In Italy for some months it has been possible to travel more or less freely, moving from one region to another. Here's what the situation is for those arriving from abroad.
It was a long road, which required many sacrifices, but after almost two years of restrictions, Italy has finally returned to be mostly a safe country. With a relatively low number of cases in relation to the season and thanks to a constant monitoring, daily life is now quite normal.
Work, entertainment and social life have been possible for some time, but always bearing in mind some safety rules. Traveling from one region to another is also possible, but what happens to visitors arriving from abroad? In this case as well there is good news: the Italian borders have been open for a few months, however there is still no single rule for everyone. A lot depends on the state of the pandemic in the country of provenience and on the presence or absence of a certificate of vaccination and similar.
The current regulation is not permanent however, it will remain in force until December 15th, when it will be revised and updated if necessary.
Who can come to Italy
To find out if you can come to Italy, just check the constantly updated lists on the Italian Ministry of Health website. To make things easier and clearer all countries in the world have been divided into three large groups.
Group C includes the whole European Union plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra and the Principality of Monaco. It should be noted are also included in this list those territories which, although not located on European soil, belong to Spain, Portugal, France and Denmark. For example the Azores, Guyana or the Faroe Islands.Group D, on the other hand, is the one that includes some of the non-European countries. The United Kingdom, for example, but also Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and more. A few weeks ago, Brazil and India also were included in this list. Finally, group E comprises the rest of the world. What about groups A and B? Only the Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino belong to the first one. Group B, on the other hand, is currently empty, but in a future that we all hope is near, it will include countries with very low epidemiological risk. Info from HEALTH DEPARTMENT
What to do before going
The suitcases are ready, the enthusiasm is skyrocketing, but remember that all travellers coming to Italy are required to fill in a self-certification stating, among other things, the country of origin and the current state of health. It can be found on the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If you come from one of the countries included in group C you must also be in possession of a vaccination certificate, a document which guarantees that you have had a full course of vaccine for at least two weeks. Alternatively, you can get tested within 72 hours prior to your arrival in Italy. Actually, it is possible to enter Italy even without either of these two documents, but in this case a five-day fiduciary isolation is required, followed by a test.
Even if you come from one of the countries in group D, you must either show proof of having been vaccinated or of having been tested. In particular, if you come from Canada, the United States or Japan, you can also present a certificate of recovery from the virus instead of the vaccination certificate. A peculiarity to be noticed for travellers coming from the UK: the test must have been performed within 48 hours before arriving in Italy, instead of within 72 hours.As for the previous group, in this case the same alternative applies as well: in the absence of these documents you can still cross the Italian borders, but you must undergo fiduciary isolation for five days, at the end of which you will need to be tested.
The situation is a bit more complex for those arriving from one of the countries of group E. In this case the Italian borders are open only for essential travels, for example for urgent reasons of work or health. A test within 72 hours of arrival is also mandatory, followed by 10 days of fiduciary isolation and a final test.
Some simple rules for your holiday in Italy
Once in Italy, to fully and safely enjoy all the beauties the country will be able to offer you, just remember to follow a few very simple rules.
Masks are always required in indoor public places and on means of transport. For outdoors activities at the moment there is no obligation to wear a mask, even though walking down the street you will notice that many people choose to use it anyway, especially in places of particular interest or in the shopping districts.
The social distancing rules are still in place even though museums, theatres and cinemas can now be filled to their maximum capacity. Indoor nightclubs, on the other hand, can only be filled up to 50%, while outdoor ones to 75%.
Generally speaking, to enter places such as museums, indoor restaurants or movie theatres, you will need the Green Pass or a test performed within the previous 48 hours.
The rule is the same for internal flights, high-speed trains, ships and ferries. For this reason, these means of transport have been authorized for some time to travel at maximum capacity.
The European Covid Digital Certificate (EUDCC), obtained in one of the EU countries can easily replace the Green Pass. The same goes for certificates issued to people who have been vaccinated in Canada, in the United States, in Japan or in the United Kingdom.
Masks are always required in indoor public places and on means of transport. For outdoors activities at the moment there is no obligation to wear a mask, even though walking down the street you will notice that many people choose to use it anyway, especially in places of particular interest or in the shopping districts.
The social distancing rules are still in place even though museums, theatres and cinemas can now be filled to their maximum capacity. Indoor nightclubs, on the other hand, can only be filled up to 50%, while outdoor ones to 75%.
Generally speaking, to enter places such as museums, indoor restaurants or movie theatres, you will need the Green Pass or a test performed within the previous 48 hours.
The rule is the same for internal flights, high-speed trains, ships and ferries. For this reason, these means of transport have been authorized for some time to travel at maximum capacity.
The European Covid Digital Certificate (EUDCC), obtained in one of the EU countries can easily replace the Green Pass. The same goes for certificates issued to people who have been vaccinated in Canada, in the United States, in Japan or in the United Kingdom.
What about children?
The guidelines for young travellers are simple.
As a general rule, unvaccinated children must follow the same regulations intended for adults. For example, if the parent is required to remain in fiduciary isolation for a few days, the same applies to the child.
However, children under the age of six do not have to take any of the tests provided for adults.Teen- agers over 12, on the other hand, need a green certification just like adults do.
