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TRAVEL: Italy scraps Covid quarantine rules for EU, Britain and Israel

Italy's government on Friday said it was scrapping quarantine requirements for visitors from the European Union, Britain and Israel who test negative for coronavirus, as it seeks to entice tourists this summer.

Published: 14 May 2021 13:53 CEST
TRAVEL: Italy scraps Covid quarantine rules for EU, Britain and Israel
Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

Under new rules that come into force from Sunday, Italy will also extend so-called “Covid-free” flights, currently in place to and from the United States, to Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

At the same time, measures blocking arrivals from Brazil have been extended.

“Health Minister Roberto Speranza has signed a decree that provides for entry from countries in the EU and the Schengen area, as well as Britain and Israel, with a negative test, overcoming the current system of mini-quarantine,” the spokesman said.

Visitors from those countries have until now been required to undergo a five-day quarantine and two coronavirus tests.

Now visitors will only need to show proof of a negative test result, though no further details of the requirement for travellers were immediately available on Friday.

US, Canada and Japan

Italy also wants to allow tourists from the United States, Canada and Japan to visit without quarantine if they have been vaccinated, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said.

While the first step is to vaccinate as many residents of Italy as possible before the summer, Draghi said, he also indicated that Italy would revise its strict rules on entering from overseas

Last weekend Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio suggested that tourists from the US would be allowed to return from June, the month that the European Union has pledged to reopen to vaccinated or tested travellers from outside the bloc.

In recent days government ministers have repeatedly indicated that a change in Italy’s travel rules is imminent without giving firm dates for different countries, to the confusion and frustration of people trying to finalise holiday plans. 

READ ALSO: How the Italian government has left tourists angry and confused about summer plans

Leaders of the G7 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the EU – are due to meet from June 11-13th, with travel sure to be on the agenda.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said the return of tourists is crucial to the recovery of the eurozone’s third largest economy, which was one of the EU countries worst hit by coronavirus.

Outdoor eating in cafes and restaurants resumed in Italy’s lower risk ‘yellow zones’ last month, and museums and cinemas reopened, although a 10pm curfew remains in place nationwide.

READ ALSO: 

Draghi is under pressure from the far-right League and other parties supporting his so-called ‘national unity’ government to allow further reopenings, and the issue is set to dominate scheduled coalition talks on Monday.

Italy’s rate of infections has slowed in recent weeks, while the vaccination campaign has gained pace after months of delays.

Some 26 million doses have so far been administered in the country of 60 million people, with around eight million people fully vaccinated.

Member comments

  1. I will never understand this lack of clarity on tourists from the United States (just a simple allowed or not allowed). I changed all of our plans last night, we will go to Spain instead.

      1. Was hoping our plans for Italy would work out but I couldn’t wait any longer to change our reservations.

  3. Good news! But as we sit by Lake Como now, having done the two tests and the 5 day quarantine, it’s interesting to see how many tourists are already here who tell us they haven’t followed the rules which are valid until tomorrow!!!

  4. If we are American from Los Angeles, fly to Greece for 1 week, fly from Greece to Venice. Will we be exempt from quarantine with these new rules?

    1. I doubt it. Italy is notorious for being inflexible with things like this. However we had no trouble at Dubai airport with our Italian test results late last year.

    2. Yes, I have had it done 2x for travel. In Sorrento and in Rome. It’s been no problem. You just have to ask.

  6. Here’s hoping Australians will be exempt from quarantine too! Although we have the added challenge of gaining permission from our government to leave Australia with no end in sight to the strict travel requirements here in Australia. Feeling imprisoned. Help! 🙂

  7. Scotland just extended level 3 and the rest of the UK are worried about increasing Indian variant….😱

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COVID-19 RULES

EXPLAINED: Has Italy still got any Covid rules in place?

Italy is blissfully free of Covid restrictions this summer - or is it? Here's what you need to know about the country's few remaining rules.

Published: 30 May 2023 13:20 CEST
EXPLAINED: Has Italy still got any Covid rules in place?

If you thought Italy’s Covid rules ought to have more or less expired by now, you’d be right – almost. 

There are essentially no travel restrictions, no vaccination or testing obligations, and very few situations in which people are required to mask up.

However, a few nationwide health rules do remain in place that are worth knowing about.

Here’s what they are.

Masks

One notable exception to Italy’s Covid rule relaxations is the continued requirement to wear a mask in parts of health and residential care facilities that house vulnerable or immunosuppressed patients.

This rule had been due to expire on April 30th, but was renewed by decree on April 29th and will remain in place until the end of the year.

READ ALSO: What to expect when travelling to Italy in summer 2023

That means if you work in such a facility or need to visit a friend or family member there, you should come equipped with a mask.

Under-6’s, people whose disability prevents them from wearing a mask, and carers for whom wearing a mask would prevent them from communicating with a disabled patient are the only exceptions.

Quarantine

Then there are the quarantine rules.

‘Italy still has quarantine rules?!’ you ask incredulously.

According to former health director Giovanni Rezza, who retired this May, the answer is yes.

It was Rezza who signed off on a health ministry decree dated December 31st, 2022 that established the country’s latest quarantine restrictions.

Tourists visiting Italy no longer face Covid-related restrictions, though rules may apply in some circumstances. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

That decree says that those who test positive but are asymptomatic must self-isolate for five days, or until they test negative at a pharmacy or health facility – whichever happens sooner.

Those who do experience symptoms should either test negative before exiting quarantine, or wait until they are symptomless for at least two days.

At the end of the isolation period, those who have left quarantine without taking a test are required to wear a high-grade FFP2 mask in public until the tenth day since the onset of symptoms or first positive test result.

READ ALSO: What are the upcoming strikes in Italy and how could they impact you?

People who have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid should wear an FFP2 mask in public until the fifth day since the last point of contact.

Earlier this month, Rezza told journalists at the national broadcaster Rai that since no expiration date was stipulated, the decree remains in force indefinitely.

The health ministry doesn’t appear to have weighed in on the matter, so for now it should be assumed that the quarantine rules are still active.

Of course, this all relies on the honour system, as most Covid tests these days are taken (if at all) in people’s own homes without the knowledge or involvement of state health authorities.

Travel

Finally, there have been some recent reports of new international travel restrictions specifically relating to China.

There has been talk of Italy’s airports reintroducing tests for arrivals from China. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP.

Towards the end of May, newspapers La Stampa and La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno reported that Covid tests had been reintroduced at Italy’s airports for arrivals from China, which has seen an uptick in cases.

However, neither the health ministry website nor the Foreign Ministry’s Viaggiare Sicuri (‘Travel Safe’) website appear to have published any updates to this effect.

In December 2022, Italy’s health ministry mandated that all arrivals from China must produce a recent negative test result before leaving for Italy and to take a test on arrival, though this rule was due to expire at the end of January.

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