Italy is officially opening for tourism. Any American citizen (vaccinated or not,) may now travel to Italy if they take a “COVID tested” flight and test negative twice before departure and then on arrival. To avoid the 10 day quarantine, travelers must arrive on an Italian government-approved flight. Customers on Covid-Tested flights will be required to provide negative COVID-19 (NAAT – nucleic acid amplification test/rapid test) 72 hours prior to check-in and boarding, allowing you to travel abroad with confidence and avoid the need to quarantine when you arrive in Italy. Make sure when booking your airfare online that it specifically has “Covid-tested” next to the schedule. On or after July 1, flights from Italy to the United States will again become standard non-Covid-Tested flights.
Passengers traveling on “COVID-tested” flights are required:
- to present a certificate to the airline on boarding and its control personnel testifying a negative result for a molecular or antigen swab test taken no more than 48 hours prior to boarding
- to fill in the Passenger Locator Form to be presented before boarding
- take another molecular (RT PCR) or antigenic swab test on arrival at the destination airport
Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio initially took to Facebook on May 8, saying that “tourism is a key part of Italy getting back to normal,” and adding that the government’s objective is “to reopen to visitors from foreign countries which have reached a high rate of vaccination.”
It is expected that very soon (by July,) Americans should soon be able to arrive on any flights to Italy instead of only these COVID tested flights. Italy will allow all American tourists as long as they have a green pass, showing they are vaccinated or recently tested negative.
For further information and a list of routes operating COVID-tested flights, consult the Ministry of Health website.
What’s Open in Italy?
Of course, things are going to continue to open Throughout Italy, it is mandatory to wear a mask in public places indoors. The mask is also mandatory outdoors. There is a curfew across the country from 11 pm and 5 am.
- Indoor dining, ice cream parlors, pastry shops & bars are open. (no more than 4 people per table) They must display a sign indicating the maximum number of people allowed inside at any particular time.
- Shops are open
- There can be up to 1,000 people in outdoor venues
- Museums are open on weekends and tickets must be booked in advance. From Monday to Friday the admissions are limited to a maximum number of people (which varies depending on the capacity of the museum), in compliance with health prevention measures.
- Nightclubs remain closed
- Theaters, concert halls, and cinemas have also reopened, with 50% capacity, 1-meter social distancing, and obligatory advanced reservations
- Outdoor sporting events are open to the public.
During these times, traveling with a tour company will make things easier. They will be up to date on all of the latest restrictions, arrange all of the sightseeing and tickets, and handle all of the important details for you. Several tour companies are resuming escorted Italy tours with small groups to allow for social distancing, starting this August including Collette Tours, Globus Tours, Cosmos Tours, Tauck Tours, Insight Vacations and CIE Tours. For Italy budget tours you can check out Cosmos Tours and CostSaver by Trafalgar.
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