What are the Covid travel restrictions between Italy and the UK?

We have the latest information about the changes in the rules for travel between Italy (UK) and Italy (IT).

Travel rules between Italy, UK and Italy, have changed several times over the last few months due to the evolving Covid-19 healthcare situation.

Another change is coming as of March 1. Italy plans to drop the requirement that travellers returning from non-EU countries be tested for vaccines or other medical conditions. This includes the UK.

Mario Draghi is the Italian Prime Minister and has announced that his country will lift its COVID-19 state-of-emergency on March 31.

His goal is to “reopen as much as possible” he explained to Italian media in Florence on Wednesday (February 23).

The announcement comes after more than two decades of restrictions. It means that Italy’s emergency procedures will be gradually lifted starting in April.

Draghi, without revealing specific dates, confirmed that the ‘green pass’ health certificate would be rescinded and that you will no longer need to show proof that you have been immunised at all venues.

He stated that the enhanced certificate obligation will be phased out, with an emphasis on outdoor activities like fairs, sports, and shows.

Travelling From The UK To Italy

Italy updated its state-of-emergency status on December 14. It will continue to be so until March 31, but the government has indicated that it will not renew after that. Each region is being closely monitored for the number of cases. They follow a traffic light-style system with various restrictions that are dependent on hospital capacities and infection rates.

New restrictions have been placed on entry. This includes testing requirements that EU migrants must meet for the first time.

It is restricted to citizens of the European Union. However, there are a few non EU countries that can be admitted, such as Canada, the United States and Japan. The entry requirements for travellers differ depending on their vaccination status and whether they have recently recovered from Covid.

A tightening in rules has made it more difficult for unvaccinated people, such as those who do not have a current vaccination, to perform day-to-day tasks. Always wear masks, both indoors and on public transport.

As of March 1, there will be no entry restrictions. Refer to the below.

All travellers

To enter Italy or travel as a visitor, adults will need to complete a passport locator form (EUPLF). You can register minors accompanying you on the declaration form – see “Children and Young People ” The EU PLF will generate the QR code, which you should show to your travel provider before you board.

All visitors aged 6+ must now show one or both of the following from March 1:

• Documentation of proof of vaccination
• A negative PCR test or a negative rapid lateral flow test must be provided within 48 hours of entering Italy.
• A COVID-19 recovery Certificate, certifying your COVID-19 recoveries in the past six months

You must show evidence of vaccine, negative testing or COVID-19 recovery certificates if you don’t have them.

• By private transport, you can reach your final destination within Italy.
• For five days, you can remain in self-isolation.
• Call the CONVID-19 – Regional telephone information hotline for notification to the Prevention Department, local health authority, regarding your entry into Italy.
• Take another PCR or rapid-lateral flow test at 5 days of self-isolation. If the test is negative, self-isolation may be ended.

All UK visitors to Sicily must pass a rapid, lateral flow exam upon arrival. The test will be administered free of charge by the local medical authorities.

No matter how immunised you are, anyone arriving in Italy via air, land, or sea may have to undergo random COVID testing.

Further information regarding entry requirements for the UK, as well as other countries, can be found on Ministry of Health’s website and the Italian Government’s online questionnaire.

You’re fully vaccinated.

If you travel from the UK and are able to show that you have all the required vaccinations, you can enter Italy with no need for self-isolation. You will also need to fill out the passport locator form (EUPLF). If you don’t have an electronic device, you can request a printed form.

Proof of vaccination status

You can use the UK’s evidence of COVID-19 19 recovery and vaccination records to show your Italy vaccination record. Your NHS appointment card at vaccination centres should not be used as proof of vaccination.

It must be at least 14 calendar days since the last dose of the vaccine, or one dose of a single-dose vaccination, before you arrive in Italy. You must provide a date for your second vaccination, or one dose of a single-dose vaccine, and you must have been vaccinated by the European Medicines Agency.

UK citizens can travel to Italy with either a primary vaccine certificate (both doses a two or one-dose vaccination) that has a validity time of 270 Days from the last vaccination or a recovery certificate which has a validity time of 180 Days from the date of their first positive test. For those who have already received a booster, the primary vaccine certificate is valid for as long as they are valid in Italy. To access services in Italy, your certificates (also known as Green Pass or Super Green Pass) can be used to access the following pages: ‘Coronavirus’ and [Public spaces/services]

The recovery certificate can be used by anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 after they have completed the primary vaccination cycles (both doses a two-dose or one-dose vaccine).

If you were vaccinated more than 270-days ago, and you have not completed the primary vaccination cycles (both doses in a two or one-dose vaccine), you are not considered fully protected.

The Ministry of Health website will tell you if you’re eligible to become fully vaccinated.

If you haven’t been fully vaccinated.

To get a QR Code to show your Border Police and travel agency, you need the passenger locator form. If you do not own an electronic device, this form can also be filled out in the paper format.

Either must be presented:

• A negative rapid lateral flow test taken within the 48 hours before entering Italy or evidence of a negative PCR taken within 72 hours before entering Italy or,
• A COVID-19 recovery Certificate, which certifies that your COVID-19 losses have been reduced in the past six month.

If you are unable or unwilling to present proof of vaccination, negative testing, or a COVID-19-recovery certificate, then you will have to:

• By private transport, you can reach your final destination within Italy.
• You can stay in self-isolation during the 5 day period
• Call the COVID-19 – Regional telephone information hotline and notify the Prevention Department at the local health authority regarding your entry into Italy.
• Take another PCR or rapid-lateral flow test after self-isolation has ended for five days. If the test is negative, you can discontinue self-isolation.

If you’ve had COVID-19 in a year

The UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery record is available to you if you are travelling to Italy. This certifies that you have not received COVID-19 treatment in the last 6 months. Italy’s equivalent of the Super Green Pass is the UK COVID Pass Digital. It is valid for 180 days from the expiration of the last dose and for 180 Days from the date of your first positive test.

Children over 12 in England can get a UK COVID Pass Digital. This allows them to show proof of full vaccination or recovery.

Children and young people

It is not necessary to fill out separate Passenger Locator forms for children and minors. Adjured minors can register on the EU passenger locator form with the accompanying adult section declaration.

Unaccompanied minors must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians before they can leave.

The EU PLF will generate the QR code, which you must show your travel provider before you board.

Children below 5 years of age do not need a test to be admitted to Italy.

Children over 6 must comply with the rules of adult travellers.

If you are travelling through Italy,

Transiting is when one country passes through another on its way to your final destination. Italy’s borderlands are open. Make sure to read travel advice about any countries you plan on visiting before embarking on your journey.

Italy by Air:

If you are transiting through Italy please provide proof that your PCR has been negative. Passengers staying within the airport transit areas are exempted from completing the Passenger Location Form for transit through Italy.

If your airport does not offer transit facilities or you have purchased connecting flights with different airlines, you will have to go through immigration. If you plan on stopping your journey to Italy, it is possible to be asked to present proof of travel or accommodation. Complete a Passenger Locator Sheet from Italy to the country where you intend to end your journey.

Italy by Land or Sea

If you’re travelling to Italy by train, bus, or ferry, you will need to prove that your PCR or other lateral flow tests are negative.

Individuals travelling to Italy on private transport for less than 36 hours are exempted and need not complete a Passenger Locator Application. Follow the regulations of your final destination country.

You can find more information at the Italian Ministry’s website and the Website Re-open Europe about transit regulations.

Exemptions

Exemptions to the rules may apply for:

• Persons transiting Italy in private vehicles for a maximum of 36 hours
• Italy permits people who enter the country for a maximum of 120 hours (five nights) to work, travel or for absolute necessity.

Exempt travellers must complete an EU passport locator form. (EU PLF)

Details and instructions for exemptions are available on the Ministry of Health, and the Italian Embassy London’s update page.

Before you travel, be sure to verify your passport.

Your travel company or transport provider should verify that your passport is compliant with their requirements.

Passport validity

If you’re planning on travelling to an EU country (except Ireland), Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Andorra, as well as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City, then you need to comply with the Schengen zone rules.

There are 2 requirements for your passport to be valid. It must satisfy the following requirements

• It is less than 10 year old when you enter the program (check the date of issue’).
• Valid for at the very least 3 months starting on the day you plan your departure (check the expiry date’).

We are asking for clarification from the European Commission on the 10-year rule. Their guidance for Schengen frontier guards may not get updated until 2022. For some Schengen country passports, you may need to keep them under 10 years. In addition, the 3 month period in the end of your visit may have to be within 10 Years of the passport’s date of issue.

Double-check the expiry date and issue date on your passport. An extra month may have been added to your passport’s expiry if you renewed your passport before it expired. This could result in your passport needing to be less than 10 years old.

If your passport does not comply with these requirements, please contact the travel agency or embassy in the country that you are visiting. Renewing your passport is possible if necessary.

Visas

Without the need for a visa, you are allowed to travel to countries in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days per 180-day period. This is for tourists, family members, and those who travel to other countries to visit friends or relatives, as well as to attend cultural, sporting, or business events.

If you’re travelling to Italy or any other Schengen country, please ensure your entire stay is within the 90-day limit. The 90-day period includes visits to Schengen nations within the preceding 180 days.

Italian government regulations will apply to you if you wish to stay longer for work, study, business travel, or other purposes. Before booking an appointment with any of the Italian consulates in London or Edinburgh, you should check which type of visa/work permit you may require.

The guidance on visas, permits and travel to Italy for work is helpful.

The 90-day visa-free restriction does not apply to residents of Italy who have a residence visa or long-stay visa.

British citizens who cannot travel to the UK without a visa/permit expiry or after their visa-free limit has expired due to COVID-19 limitations should contact their nearest immigration office (questura).

Passport stamping

Italian border control might require you to:

• Show proof of accommodation such as booking confirmation for a hotel, or proof you have an address proof if you are visiting your own property (e.g. a second home)
• Show proof that you have travel insurance. See the guidance for travel insurance.
• Show a Return or Onward ticket.
• Additionally, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have enough cash for your stay. The amount required for accommodation varies.
• Your host must inform local immigration (questura) in writing 48 hours after arrival at your property. They could be fined if the Italian immigration law is not followed.

You must ensure your passport has been stamped when you travel to or from the Schengen zone through Italy as a visitor. To check that you have not exceeded the 90-day visa waiver limit for short stays, border guards may use passport stamps. Border guards can assume that you have violated your visa-free time limit if they do not find the appropriate entry and exit stamps in your passport.

You can present evidence to prove when and where your entry or exit from the Schengen zone. The border guards may ask you to add this date/location to your passport. Acceptable evidence includes tickets and boarding passes.

Suppose you arrive from a Schengen Area member country (, e.g. France will require you to notify the local Immigration Authority (questura), of your presence, within 8 days from arriving. You will receive a questura form. If you’re staying in a B&B or hotel property, you don’t need to complete this questura.

Further information is available at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs site.

For information on stamping your passport, visit the Living Guide if Italy is your home.

UK Emergency Travel Documents

UK Emergency Travel Papers (ETDs) can be accepted for entry to, airside transit to, and exit out of Italy.

Returning to the UK

All passengers aged 12 and above who are travelling to the UK from abroad must complete the online passenger locator before departing. The form can be filled out by adults who are travelling with children aged under 18.

You are not required to take any tests or quarantine if you qualify as fully vaccinated. The same rules apply to travellers under the age of 18.

If you’re over 18 years of age but have not yet been fully vaccinated:

• A negative Covid-19 screening will be required. This must be done within two days of your arrival in the UK.
• You will need to book the PCR test and pay within two days from your arrival in Britain. This must be booked with an independent provider before you travel.
• If your PCR is positive, you don’t have to quarantine