SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

TOURISM

How can tourists and visitors use Italy’s Covid ‘green pass’ to access museums, concerts and more?

Italy has expanded of its Covid-19 health pass scheme making the certificate mandatory to visit museums, attend live events or dine at a restaurant indoors. With the new rules coming into force during Italy's peak tourist season, many visitors are wondering how the change will affect their trip.

How can tourists and visitors use Italy's Covid 'green pass' to access museums, concerts and more?
Italian museums will soon require visitors to show proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative coronavirus test. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

Italy has been using the so-called green pass since June, though initially its main purpose was to allow vaccinated or tested travellers to enter without having to quarantine. It was also required in a small number of circumstances in Italy, including attending a wedding reception or visiting a nursing home.

But the Italian government has since significantly expanded the use of the health passport within the country, and the new rules mean that visitors will need the certificate long after they’ve crossed the border. 

Q&A: Your questions answered about Italy’s new Covid health pass

From August 6th, many businesses, venues and cultural sites in Italy are legally required to ask their customers to show a green pass before they’re allowed to enter. 

That includes: indoor bars and restaurants, though only if you’re sitting inside; museums; theatres, cinemas and concert venues, including outdoors; gyms; indoor swimming pools; wellness centres and spas; theme parks; conferences and trade fairs; bingo halls and casinos, and more. Find the official list here (in Italian). 

The government has also decided to extend the green pass to long-distance trains, domestic flights and interregional buses and ferries – but this requirement will come in later, from September 1st.

With the change cming in at Italy’s peak time of year for travel and tourism, here’s what to expect if you’re planning a trip.

What is Italy’s Covid-19 ‘green pass’?

The certificazione verde proves that the holder has either been vaccinated with at least one dose, recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months, or has tested negative in the previous 48 hours.

The certificazione verde is available to anyone who has been vaccinated, tested or recovered in Italy, including those who have only had the first of two doses. 

The certificate comes in a standard format with a scannable QR code, and can either be saved on a smartphone in digital format or printed out as a hard copy. 

You can download it from an official government website, www.dgc.gov.it, or ask your doctor or local pharmacy to access it for you. Find full instructions here.

Photo: Olivier MORIN/AFP

Can tourists get a green pass?

The Italian version of the green pass is only for people who were vaccinated, recovered or tested in Italy. If that’s you, find out exactly how to claim it here.

If you got your shots, tests or treatment elsewhere, it depends on the country.

If it is within the European Union, things are straightforward: you don’t need the Italian green pass since each member state’s certificates are mutually recognised everywhere in the EU. In other words, you should get your own country’s equivalent – the pass sanitaire in France, Impfpass in Germany, certificado COVID digital de la UE in Spain, or any other EU version – and use it when visiting Italy just the same as you would at home.

EU countries also recognise certificates from non-members that are part of the Schengen Zone, which means that health passports from Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are equally valid in Italy.

You can’t upload these documents to the Italian system, but they should be recognised when scanned by Italian authorities and when entering businesses and venues.

Outside the EU, it gets more complicated.

At the border, Italy currently accepts vaccination certificates, tests results and medical certificates of recovery from the United States, Canada or Japan. For the US, that includes paper vaccination cards bearing the CDC logo.

In an ordinance signed on July 29th, the Italian Health Ministry confirmed that documents issued by health authorities in the following five non-EU countries will be accepted for access to venues within Italy:

  • Canada
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • United Kingdom (including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and British military bases on Cyprus)
  • United States of America

Italy has no agreed to accept vaccination certificates from any other non-EU country, apart from the ones mentioned above, meaning it is still unclear what visitors from those countries are expected to do.

Since the green pass expanded to include most venues across Italy, businesses have struggled to enforce the new rules with tourists being turned away amid confusion of how it should be used.

There have also been technical difficulties with the government’s VerificaC19 app, which businesses use to scan QR codes, including those generated by other countries’ health certificates.

However, a fix is reportedly due shortly for British tourists, with some already saying their NHS app is now being recognised.

READ ALSO: What can you still do in Italy without a Covid-19 ‘green pass’?

Photo: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP

Some other EU or Schengen countries do allow people vaccinated outside the bloc to convert their vaccination certificates into a local pass that can then be used throughout the EU and Schengen Zone, notably France and Switzerland (though Switzerland does not recognise AstraZeneca vaccinations unless they took place in the EU). 

Click to find out how you could potentially convert your non-EU proof of vaccination in France or in Switzerland – and bear in mind that some travellers have told The Local they were not able to complete the process.

READ ALSO:

Travellers who were vaccinated outside the EU do have one sure-fire route to access the Italian health pass: by getting a coronavirus test in Italy.

Find out how to get tested in Italy here, and learn how to download the green pass using your test number here.

Remember that passes obtained via testing are only valid for 48 hours.

The Italian government has promised to cap the price of swab tests in pharmacies and from other private providers throughout the summer, from August until September 30th, to reduce the financial burden on people who find themselves having to get tested repeatedly.

Member comments

  1. The Italian government must be jokers, they want everyone to be vaccinated but have specifically precluded all persons residing in Italy who do not possess a Tessera Sanitaria card. In addition it looks like all world countries bar the EU will not be allowed to visit bars, restaurants and other cultural buildings etc. Basically Italy is closed to everyone who is not EU resident and not double vaccinated in Italy and in possession of the green card. It’s time to pack up and leave the country!

      1. Hi Clare, problem is you can’t have the green pass without the vaccination. It’s a catch 22 situation. Until the blinkered government realise 2 or 3 million people can’t get vaccinated because they don’t have the health card. 🤷‍♂️

          1. Hi Clare, thanks again for your help and the replies from others. Unfortunately we have tried all the channels without success. Been to the Farmacia who made an appointment at the clinic who point blank refused us without the health card. I tried via your online link to Bari ASL, completed the same appropriate form 4 times now over the last 4 weeks and no reply. Approached Alberobello ASL who told me to fill the online form again no reply. Tomorrow we’ll go in person to the local vaccination clinic in Alberobello and see what they say. Defies logic. I have noted however Italians seem to ignore emails and online applications, phoning isn’t possible as my Italian is just not good enough. 🙄

  2. Ian,
    As you most surely know, Italy is chronically behind in most things. But in the end, they do get their act together.
    The green pass requirement for restaurants, theaters, etc does not kick in until Aug 6 I believe. There’s still time, and I’m sure that in the end reason will reign and vaccination cards from non EU countries will be proof enough. So hang tight and enjoy the most beautiful country in the world!

    1. I appreciate your comments but as of now you cannot have a vaccination without a tessera Sanitaria. Without this card you can’t have the green pass. I don’t think this is going to change until the government realise they forgot about the 2 or 3 million people who don’t have a card.

      1. My friends that live in Italy but do not have a tessera sanitaria both received the vaccine. It was organised through their comune so maybe worth getting in touch with yours? 😊

      2. Hi Ian
        Yes, my friends who are not enrolled in the health system have been able to be vaccinated. I was observing the other day that vaccination rates seem to have picked up ( seemed so hit and miss to start) and I don’t think I know anyone now who hasn’t been able to get a vaccination. Please keep checking with your Comune and/or doctor/pharmacy. The green card no problem when vaccinated here.

        1. Hi Gracie, thanks for your help. We did try in April at the commune but they refused point blank. Perhaps it has changed now. We’ll give it another try.

          1. Hi Ian. Lots changes daily around here and around the world I guess. Difficult to keep tabs on. Yeah do go to your vaccination sites. Also a couple of folks I know were able to book online without a health card. I think they just used their Codice Fiscale. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Difficult to know sometimes what will work when.
            Buon fortunato.
            Gracie.

  3. Thank you for your reply. We did try going to the ASL in our Commune in April but were told no uncertain terms it was not possible to have the vaccination without the health card and promptly told us to apply and pay up to £10,000 per year subscription. You can imagine our response. Perhaps 3 months on things have changed.

  4. I’m in the United States right now. I’ll be returning home to Italy in October. I’ve had both Pfizer shots in June recorded on my CDC vaccination card. I’ll be taking a Covid test to take a Covid free flight when I return. Where do I go with these documents to get a Green Pass? From everything I’ve read, this looks like the usual Italian bureacratic shuffle we all know and love.

  5. Claire
    As always, thank you and the folks at The Local.it for clarifying and helping during this confusing time. Im pretty sure the Italian government is trying to figure out how they can accept a (USA)simple, easily forged, no data base backed piece of paper saying we’ve been vaccinated. Our home is here, we are registered with the health system but we were vaccinated in the USA. So we wait and see what is finally decided. And get tested a lot 🤷‍♀️ if we want to go go go which we definitely would like to.
    You all provide great information and help keep me somewhat sane in a “this person said, that person told me, I saw it on social media” ..world. Not to mention not trusting my Italian language skills to navigate all the details.
    Thank you again.

  6. Maybe I missed something in the article but does this mean that a tourist from the United States will not be able to visit restaurants and museums?

      1. The article does say the US vaccination cards, bearing the CDC logo will be equivalent of the green pass…… Don’t want to worry you but my friend from the States is currently in Italy and said his CDC card did not work in Rome. We’re set to speak in two days regarding this, but his initial words were “its easy to get, just a hassle” so I’m hoping we have some information soon before everyone is due to travel. good luck!

        1. Spoke with friend who returned from Italy to the United States. Although he did have his CDC vaccination card, he was unable to gain access to places with it. That said, he has informed he went to a pharmacy, showed CDC card & upload the vaccination card, fill out a form, get covid tested, & wait two hours for an email and that is how he received the green pass in Italia & it was valid for a month.

  7. We’re flying from Canada to Venice on September 25th. Canada won’t have a national vaccination certificate until late December at the earliest. We have provincial proof of Pfizer vaccination – on our phones, and on paper – and we hope by the end of September Italy will be recognizing them and issue us a green pass or the tourism equivalent. It’s hard to imagine being allowed in to the country to stay for three weeks, but being unable to dine indoors, visit museums and churches, etc. A friend from another province is in Italy right now and is going to keep in touch after August 6th to let me know how things work out for her. Fingers crossed!

    1. Hi, I am also flying to Venice from Montreal on September 15th. I am very curious to know what you have learned from your friend that came back on August 6th. I still have time to cancel without losing all my investment and really struggling to make a decision. Thank’s!

      1. She was in Venice for several days around August 28th. Her only problem was at the Palazzo Cini, where she had to explain her Ontario proof of vaccination was valid. But they let her in once she explained. There was no problem anywhere else.
        We are still going on September 25th and don’t anticipate any problems. Just make sure you get a negative covid test within the three days before you land on the 15th. You need both now – proof of vaccination and a negative test result.

  8. Can anyone advise if the green pass requirement for tourists will cover those who have received at least one dose of an EU approved vaccine? We are travelling to Italy in early September and have two mixed vaccines – one Covishield and one EU approved vaccine.

  9. Also, i am now hearing from American tourists entering Italy that they are not having to show a Negative Covid test paper if they have the CDC card. This is for when they enter into Italy. Have they changed the rules for this. I have spoken with multiple people who stated they did not ask for the negative test papers when they arrived.

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Almost 800,000 fewer UK holidaymakers have visited Spain in 2023 when compared to 2019. What’s behind this big drop?

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Spain welcomed 12.2 million UK tourists between January and July 2023, 6 percent less when compared to the same period in 2019, according to data released on Monday by Spanish tourism association Turespaña.

This represents a decrease of 793,260 British holidaymakers for Spain so far this year.

Conversely, the number of Italian (+8 percent), Irish (+15.3 percent), Portuguese (+24.8 percent), Dutch (+4 percent) and French tourists (+5 percent) visiting España in 2023 are all above the rates in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. 

German holidaymakers are together with their British counterparts the two main nationalities showing less interest in coming to Spanish shores.

Britons still represent the biggest tourist group that comes to Spain, but it’s undergoing a slump, with another recent study by Caixabank Research suggesting numbers fell particularly in June 2023 (-12.5 percent of the usual rate). 

READ ALSO: Spain fully booked for summer despite most expensive holiday prices ever

So are some Britons falling out of love with Spain? Are there clear reasons why a holiday on the Spanish coast is on fewer British holiday itineraries?

According to Caixabank Research’s report, the main reasons are “the poor macroeconomic performance of the United Kingdom, the sharp rise in rates and the weakness of the pound”.

This is evidenced in the results of a survey by British market research company Savanta, which found that one in six Britons are not going on a summer holiday this year due to the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

Practically everything, everywhere has become more expensive, and that includes holidays in Spain: hotel stays are up 44 percent, eating out is 13 percent pricier, and flights are 40 percent more on average. 

READ ALSO: How much more expensive is it to holiday in Spain this summer?

Caixabank stressed that another reason for the drop in British holidaymakers heading to Spain is that those who can afford a holiday abroad are choosing “more competitive markets” such as Turkey, Greece and Portugal. 

And there’s no doubt that the insufferably hot summer that Spain is having, with four heatwaves so far, has also dissuaded many holidaymakers from Blighty from overcooking in the Spanish sun. 

With headlines such as “This area of Spain could become too hot for tourists” or “tourists say it’s too hot to see any sights” featuring in the UK press, budding British holidaymakers are all too aware of the suffocating weather conditions Spain and other Mediterranean countries are enduring. 

Other UK outlets have urged travellers to try out the cooler Spanish north rather than the usual piping hot Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol destinations.

Another UK poll by InsureandGo found that 71 percent of the 2,000+ British respondents thought that parts of Europe such as Spain, Greece and Turkey will be too hot to visit over summer by 2027.

There’s further concern that the introduction in 2024 of the new (and delayed) ETIAS visa for non-EU visitors, which of course now also applies to UK nationals, could further compel British tourists to choose countries to holiday in rather than Spain.

READ MORE: Will British tourists need to pay for a visa waiver to enter Spain?

However, a drop in the number of British holidaymakers may not be all that bad for Spain, even though they did spend over €17 billion on their Spanish vacations in 2022. 

Towns, cities and islands across the country have been grappling with the problem of overtourism and the consequences it has on everything from quality of life for locals to rent prices. 

READ ALSO: ‘Beach closed’ – Fake signs put up in Spain’s Mallorca to dissuade tourists

The overcrowded nature of Spain’s beaches and most beautiful holiday hotspots appears to be one of the reasons why Germans are visiting Spain in far fewer numbers. A recent report in the country’s most read magazine Stern asked “if the dream is over” in their beloved Mallorca.

Spanish authorities are also seeking to overhaul the cheaper holiday package-driven model that dominates many resorts, which includes moving away from the boozy antics of young British and other European revellers.

Fewer tourists who spend more are what Spain is theoretically now looking for, and the rise in American, Japanese and European tourists other than Brits signify less of a dependence on the British market, one which tends to maintain the country’s tourism status quo for better or for worse.

SHOW COMMENTS