05 May 2021 – Yesterday at a news conference, The Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, welcomed back British tourists and urged them to book their summer holidays in Italy. During the conference, he also announced that foreign tourists could access the Italian National Vaccine Pass from mid-May allowing tourists to travel to Italy without the need to quarantine.
From 16th May, UK tourists who have had both doses of the coronavirus vaccine will not face any restrictions and other arrivals will be welcome provided that they can produce a negative test taken 48 hours before arrival. Unlike other European countries, Italy is accepting antigen tests as well as PCR tests. In addition, travellers who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 will be exempt from any testing requirements if they present a certificate of prior Covid-19 infection upon arrival.
The new entry requirements will apply to all countries in the ‘C list’ which is part of Italy’s classification system for countries concerning travel and coronavirus. The list includes the UK along with other countries including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Israel, and is the least restrictive classification. Further details on how UK travellers can access the Italian National Vaccine Pass will be released in the next few days.
The Italian National Tourist Board commented: “We are delighted that Italy is once again ready and open for business. Our cities, coasts, countryside and major attractions are world class and we have implemented robust protocols to keep our visitors safe. Tourism is one of our most important industries and key to the nation’s recovery from the terrible impact of COVID-19. Given the latest announcement from the Prime Minister, we are hopeful that Italy will be on the UK government’s green list meaning holidaymakers will not have to quarantine on their return and will establish consumer confidence once more in visiting such a popular destination as Italy.”
For more about Italy visit www.italia.it
