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TOURISM

Italy’s latest travel rules, explained

Italy's travel rules can be tricky to keep up with. We break down who is allowed to travel to Italy, why, when, and whether you'll have to quarantine.

Italy's latest travel rules, explained
Italy has banned entry from certain countries under all circumstances. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

The rules on travelling to Italy have changed several times in the past month, and they're different from the rest of the EU. 

Some tourism is allowed; some travel to and from outside Europe is allowed; some journeys are allowed with a quarantine; and some places you just can't go.

Think of Italy's travel rules as a traffic light system: some countries have the green light for unrestricted travel, some are on amber with a quarantine requirement, and some are stuck on red with no tourism allowed.

Here are the rules, explained.


Photo: Christophe Simon/AFP

No restrictions, no quarantine

Most travellers within Europe can travel freely to and from Italy without having to justify their reasons for travel or quarantining upon arrival.

Most other European countries have also now dropped their own restrictions on Italy, meaning that travellers won't have to quarantine when they return home either: check with your government for its latest travel advice.

Where?

  • All other members of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
  • All non-EU members of the Schengen Zone: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
  • The UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • Microstates and enclaves: Andorra, Principality of Monaco, Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City State.

Who?

  • Citizens of those countries.
  • Foreign residents living in those countries.
  • Family members of a citizen or resident: spouse, civil or cohabiting partner, dependent children aged below 21 years, other dependent lineal relatives.

Exceptions: people who have travelled outside any of these countries in the 14 days before arriving in Italy, who will have to quarantine themselves for two weeks.

For example, someone travelling to Italy from France on July 15th would be required to self-isolate if they had travelled to France from the US on July 10th; but would not be required to self-isolate if they travelled from the US to France before July 1st.

Since July 24th, Italy also requires people travelling from Romania or Bulgaria to quarantine for their first 14 days in Italy. The rule applies to anyone who has been to either country in the two weeks before arriving in Italy, however briefly.

And as of August 12th, travellers entering Italy from Spain, Greece, Croatia or Malta must get tested for coronavirus either within 72 hours of departing or 48 hours of arriving. Provided they test negative, they are not obliged to quarantine.


Photo: Jacques Demarthon/AFP

Free to visit, but subject to 14-day quarantine

In line with advice from the EU, since July 1st Italy has re-allowed travel from approved countries with a low infection rate however unlike in neighbouring countries they will need to follow quarantine rules.

Travellers from these countries are free to visit Italy for any reason, including tourism, but they must quarantine for two weeks upon arrival.

You are expected to make your own arrangements for self-isolation before your arrive, including planning where you will quarantine and how you'll get there from the airport: you must not use public transport. You should inform the authorities of your plans via this form (available in English), which you will expected to show to border officers on arrival.

Where?

As of the last update on August 7th, the EU's 'safe list' includes 10 countries:

  • Australia 
  • Canada
  • Georgia 
  • Japan 
  • New Zealand 
  • Rwanda
  • South Korea
  • Thailand
  • Tunisia
  • Uruguay

China has also been approved, but the EU is waiting for confirmation that the arrangement will be reciprocal before adding it to the list.

The list will be reviewed and updated every two weeks.

Who?

The exemption only applies to residents of these countries, not people who may be nationals but live elsewhere. For example, an Australian residing in the US still could not visit Italy as a tourist.

READ ALSO: What's the latest news on travel from the US to Italy?


Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

Can only come in an emergency, subject to 14-day quarantine

Non-essential travel to Italy remains banned from the US, India, Russia and most other countries in the world.

READ ALSO: Who is allowed to travel to Italy from outside the EU?

People departing from these countries cannot come to Italy as a tourist, but they are allowed to enter for urgent, essential reasons that they will have to justify to border police.

Why?

  • Work 
  • Health 
  • Absolute necessity 
  • To return home or to a place of residence
  • Study

If you can prove your trip is essential and are allowed into Italy, you will have to quarantine yourself for 14 days after you arrive. 

You must complete a form (available in English here) informing authorities of where you plan to isolate yourself and your arrangements for getting there: you must not travel by public transport.

Exceptions: You may not have to quarantine if you are only making a short trip to Italy (less than 120 hours) for proven work, health or other urgent reasons, or if you are only transiting briefly through the country on your way to somewhere else. People with connecting flights in Italy must simply remain inside the airport.


Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

Barred in almost all circumstances

As of July 9th, the Italian government introduced a travel ban on certain countries with high rates of infection. Four more countries have been added to the list since then.

Direct and connecting flights to and from these countries are suspended until further notice.

Where?

  • Armenia
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Bosnia Herzegovina
  • Brazil 
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Dominican Republic
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • North Macedonia
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • Oman
  • Panama
  • Peru
  • Serbia

Who?

The ban applies to anyone who has been to any of those countries within the past 14 days, even if they were just transiting there.

Exception: Citizens of Italy, another EU country, the Schengen Zone or the UK who live in Italy permanently are allowed to return home from one of the countries on the 'risk list'.

For more information, check the Italian Foreign Ministry's website (in English), as well as the latest advice from the government of any countries you're travelling to or from.

Member comments

  1. Is completing the purchase of a house considered an urgent need? I must sign and transfer funds, I can be in and our in just a few days.

  2. I have had several people help me try to decipher from the esteri.it website whether or not I, as an American currently living in the US, can travel to Italy. It seems to me that IF I spend at least 14 days in an “approved” country I could then enter into Italy. But they really don’t make it super clear and when I tried to email them and get clarification, they responded by copying part of the website, which was the part I had mentioned I needed clarification on….Oh good ole Italian Government! But the consensus has been that I could travel for tourism purposes after 14 days elsewhere (or quarantining there). Hope that’s correct!

  3. We each have a Permesso di Soggiorno and have documentation that gives us permission to stay in a house owned by a daughter. Does that count as resident status and allow us to enter Italy? We are planning to travel Aug. 1st and return the first of the year. That is where we would be quarantining for the two weeks.

  4. From what I’ve read, you can enter Italy unrestricted if you quarantine in the U.K. for 14 days. It depends on the country you’re traveling from, not your country of origin. I was living with my fiancee who’s an Italian citizen from December 2019 to the middle of June 2020. I had to return to the United States to take care of an emergency. I’m flying to London on August 12th where I’ll be quarantining for 14 days before booking a flight to Rome. I’ll let you know how it works out.

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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