You'll be able to get cacio e pepe or sip an aperitivo in Rome or Florence this year without having to undergo entry COVID-19 testing if you're vaccinated.
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza tweeted Wednesday morning that the country is going to drop testing requirements for vaccinated or recovered travelers starting March 1. This includes U.S. travelers.
The loosened restrictions will match what is already in place for travelers coming to and from Italy from the European Union. The EU recommended to its member states Tuesday that all countries should lift their testing restrictions for vaccinated people.
Starting March 1, travelers must provide one of the following in either paper or digital form to enter Italy:
- Proof of full vaccination
- Proof of full recovery from COVID-19
- A negative COVID-19 test
The change comes after months of stricter entry requirements that began Sept. 1, including proof of full vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to travel.
The Health Minister signed the ordinance Tuesday night, which was first published by the newspaper Corriere Della Sera.
In it, the ordinance clarifies that unvaccinated travelers will only need to have a negative COVID-19 test to enter, meaning the 5-day quarantine for unvaccinated travelers has been lifted, too.
Children under 6 years old are also exempt from the testing requirement to enter Italy.
Once you're through the airport, Italy uses Europe's digital COVID certificate or “Green Pass” system to prove vaccination status, a negative test, or recovery from COVID – to enter the country and also enter restaurants, bars, and other indoor venues. But that's not available to foreign tourists yet. In the meantime, Italy has made clear that the standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination cards will suffice. Its current rules regarding Green Pass are currently slated to go until at least March 31.
Fom Italy to Iceland, Greece to Germany, and Poland to Portugal, much of Europe reopened to Americans last spring in hopes of salvaging a busy summer season, with a patchwork of entry requirements that varied from country to country. But the rise of the fast-spreading Delta and Omicron variants and an explosion in cases in the U.S. changed things last year.
However, Italy is just the latest European country to drop its testing requirements, joining popular travel spots like the U.K. and Switzerland.
Read our guide to European travel restrictions!
Bottom Line
Italy will no longer require vaccinated travelers from the U.S. to test for COVID-19 before entering the country.
The European Union recommended that its member states drop the testing requirement for vaccinated individuals Tuesday, and the country's health minister followed suit within hours.
Hopefully, Italy is a heavy domino that leads to some more uniform entry restrictions across the continent in time for the summer travel season.
What about Austria ? I have a trip planned for the end of october .
Does full vaccination include the booster?