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UPDATE: What visitors need to know about getting Italy's Covid green pass

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UPDATE: What visitors need to know about getting Italy's Covid green pass
An inspector (L) checks passengers boarding a high-speed "Frecciarossa" train for their so-called Green Pass on September 1, 2021 at the Porta Nuova railway station in Turin. - Since early August, Italy has required proof of vaccination, recent recovery from coronavirus or a negative test for people wanting to dine indoors or enter museums and sports events. The so-called Green Pass becomes compulsory for teachers and on trains and planes from September 1. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Italy's Covid-19 health certificate is now a requirement everywhere from museums and sports stadiums to intercity trains. Here's what you need to know if you were vaccinated, tested or recovered in another country.

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What is the Covid green pass and where is it needed?

Italy first began using the so-called green pass or certificazione verde in June, primarily for international travel. Since then, the government has repeatedly expanded its scope, and it's now also a requirement for many aspects of everyday life within the country.

The pass proves that the holder has either been vaccinated with at least one dose, recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months, or has tested negative in the previous 48 hours.

Many businesses, venues and cultural sites in Italy are legally required to ask their customers to show a green pass before they’re allowed to enter. 

EXPLAINED: Where do you now need to show a Covid green pass in Italy?

The pass must be shown at cultural and leisure venues including museums, theatres, cinemas, gyms, theme parks; conferences and trade fairs; bingo halls and casinos, and more.

The pass is also needed on to long-distance trains, domestic flights and interregional buses and ferries, and from October 15th it becomes a requirement at all workplaces.

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Do I need to download Italy's Covid-19 green pass?

The certificazione verde is available to anyone who has been vaccinated, tested or recovered in Italy, including those who have only had the first of two doses. 

If you got your shots, tests or treatment elsewhere, what you'll need to do depends on the country.

If your certificate was issued within the European Union, you don't need to do anything: the Italian green pass isn't necessary, as each member state's certificates are mutually recognised everywhere in the EU.

In other words, you should get your own country's equivalent – the pass sanitaire in France, Impfpass in Germany, certificado COVID digital de la UE in Spain, or any other EU version – and use it when visiting Italy just the same as you would at home.

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Photo: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP

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EU countries also recognise certificates from non-members that are part of the Schengen Zone, which means that health passports from Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are equally valid in Italy.

You can't upload these documents to the Italian system, but they should be recognised when scanned by Italian authorities and when entering businesses and venues.

Outside the EU, it gets more complicated:

Italy has confirmed that equivalent documents (including paper certificates) issued by health authorities in the following five non-EU countries will be accepted both at the border and for access to venues within Italy: Canada, Israel Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Italy has not agreed to accept vaccination certificates from any other non-EU country, apart from the ones mentioned above.

People travelling from elsewhere may still be able to access the Italian certificate, however.

Can you 'convert' your foreign health certificate into an Italian green pass?

Using foreign certificates to obtain a green pass is now an option for those who would like to do so.

However, the process can only be completed while you are in Italy and the rules vary depending on which part of the country you're in.

The process was initially intended for Italian citizens who were vaccinated abroad, though many local health authorities are now opening it up to anyone who is currently in the area they cover, including visitors. Find out more about how this works in a separate article here.

As you'll need to submit your certificate to the local health authorities and wait for them to process it, it might not be the most convenient option for those here just for a short stay.

You'll need to contact the local health office (Azienda Sanitaria Locale or ASL) for the part of Italy where you’re based, who will provide further information about which documents you should provide and how.

Getting tested in Italy

Travellers who were vaccinated outside the EU do have another sure-fire route to accessing the Italian health pass: by getting a coronavirus test in Italy.

Find out how to get tested in Italy here, and learn how to download the green pass using your test number here.

Remember that passes obtained via testing are only valid for 48 hours in the case of rapid testing, or 72 hours if you take a PCR test.

EXPLAINED: How can you get Italy’s ‘green pass’ if you’re not vaccinated?

The Italian government has promised to cap the price of swab tests in pharmacies and from other private providers over the coming months in order to reduce the financial burden on people who find themselves having to get tested repeatedly.

Once you have it, there are several different ways in which you may be able to download your pass, depending on the documentation you have.

See further information about how to access your green pass here.

Find the latest updates in our green pass news section and further details on the Italian government’s official website (currently only available in Italian).

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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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Anonymous 2021/10/27 00:59
Hi. I successfully obtained a French green pass by submitting my Australian vaccination certificate details. This can be then loaded onto your smartphone using TousAntiCovid App. Otherwise you can store a PDF or hold a hard copy. This should be valid for Italy and the rest of the EU. French site has English option and is user friendly. Took about a month to respond. I added the vaccine batch numbers in the notes but not sure if this is essential. Website link is: www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/passe-sanitaire-etrangers Good luck and safe travels!
Anonymous 2021/10/08 15:38
Hi. For UK people vaccinated in the UK, you CAN simply scan your second UK vaccination QR code obtained from the NHS app into the Italian Green Pass app and it WILL instantly produce the Green Pass. None of the complex admin described above is needed. Poor journalism.
  • Anonymous 2021/10/11 18:35
    Hi, could you please direct to the app for the Green Pass. Is it the VerificaC19 to use the UK QR code from the NHS App? Many thanks
Anonymous 2021/10/06 11:29
Good morning, for all of you that tried to help in me achieving vaccination, thank you. I finally received my first jab 2 months ago and had my second a month ago. It certainly wasn’t easy but a kind doctor in Locorotondo managed to bypass the normal system and register using my codice fiscale. So many in the ASL just basically refused to help or passed me on to someone else who wouldn’t help. All done now so thanks for the support.
  • Anonymous 2021/10/06 12:05
    Really glad to hear that, Ian. So often everything just depends on the person you're dealing with.

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