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Which countries can use a Covid health pass to avoid quarantine in Italy?

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Which countries can use a Covid health pass to avoid quarantine in Italy?
Does your country qualify for quarantine-free travel to Italy? Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

Italy's latest travel rules allow visitors from certain countries to skip quarantine if they can show proof of vaccination, recovery or testing for Covid-19. Who qualifies, and who still has to isolate this summer?

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Quarantine requirements can make or break travel plans. With peak tourist season fast approaching, Italy has confirmed who will have to isolate this summer, and who can avoid it by showing a Covid-19 health pass.

In an ordinance issued on July 29th, the Italian Health Ministry set out the travel rules that will apply throughout the summer, from July 31st to August 30th.

READ ALSO: Italy extends quarantine requirement for travellers from the UK

Here's what they say about who can visit Italy quarantine-free and how.

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Which travellers never have to quarantine in Italy? 

Italy contains two tiny foreign territories within its borders, San Marino and Vatican City, and neither of them is subject to any travel restrictions.

Residents of either microstate can cross in and out of Italy freely without filling in a passenger locator form or a health pass.

Which travellers can use a Covid-19 health pass to avoid quarantine in Italy?

  • All countries in the European Union and/or Schengen Zone: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco.

People travelling from these countries – including certain overseas territories – can show a Covid-19 health certificate as proof of vaccination, recovery or a recent negative test in order to avoid quarantine (which would otherwise be five days, followed by a test).

National certificates from any of these countries are valid in Italy as part of the EU's Digital Covid Certificate scheme.

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  • Israel

People travelling from Israel can show proof of vaccination with a vaccine licensed for use in the EU (currently: Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson) in order to avoid quarantine (which would otherwise be five days, followed by a test).

Alternatively they can show a medical certificate of recovery from Covid-19 within the past six months, or a negative test carried out within the past 48 hours.

Either an official Coronavirus Certificate or Green Pass issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health (more details here), in digital form or on paper, will be accepted in Italy (though remember that if you're claiming it via testing, Italy's window is shorter than Israel's: 48 hours instead of 72). 

Vaccinated people in Israel show their 'Green Pass'. Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP
  • Canada, Japan and the United States

People travelling from one of these three countries can show proof of vaccination with a vaccine licensed for use in the EU (currently: Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson) in order to avoid quarantine (which would otherwise be five days, followed by a test).

Alternatively they can show a medical certificate of recovery from Covid-19 within the past six months, or a negative test carried out within the past 48 hours.

READ ALSO: What documents do Americans need for travel to Italy?

Official certification in digital or hard copy from any of the three countries will be accepted in Italy – such as CDC-approved vaccination cards from the US, provincial immunization cards from Canada, or government-issued paper vaccination certificates from Japan (available in English). 

What about other countries?

Italy does not exempt any other countries from quarantine. If you're travelling from a country that is not listed above, you will have to self-isolate – even if you're fully vaccinated – as well as getting tested before your journey and after your isolation.

Quarantine lasts five days if you're travelling from one of the following countries or territories: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Hong Kong, Jordan, Lebanon, Kosovo, Macao, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, or the United Kingdom.

READ ALSO:

Travellers from any other countries have to quarantine for ten days.

There are also extra restrictions on travel from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Brazil. For more information, see the Italian Health Ministry's instructions for travellers (in English).

Italy's quarantine rules contain a handful of exceptions if you're travelling in particular circumstances, including if you're transiting through Italy for 36 hours or less via private transport. For full details, see the Health Ministry's website (in English). 

Please remember that The Local is not able to advise on individual cases. Contact your national embassy for more guidance on travel between your country and Italy.

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Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

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dblausten 2021/08/07 10:44
We both have had two vaccinations in the UK. We are driving to France where we will stay for 15 days. Then we want to drive to Italy. Do we need to quarantine in Italy and do we need to take a test before we cross the border?

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