As Italy prepares to extend the use of Covid-19 health certificates, which will be required to access a host of public spaces in Italy from August 6th, reports abounded of residents finding themselves unable to download the document through no fault of their own.
EXPLAINED: When, where and why will you need a Covid health passport in Italy?
The government had promised that anyone who was vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid-19 in Italy would automatically be sent an authorisation code that would allow them to access their certificate online – but with less than a week to go until the document becomes more important than ever, many people were still reporting that were still to receive their code.
Meanwhile people who were vaccinated in Italy but aren’t enrolled in the public health service were also having difficulties accessing their records without a tessera sanitaria, or Italian healthcare card.
In the past few days, the Italian government has updated its official certificazione verde (‘green pass’) website to provide solutions for people who find themselves with either of these problems.
You can now retrieve your authorisation code online
While people still waiting on a text or email with their so-called AUTHCODE previously had no option but to contact the Health Ministry’s helpline – with no guarantee of a response – they can now go online to request the code themselves.
The official website now includes an option to retrieve the code by going to this page and entering the following details:
- Codice fiscale (tax code)
- Tessera sanitaria number
- “Type of event” – vaccination, recovery or test
- Date of vaccination/recovery/test
Your AUTHCODE will be displayed immediately, allowing you to use it right away to download your certificate (find full instructions here).
This option is only available to people who are enrolled in the Italian health service, however, since it requires the number of a valid tessera sanitaria.
People vaccinated without a health card no longer need an authorisation code
People who managed to get vaccinated in Italy despite not being signed up for public healthcare – no mean feat – now have the easiest way of all to download their green pass.
Unlike users who have a tessera sanitaria, people outside the public system can now request their pass using nothing more than their codice fiscale and the date they got their shot. Go to this page and select the option ‘Utente non iscritto al SSN vaccinato in Italia‘ (‘User not enrolled in the National Health Service vaccinated in Italy’).
READ ALSO:
- ‘Be tenacious as hell’: How people in Italy managed to get vaccinated without a health card
- OPINION: Covid passports are Italy’s only choice – but they must be a right, not a privilege
- How to try to get a Covid-19 vaccine without a health card in your region of Italy
This simplified option does not work if you are enrolled in Italy’s National Health Service, nor if you click ‘Utente senza tessera sanitaria‘ (‘User without a healthcare card’).
Nor can you access your certificate of recovery or negative test certificate this way: if you are outside the National Health Service and are claiming the green pass through either of these routes, you will still require a code from either the test provider or the doctor who treated you.
Read more about how to download your green pass in those circumstances here.
Paper certificates remain valid until August 12th
If all else fails, the European Commission has recommended that paper certificates of vaccination, recovery or negative test results should continue to be accepted until August 12th.
That means that you should still be allowed to show your proof of immunisation issued by a vaccination centre in Italy, a medical certificate from your doctor or a print-out of your test results as a health passport when the new rules come into force from August 6th – even if it does not contain a QR code.
Be aware, however, that individual operators checking certificates in Italy may not be aware of the EU’s recommendation and might insist you show a QR code. If you’re eligible, it’s advisable to download the standardised, QR-enabled version as soon as possible.
People who have a certificate from another country in the EU or Schengen Zone, or one of these five countries outside the bloc, do not need to download the Italian version of the pass: certificates from your home country will be accepted in Italy.
Find the latest updates in our green pass news section and further details on the official website (currently only available in Italian).
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Thank you so much for this article. I received my green pass within seconds
As usual your articles are so so useful.
Thanks again
Hi Francis,
We’re really glad to hear it. Thanks for reading!
Best wishes,
– Clare
Thank you so much for this article and clear instructions. Getting my green pass might have been the easiest Italian-oriented task I’ve ever completed! I’m thrilled Italy has made it so easy. Grazie mille!
I managed to get a green pass even with an expired tessera sanitaria number.
What Kiggie, Kenda and Francis said – Thank you!
This was really useful. I have been trying to get my DGC using my CIE app for weeks, without success (I don’t have a tessera sanitaria). The new site using only codice fiscale and date of vaccination is quick and really easy to use. Thanks!
Hi, I managed to get both of my covid vaccines in Genoa, Italy. I am currently on a tourist visa here so have neither a Codice fiscale or Tessera sanitaria number. Does anyone know how I could possibly get the green pass?
I have received my first vaccination shot and waiting on my second. It was a struggle to get my vaccine shot, and NOW the website that is linked to here in this article isn’t allowing me to get the ‘Green Pass’ using my codice fiscale. I get an error message saying: “La certificazione non è disponibile. I dati inseriti potrebbero essere errati. Per maggiori informazioni visita le FAQ del sito.” I entered all of the info correctly Multiple times. Yet again, the system is enforcing this regulation but not accounting for people in the country who are ‘in between’ waiting to receive their new permesso and don’t have their health card yet. It’s infuriating!
Can you clarify if the Green Pass Certificate is indeed available to people who have received only one of two vaccination shots? I’m wondering if I am having trouble getting mine because I have only received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Thanks!
As of yesterday, digital NHS covid vaccination QCR was not being accepted 🙁. Has anyone else had problems?
UPDATE: I saw in another article that you have to wait 15 days after you receive your first dose to get the certificate. I’m assuming that means business days. So that MIGHT be why I’m having trouble getting mine since I’m just shy of that time frame. I figure this might be helpful info for anyone else in the same situation…
Congratulations to The Local.it……………………Having followed the link on your article ‘How Italy just made it easier to download the Covid-19 ‘green pass’ I thought ‘shall I try it or not?’ this after 18 months of sheer hassle trying to get vaccinated, finally achieved two weeks ago thanks to our new amazing Doctor – (last one was an incompetent buffoon)
Having tried ‘official’ channels to get green pass with the usual frustrating failure, I thought what’s the harm in trying the Local.it link………TRUST me, it could not have been more staightforward or simple. It took all of 10minutes to get green passes for myself and my wife both in PDF format and QR code on our phones.
So thank you Clare and your brilliant team. Just to add, without The Local.it I am sure living here would be just that bit harder, your information and advice is extremely helpfull virtually on a daily basis. Thank you.
Hi Stuart,
We’re really glad to hear that it worked, and that you’ve found other articles useful too! Thanks for reading The Local.
Best wishes,
– Clare