EXPLAINED: What are the rules for travel between the USA and Italy?
Rules for travel between Italy and the USA changed once again on December 16th. Here are the latest rules on Covid tests, vaccination and quarantine.
Travel from the USA to Italy
Travel from the USA to Italy is still permitted for tourism purposes, though Italy has marginally tightened the rules with its latest travel ordinance that came into force on December 16th.
It remains the case that passengers arriving in Italy from the US need to produce both a Covid vaccination or recovery certificate and a negative test result to avoid having to quarantine on arrival; and both rapid antigen tests and molecular PCR tests continue to be accepted for entry into Italy.
However, while a PCR test can still be taken within 72 hours of arriving in Italy in order to be valid for entry, with the new rules, rapid antigen tests must be taken within 24 hours of arrival to be accepted.
Note that the rules are based on the country you are travelling from, and not on your nationality. Americans travelling to Italy from other countries can check which rules will apply to them here.
In summary:
Vaccinated travellers/those who have recovered from Covid in the past six months
– can travel to Italy for any reason and do not need to quarantine, provided they show proof of vaccination or an official recovery certificate, and a negative PCR Covid test result less than 72 hours old or a negative antigen test result less than 24 hours old at the border.
All arrivals will also need to fill out the passenger locator form before leaving the US.
Vaccination can be proved with a CDC vaccine card or any official vaccination certificate in Italian, English, French or Spanish. A recovery certificate must be provided in Italian (via an official sworn translation if necessary) to be accepted, according to a circular published to the Ministry of Health’s website.
READ ALSO: Q&A: Answers to your questions about Italy’s new travel rules
Unvaccinated travellers/those without a recovery certificate
– can still travel to Italy for any purpose, including tourism, but will have to quarantine on arrival. They must still produce a negative PCR test result less than 72 hours old or a negative antigen test result less than 24 hours old at the border, and fill out the passenger locator form mentioned above.
The quarantine period lasts five days, and travellers leaving quarantine will need to get a negative Covid test result (PCR or antigen) from a pharmacy before they can interact with people again.
The quarantine can be done at a private home, holiday rental, or hotel, though if you plan to stay in someone else's commercial accommodation you should double check that they're happy to host a guest who needs to self-isolate.
You can also quarantine at a friend’s house, but you should avoid close contact with anyone else living there (unless they are also prepared to observe quarantine).
Both rapid antigen tests and molecular PCR tests are accepted in Italy for entry into the country and for leaving quarantine.
READ ALSO: How and where to get a coronavirus test in Italy
Photo: Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
To count as fully vaccinated, travellers must
- Have received a vaccine that is approved by the European Medicines Agency – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson.
- Have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks after the second injection for double-dose vaccines or for two weeks after a single shot for people who had the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The vaccination certificate/vaccine card should contain
- The holder’s name, surname, and date of birth.
- The type and batch of each vaccine administered.
- The date(s) on which the vaccine(s) were administered.
- The name of the State and the health authority that issued the certificate.
A recovery certificate should contain “information about the holder’s past SARS-CoV-2 infection, following a positive test” and the date of the holder’s first positive Covid test, as well as the holder's full name and date of birth and the name of the State and the health authority that issued the certificate.
In Italy
Once in Italy, a basic ‘green pass’ health certificate or its equivalent, showing that the holder is vaccinated against, recovered from, or has recently tested negative for Covid, is required to stay in hotels and to access all public transport, as well as facilities like ski slopes and museums.
A 'super green pass' or its equivalent, showing that the bearer is vaccinated against or recovered from Covid, is now also required to access a range of other venues and services, including indoor seating at restaurants, as well as cinemas, theatres, concerts, nightclubs, and sports events.
READ ALSO: How can you get Italy’s ‘green pass’ if you’re not vaccinated?
In all cases, the CDC vaccine card should be accepted in lieu of the basic green pass and the 'super green pass', although there have been some reports of train conductors refusing to let passengers board without an actual green pass – so if it’s really important to catch a particular train, for example, you might want to pay for a test.
Until at least December 31st, prices for rapid antigen tests will be capped at €15 for adults and €8 for minors aged 12-18 at pharmacies participating in a government scheme to subsidise the costs of obtaining a basic green pass. Children under the age of 12 are not required to have the green pass.
Your basic green pass will be valid for 48 hours from the time of your negative antigen test result, or for 72 hours from the time of your negative PCR test result.
It is not currently possible to convert your CDC vaccine card to an Italian green pass without first being present in Italy.
The process varies from region to region and between local health authorities, can easily take a couple of weeks, and is targeted at Italian citizens and residents staying in the country long term - so it’s not really worth attempting this if you’re just in the country as a tourist.
READ ALSO: Where do you now need to show a Covid green pass in Italy?
Photo: Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
From Italy to the USA
After a lopsided summer in which Americans could holiday in Italy, but Italian people could not holiday in the USA, the USA opened its borders as of November 8th.
It's worth noting that the US government continues to advise its own citizens against visiting Italy – this is advice not a ban, but can affect travel insurance, so check your policy before travelling.
What documents do I need to travel from Italy to the USA?
The US allows its own citizens to enter regardless of vaccination status, but anyone aged two years and older must provide either a negative Covid-19 viral test taken within one day of travel or documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from Covid-19 in the 90 days prior to travel.
The CDC's website says it uses a one-day rather than a 24 hour time frame "to provide more flexibility to the air passenger and aircraft operator (...) For example, if your flight is at 1pm on a Friday, you could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Thursday."
If you need to be tested for travel to the US, both rapid antigen tests and molecular PCR tests can be carried out without a prescription at Italy’s airports, pharmacies, labs, testing centres, or via private doctors such as Med in Action or Medelit.
Most pharmacies offer testing without appointments, but some, especially the smaller ones, may require booking in advance. You can usually just walk in and make your reservation.
Find more details about coronavirus testing in Italy here.
Aside from a valid biometric passport, there is one important document that all travellers must print, fill out and sign, as without it you will not be allowed to board the plane.
Called the ‘Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America”, this CDC form is easy to miss, as it is often buried among other travel-related information airlines send to passengers as part of an email that comprises booking details, baggage allowance, and mask requirement.
Only the most attentive passenger will notice a link called “Stricter regulations on entering the USA”, which compiles various rules, including this form.
READ ALSO: The essential Italian phrases you need to know for getting tested and vaccinated
American residents in Italy are subject to the same Italian entry requirements as all other travellers, so must produce a vaccination or recovery certificate and a negative test result in order to avoid quarantining on return from the US.
For further details on the requirements for travel between the US and Italy, please see:
- Italian Foreign Ministry’s information page for Italian citizens returning from abroad and foreign citizens in Italy
- Italian Foreign Ministry’s ‘safe travels’ website www.viaggiaresicuri.it
- Italian Health Ministry’s travel information page.
- US Embassy in Rome's coronavirus information page.
Please note that The Local cannot advise on specific cases.
You can keep up with the latest news updates via our homepage or travel news section.
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See Also
Travel from the USA to Italy
Travel from the USA to Italy is still permitted for tourism purposes, though Italy has marginally tightened the rules with its latest travel ordinance that came into force on December 16th.
It remains the case that passengers arriving in Italy from the US need to produce both a Covid vaccination or recovery certificate and a negative test result to avoid having to quarantine on arrival; and both rapid antigen tests and molecular PCR tests continue to be accepted for entry into Italy.
However, while a PCR test can still be taken within 72 hours of arriving in Italy in order to be valid for entry, with the new rules, rapid antigen tests must be taken within 24 hours of arrival to be accepted.
Note that the rules are based on the country you are travelling from, and not on your nationality. Americans travelling to Italy from other countries can check which rules will apply to them here.
In summary:
Vaccinated travellers/those who have recovered from Covid in the past six months
– can travel to Italy for any reason and do not need to quarantine, provided they show proof of vaccination or an official recovery certificate, and a negative PCR Covid test result less than 72 hours old or a negative antigen test result less than 24 hours old at the border.
All arrivals will also need to fill out the passenger locator form before leaving the US.
Vaccination can be proved with a CDC vaccine card or any official vaccination certificate in Italian, English, French or Spanish. A recovery certificate must be provided in Italian (via an official sworn translation if necessary) to be accepted, according to a circular published to the Ministry of Health’s website.
READ ALSO: Q&A: Answers to your questions about Italy’s new travel rules
Unvaccinated travellers/those without a recovery certificate
– can still travel to Italy for any purpose, including tourism, but will have to quarantine on arrival. They must still produce a negative PCR test result less than 72 hours old or a negative antigen test result less than 24 hours old at the border, and fill out the passenger locator form mentioned above.
The quarantine period lasts five days, and travellers leaving quarantine will need to get a negative Covid test result (PCR or antigen) from a pharmacy before they can interact with people again.
The quarantine can be done at a private home, holiday rental, or hotel, though if you plan to stay in someone else's commercial accommodation you should double check that they're happy to host a guest who needs to self-isolate.
You can also quarantine at a friend’s house, but you should avoid close contact with anyone else living there (unless they are also prepared to observe quarantine).
Both rapid antigen tests and molecular PCR tests are accepted in Italy for entry into the country and for leaving quarantine.
READ ALSO: How and where to get a coronavirus test in Italy
To count as fully vaccinated, travellers must
- Have received a vaccine that is approved by the European Medicines Agency – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson.
- Have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks after the second injection for double-dose vaccines or for two weeks after a single shot for people who had the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The vaccination certificate/vaccine card should contain
- The holder’s name, surname, and date of birth.
- The type and batch of each vaccine administered.
- The date(s) on which the vaccine(s) were administered.
- The name of the State and the health authority that issued the certificate.
A recovery certificate should contain “information about the holder’s past SARS-CoV-2 infection, following a positive test” and the date of the holder’s first positive Covid test, as well as the holder's full name and date of birth and the name of the State and the health authority that issued the certificate.
In Italy
Once in Italy, a basic ‘green pass’ health certificate or its equivalent, showing that the holder is vaccinated against, recovered from, or has recently tested negative for Covid, is required to stay in hotels and to access all public transport, as well as facilities like ski slopes and museums.
A 'super green pass' or its equivalent, showing that the bearer is vaccinated against or recovered from Covid, is now also required to access a range of other venues and services, including indoor seating at restaurants, as well as cinemas, theatres, concerts, nightclubs, and sports events.
READ ALSO: How can you get Italy’s ‘green pass’ if you’re not vaccinated?
In all cases, the CDC vaccine card should be accepted in lieu of the basic green pass and the 'super green pass', although there have been some reports of train conductors refusing to let passengers board without an actual green pass – so if it’s really important to catch a particular train, for example, you might want to pay for a test.
Until at least December 31st, prices for rapid antigen tests will be capped at €15 for adults and €8 for minors aged 12-18 at pharmacies participating in a government scheme to subsidise the costs of obtaining a basic green pass. Children under the age of 12 are not required to have the green pass.
Your basic green pass will be valid for 48 hours from the time of your negative antigen test result, or for 72 hours from the time of your negative PCR test result.
It is not currently possible to convert your CDC vaccine card to an Italian green pass without first being present in Italy.
The process varies from region to region and between local health authorities, can easily take a couple of weeks, and is targeted at Italian citizens and residents staying in the country long term - so it’s not really worth attempting this if you’re just in the country as a tourist.
READ ALSO: Where do you now need to show a Covid green pass in Italy?
From Italy to the USA
After a lopsided summer in which Americans could holiday in Italy, but Italian people could not holiday in the USA, the USA opened its borders as of November 8th.
It's worth noting that the US government continues to advise its own citizens against visiting Italy – this is advice not a ban, but can affect travel insurance, so check your policy before travelling.
What documents do I need to travel from Italy to the USA?
The US allows its own citizens to enter regardless of vaccination status, but anyone aged two years and older must provide either a negative Covid-19 viral test taken within one day of travel or documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from Covid-19 in the 90 days prior to travel.
The CDC's website says it uses a one-day rather than a 24 hour time frame "to provide more flexibility to the air passenger and aircraft operator (...) For example, if your flight is at 1pm on a Friday, you could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Thursday."
If you need to be tested for travel to the US, both rapid antigen tests and molecular PCR tests can be carried out without a prescription at Italy’s airports, pharmacies, labs, testing centres, or via private doctors such as Med in Action or Medelit.
Most pharmacies offer testing without appointments, but some, especially the smaller ones, may require booking in advance. You can usually just walk in and make your reservation.
Find more details about coronavirus testing in Italy here.
Aside from a valid biometric passport, there is one important document that all travellers must print, fill out and sign, as without it you will not be allowed to board the plane.
Called the ‘Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America”, this CDC form is easy to miss, as it is often buried among other travel-related information airlines send to passengers as part of an email that comprises booking details, baggage allowance, and mask requirement.
Only the most attentive passenger will notice a link called “Stricter regulations on entering the USA”, which compiles various rules, including this form.
READ ALSO: The essential Italian phrases you need to know for getting tested and vaccinated
American residents in Italy are subject to the same Italian entry requirements as all other travellers, so must produce a vaccination or recovery certificate and a negative test result in order to avoid quarantining on return from the US.
For further details on the requirements for travel between the US and Italy, please see:
- Italian Foreign Ministry’s information page for Italian citizens returning from abroad and foreign citizens in Italy
- Italian Foreign Ministry’s ‘safe travels’ website www.viaggiaresicuri.it
- Italian Health Ministry’s travel information page.
- US Embassy in Rome's coronavirus information page.
Please note that The Local cannot advise on specific cases.
You can keep up with the latest news updates via our homepage or travel news section.
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