending on your nationality, rather than the country you travelled to Italy from.

Brits are only being informed about this requirement now because it did not apply when they were classed as citizens of an EU country.

As the Italian police website explains: “EU citizens who intend to stay for less than three months are not subject to the obligation of reporting their presence or to any other formalities.”

Italy is one of several European countries with similar registration requirements for visitors from third countries, as the EU’s Your Europe portal explains in its advice for UK nationals:

“Some EU countries require you to report your presence to the relevant authorities (often the town hall or local police station) within a reasonable period of time after arrival and may impose a penalty, such as a fine if you fail to do so,” it states.

“All you need to report your presence as EU national is your identity card or passport; if you are accompanied by family members who are not EU nationals, they will need a passport. You should not have to pay any fees. If you are staying in a hotel, it is usually enough to fill in a special form – the hotel will take care of the rest.”

Member comments

  1. We are non-resident Brits visiting our house in the Provincia di Terni (Umbria) and when we went to the Questura to ask about providing a dichiarazione di presenza we were met with blank looks and simply urged to consider applying for a permesso di soggiorno. This we are reluctant to do because of issues around being able to drive our UK car here and intricacies of dual UK-Italian residency that have foxed me. They implied that if the Comune knows we have a house here then the Questura aren’t really interested in our comings and goings. I’d be interested in others’ experience.

  2. Note that there is ALSO a requirement for people hosting non-EU guests to declare this to the questura. This must be done within 48 hours

    This separate from (and in addition to) the travellers needing to declare their presence

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TERRORISM

Terror alerts: Should I be worried about travelling to Italy?

Italy is on its highest-level terror alert and ministers have warned the public to be vigilant over the Easter holidays - so is there cause for concern if you're planning to travel in the country?

Terror alerts: Should I be worried about travelling to Italy?

Italian authorities agreed on Monday to increase anti-terrorism monitoring ahead of the Easter holidays, with more surveillance to be carried out at popular tourist spots and at “sensitive sites”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had stressed to the public on Sunday that Italy faced “no concrete risk” at the moment, and said the country’s security and law enforcement services were “always on the alert to prevent any attack.”

READ ALSO: Italy on maximum terror alert over Easter after Moscow attack

Nevertheless, he warned that “during the Easter holidays you will need to be very careful.”

Italy has been on its highest-level terror alert since October 2023 following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, meaning the official alert level could not be raised any further on Monday.

The plan for increased surveillance and the warnings to the public in Italy came following the terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow on Friday where armed men opened fire and set the building ablaze, killing at least 133 people.

Ministers said that terror plots on this scale, organised by groups, “would be intercepted sooner in Italy” and said the main terror threat Italy faced at the moment was mainly from “lone wolves”.

He was referring to the fact that recent deadly attacks in Europe have often been carried out by a single perpetrator, not affiliated to a terrorist organisation. The profile of attackers is often isolated young men who have become radicalised.

Unlike most other major European countries, Italy has not so far suffered any deadly attacks at the hands of jihadist militants.

Experts have suggested that Italy has been able to prevent attacks partly due to lessons learned from anti-mafia policing, and that it also has a lower number of citizens at risk of radicalisation than countries like the UK or France – and therefore fewer suspects to watch.

The country arrests dozens of suspects every year on terrorism charges following surveillance operations. Earlier in March, three men of Palestinian origin were arrested in the Abruzzo town of l’Aquila, alleged to be involved in an organised terror plot.

In 2023, at least 56 foreign nationals were deported from Italy after facing terror-related charges.

Italy is generally seen as being at a lower risk of being hit by a major terror attack than some neighbouring countries. So what exactly does the raised alert level mean for people in the country?

Heightened security

While much of Italy’s counter-terrorism work goes on behind the scenes, there will be increased police and military patrols over Easter in busy public places deemed “sensitive”, including shopping centres and places of worship.

The most visible manifestation of the heightened security alert in Italy is the armed soldiers on patrol outside government buildings, tourist attractions, airports, train stations, central squares and in other busy public areas.

Unlike in some other European countries, Italy’s airports do not regularly experience bomb hoaxes and other threats. While no additional security checks for passengers are being introduced, security is likely to remain tight at Italian airports this Easter, as at all European transport hubs.

If you’re visiting a major tourist attraction over Easter or attending any type of large public event, expect a high level of security at the door.

Travel advice

So far, no country has warned its nationals against visiting Italy – the US State Department still lists the alert level for Italy as Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, which has seen no change since July 2023. 

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