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HEALTH

LATEST: Italy restarts travel from UK for essential reasons only

Air travel from the UK to Italy can restart immediately, officals have confirmed - but entering Italy is only allowed for essential reasons, and there are strict testing and quarantine rules in place.

Published: 23 December 2020 18:50 CET
LATEST: Italy restarts travel from UK for essential reasons only
Travellers in the departures hall at Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Italy stopped flights from the UK on Sunday afternoon after the British government said a new strain of the Covid-19 virus, which it said was highly contagious, was “out of control” in the country.
 
As well as stopping flights, Italy banned all arrivals from the UK – including refusing entry to anyone who had been in the UK within the past two weeks.
 
After the European Commission recommended on Tuesday that the blanket ban on travel be loosened, Italy has now announced that some arrivals will be allowed – but strict testing and quarantine rules will apply.
 
 
Italy's Health, Transport and Foreign Ministries on Wednesday signed an ordinance allowing flights from the UK to Italy, the Italian Consulate in London has confirmed.

However, only certain groups of travellers will be allowed to enter Italy.
 
In a statement on its website, the consulate confirmed:
 
– The reopening of air traffic can begin on December 23rd.
 
– “Persons who have stayed in or passed through the United Kingdom from December 6th can enter Italy if they have registered residence in Italy. This residence must start from a date prior to 23 December 2020 and must be indicated using a self-declaration form.”
 
– “All those who have a reason of absolute necessity can also enter Italy”
 
– Travellers returning from the UK will be required to take two coronavirus tests – one before and one after the flight – and to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine after arriving in Italy.

A molecular or antigen swab test must be carried out in the 72 hours prior to entering Italy, the consulate stated.

Upon arrival in Italy by plane, another test will be carried out at the airport.

Anyone travelling into Italy by car or other means of transport will be required to contact the health authorities in the region of Italy they are travelling to in order to arrange a test.

 
There do not appear to be any restrictions on residents who are not Italian citizens.
 
 
It is not yet clear what evidence will be needed to prove residency.
 
These rules apply until January 6th, the consulate stated.
 
Between January 7th-15th, entry from the UK will only be allowed for emergency reasons or for repatriation, and while the quarantine requirement will remain in place testing will not be necessary.
 
It's not yet known what the rules will be after January 15th, when Italy is expected to announce a new emergency decree.

There had been speculation in the Italian media on Wednesday that the Italian government would arrange repatriation flights from the UK for stranded citizens. However, the Consulate stated that :”flights will be of a commercial nature, therefore tickets can be purchased directly through the airlines and not through the Embassy or Consulate General.”

“For information on refunds, ticket changes or other flight-related matters, you should contact the airline.”

Member comments

  1. Hi all,
    Does anyone know if having an avvio del procedimento is enough to confirm residency? Ours came through a week ago.
    Thanks!

  2. What about those that need to transit by private car across italy to get to a port for onward travel to home in Greece. All details refer to flights in/out only.

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For members

STRIKES

Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

People travelling to, from or across Italy may face disruption in the coming weeks as unions have called multiple walkouts affecting air, rail and taxi services.

Published: 31 May 2024 14:55 CEST
Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

Transport strikes are far from uncommon during Italy’s summer months, and this year will be no exception as trade unions representing airport, rail and taxi staff have announced multiple walkouts which may affect the travel plans of both international visitors and locals.

Strikes are usually planned and announced well in advance in Italy though, and the Italian transport ministry lists them on a handy calendar.

Here’s a look at the walkouts that may cause at least some amount of disruption in the coming weeks.

June 3rd – Nationwide rail maintenance staff strike

Train passengers around the country may experience delays or cancellations on Monday, June 3rd as track maintenance staff at Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), which owns and manages all of Italy’s railway network, plan a 24-hour walkout. 

The protest, which is backed by some of Italy’s largest trade unions, may impact both regional and long-distance services operated by state-owned Trenitalia, as well as trains from private operator Italo.

June 5th-6th – Nationwide taxi drivers’ strike

Cab services around the country may be significantly limited on Wednesday, June 5th and Thursday, June 6th as taxi drivers plan to strike from 8am to 10pm (for a total of 14 hours) on both days.

There are currently no details as to how many drivers will participate in the walkout, but anyone planning to use taxi services on the day should be prepared to find alternative transportation.

People walk next to a taxi in Saint Peter's Square

People walk next to a taxi in Saint Peter’s Square. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

The protest was called in late May in protest against a proposed reform of the taxi sector aimed at reducing cab shortages around the country.

June 15th – Air traffic controllers’ strike at Naples airport

Passengers flying to or from Naples’ Capodichino airport may face delays or cancellations on Saturday, June 15th as staff from air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

Detailed information on guaranteed flights is expected to be released on the Italian Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to the date of the walkout.

June 16th – Nationwide rail staff strike

Train passengers in Italy may experience disruption on Sunday, June 16th as staff at multiple rail operators, including Trenitalia and Trenord, plan to take part in a 23-hour walkout starting at 3am on Sunday and ending at 2am on Monday.

The planned strike is expected to affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the overall level of disruption expected to vary by city and operator.

It’s currently unclear whether or not services from private operator Italo will be affected by the protest.

July 5th – Air traffic controllers’ strike at Venice airport

Passengers flying to or from Venice’s Marco Polo airport may face delays and/or cancellations on Friday, July 5th as staff from air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

Information on guaranteed flights is expected to be released on the Italian Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to the date of the walkout.

July 6th-7th – 24-hour nationwide rail staff strike

People travelling to, from or across Italy by train may face disruption over the first weekend of July as rail staff around the country plan to walk out from 9pm on Saturday, July 6th to 9pm on Sunday, July 7th. 

People sit outside Venice's Santa Lucia station

People sit outside Venice’s Santa Lucia station in May 2019. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

The protest should affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the level of disruption varying by city and operator.

July 21st – Air traffic controllers’ strike at Bergamo airport

Passengers flying to or from Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport may experience delays and/or cancellations on Sunday, July 21st as staff from air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

For information on guaranteed flights, see the Italian Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to the date of the walkout.

Local strikes

There is no nationwide transport walkout planned beyond Sunday, July 21st.

A number of smaller regional and local walkouts have also been announced for the coming weeks. A full list can be found on the Italian transport ministry’s website. 

Summer exemption period for air travel strikes

Anyone flying to or from Italy between July 27th and September 5th can breathe easy: strikes (at least Italian ones) are unlikely to affect your journey between these dates.

Industrial action impacting Italy’s air transport sector is not allowed during the peak summer travel period from the end of July to the beginning of September.

This is called franchigia estiva, or ‘summer exemption period’, and it exists partly to protect Italy’s tourism industry.

That said, this rule doesn’t prevent other types of transport strikes from going ahead in Italy over that period.

How bad are strikes in Italy?

Strikes in Italy are frequent but not all of them cause significant disruption for travellers.

The severity of disruption caused by any strike in the country largely depends on how many staff in any part of the transport sector decide to participate.

And, even in the case of highly disruptive strikes, some essential services (or servizi minimi) are guaranteed to run at peak times. This goes for all transport sectors, from local public transport to rail and air travel.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

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