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Yay! Fans of Italy will be delighted with the latest easing of travel restrictions into the country. From the 1st March, Italian entry requirements for UK passengers have changed. This makes it much more amenable for UK visitors to visit the country, especially if you have not had a full course of vaccinations. Given that Italy is the 5th most visited country in the world, and the 3rd most visited in Europe (Source; Statista) this will be welcome news to many. Over 5 million Brits alone visited Italy in 2019. So, how have the rules changed?
Pre 1st March 2022
⚠️Fully vaccinated
Even for those with a full course of vaccinations, prior to 1st March a trip to Italy was far from stress free. Passengers had to complete a passenger locator form and provide evidence of a negative test. This could be either;
- a PCR taken within 48 hours before entry to Italy
- or a negative rapid lateral flow test taken within 24 hours of entry to Italy
⚠️Non vaccinated
For non vaccinated travellers, in addition to the above requirements, arrivals also had to isolate for 5 days. On the 5th day, a negative PCR or rapid lateral flow test signalled freedom.
These rules all but ruled Italy out as a destination for non vaccinated UK travellers not intending to stay long-term. Even for the vaccinated, the additional stress of testing could be enough to put off considerable numbers of tourists.
Italian entry requirements post 1st March 2022
✅ Fully vaccinated
From the 1st March adult travellers need to;
- complete a passenger locator form (EU PLF) which can include details of accompanied minors
- provide proof of vaccination (required for all travellers aged 6 and over)
- You can find full details of the full Italian entry requirements here. You should always check the latest before travel.
⚠️Travel for the non vaccinated to Italy
For the non vaccinated, travellers need to;
- complete a passenger locator form (EU PLF) which can include details of accompanied minors
- Also, all travellers, aged 6 and over, must provide evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before entry or a negative rapid lateral flow test taken within 48 hours of entry
- Or a COVID-19 recovery certificate that certifies recovery from COVID-19 during the last 6 months is also acceptable
Any traveller who cannot present evidence of full vaccination, a negative test or a COVID-19 recovery certificate will need to quarantine for at least five days. Details of how the isolation works and full Italian entry requirements can be found here.
However, testing is a much better option than quarantine. If you are non vaccinated and wish to travel to Italy, simply do the tests.
Purchasing your pre-departure tests
If you do need to purchase tests you can book home or in clinic tests from the Corona Test Centre from £29 (use code 15OFFHT to get 15% off).
Rules for re-entry to the UK
And finally, getting into Italy is just one part of the equation. You also need to know the rules for re-entry to the UK. For more information view UK entry requirements for the vaccinated and non vaccinated.
As always please ensure you double check the rules before travel. From Miles To Smiles cannot be held responsible for your stupidity. If you travel without checking the latest rules, and come a cropper, you only have yourself to blame.
