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What Brexit has changed for British visitors to Italy

As Covid-related travel restrictions are now being eased, summer 2021 is likely to mark the first post-Brexit trip to Italy for many Brits. Here's what you need to know about what has changed.

Published: 17 May 2021 14:22 CEST
What Brexit has changed for British visitors to Italy
Italy has started welcoming back British tourists, but some things have changed. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

British tourists can now return to Italy without needing to quarantine after the country on Friday scrapped restrictions in place since late 2020.

But, as well as pandemic-related travel rules, British travellers will need to be aware of other changes if their last visit was before the Brexit transition period ended (on January 1st 2021).

READ ALSO: What are the rules on driving between Italy and the UK right now?

While those who are just visiting are spared the Brexit bureaucracy faced by Italy’s British residents (such as with driving licences and residency cards) there are some things to keep in mind when planning a trip.

Passports

Your British passport of course remains a valid travel document, even if it no longer makes you a citizen of the EU. However, two things have changed.

Firstly, your passport now needs to have at least six months of validity left for travel into the EU.

Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

Secondly your passport is likely to be stamped as you enter Italy, so that authorities can see clearly your date of entry.

The passports of Brits who are permanent residents in Italy should not be stamped but they will need to show proof of residency such as a carta di soggiorno, a receipt acknowledging the application for the carta di soggiorno or other paperwork that shows proof of residency – here’s what to do if your passport is stamped in error.

Visas

If you are entering Italy for a short holiday, visit to family or friends, or trip to a second home you do not need a visa. 

However if you are moving to Italy to live or intending to stay longer than 90 days you will need either a visa or a residency permit. (find out about the visas available to Brits HERE).

If you’re coming to Italy to work, you may need both a visa and a work permit depending on the type and duration of your work.

Italy is thankfully not actually locking up Brits who don’t have the correct paperwork, unlike the Italian and other EU nationals detained in UK detention centres, but there are still checks and you may be turned back at the border if you try to enter Italy for a longer stay without the correct paperwork.

Extra paperwork

When entering Italy as a non-EU national you may now be asked to provide more documents at the border.

While enforcement varies, border guards have the right to request any of the following:

  • Proof of accommodation during your stay (booking for hotel, Airbnb or B&B for tourists, second-home owners may need to provide proof of ownership)
  • A return ticket or the means to acquire one
  • Insurance that covers health costs and the cost of repatriation if required (see health cover section below)
  • If you are transiting through Italy you may be asked for proof of your right to enter your final destination

Registering British guests on arrival

You may have seen reports that anyone who is hosting a British guest in their home has to register their presence with the Italian police.

This is true and, in fact, it’s  not a new rule – it has long been in place for non-EU nationals entering Italy.

READ ALSO: Do you really need to register British visitors with the police in Italy?

“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 British government website states.

The UK government’s advice for British nationals living in Italy confirms that 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 Italian authorities – even if they’re only here for a brief visit.

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.

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

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

This rule applies for stays of under three months. Anyone who stays for longer than that must apply for a residence permit.

90-day rule

With the ending of freedom of movement comes the 90-day rule, which states that out of every 180 days, Brits can only spend 90 of them within the EU without a visa or residency permit.

You can find an explanation of how it works HERE, but essentially it limits trips into the Schengen zone to 90 days out of every 180. People who want to stay longer than 90 days in every 180 must apply for a visa (find out about the visas available to Brits HERE).

READER QUESTIONS:

You can find the Schengen calculator that allows you to work out our allowance here.

It’s worth pointing out that the 90-day limit applies to the whole EU and Schengen zone, not just Italy. 

Health cover

In case you need healthcare while in Italy you will need either an EHIC or a GHIC health insurance card.

Be aware, however, that those only cover emergency care and do not include the cost of things like repatriation. 

If you are travelling without a visa or residency card you may need to show proof that you have cover for repatriation costs, but this can be through either health insurance or travel insurance. There is no requirement for a separate health insurance policy to enter Italy.

Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP

Driving licences and car insurance

While British residents in Italy have been told they need to exchange their driving licences due to Brexit, there is better news for visitors – you can continue to drive on your UK or NI licence in Italy and there is no need for an International Drivers’ Permit.

Depending on your insurance provider, you may need to get a Green Card to drive in Italy, so check with your policy provider before travel.

Ham sandwiches and other British delicacies

There are now strict rules on what products you can bring into the EU from the UK, which rule out almost all animal products (meat, fish, dairy etc) as well as flowers and plants.

These restrictions are not due to customs tariffs, but come under what is known as sanitary and phytosanitary rules – measures that aim to protect humans, animals, and plants from diseases, pests, or contaminants.

As with most Brexit regulations, these are not new rules – it is just the first time that people or goods arriving from the UK have been affected by them.

Find the full list of banned items here.

Pets

It’s not just people who now face stricter travel rules: the European Pet Passport is no longer valid for UK-dwelling pets to travel into Italy. 

Instead, you will need to see your vet ahead of your trip to get an Animal Health Certificate. Unlike the Pet Passport, a new AHC is required for every trip.

For all the latest information and updates from Italy, see our Travel or Brexit sections.

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

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