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Italy Has Tightened Covid Entry Restrictions for All U.S. Visitors and May Require All Eligible Italians to Be Vaccinated. The new restrictions follow the European Union's removal of the U.S. from its Safe Travel List.
The new policy, which went into effect August 31, 2021 and is in effect until at least October 25, 2021, requires that all visitors (including fully vaccinated visitors) from the U.S. provide negative results from a COVID-19 PCR or antigen test taken within the 72 hours prior to arrival in Italy.
Additionally, U.S. visitors must provide either:
- Proof of full vaccination (at least 14 days past the second or final dose) with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca); or
- Medical certificate confirming recovery from COVID-19, dated no more than 6 months prior to departure
All travelers from the U.S. who arrive in Italy without either proof of full vaccination or a qualifying recovery certificate will have to quarantine for at least 5 days. A PCR or rapid antigen test on the 5th day will either permit them to be released or obligate them to remain in quarantine, depending on the result.
Separately, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi stated that ultimately Italy may require all Italians of eligible age to be vaccinated for COVID-19. This would only be implemented after one or more of the four vaccines receive full approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which to date has conditionally approved them, similar to the U.S. FDA's emergency use authorization. The FDA has already fully approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine which is expected to lead to more vaccine mandates; over half of U.S. companies recently surveyed plan to require vaccination by the end of 2021, with nearly a quarter of those surveyed making it a condition for employment.
Currently ~70% of Italians 12 and older are fully vaccinated, with the goal of reaching 80% by the end of September 2021. Since ~10% of Italy's population is under the age of 12, ~63% of the entire population is fully vaccinated, lower than Denmark, where over 72% of the population is fully vaccinated, and France, where over 66% of the population is fully vaccinated, but higher than the U.S., where only 53% of Americans are fully vaccinated.
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