Travelling from and returning to the UK Covid Policy
How Covid-19 affects your travel
Be prepared for your plans to change
No travel is risk-free during COVID. Countries may further restrict travel or bring in new rules at short notice, for example due to a new COVID-19 variant. Check with your travel company or airline for any transport changes which may delay your journey home.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative. You may also need to seek treatment there.
Plan ahead and make sure you:
- can access money
- understand what your insurance will cover
- can make arrangements to extend your stay and be away for longer than planned
Public spaces and travel within Italy
Public spaces and services
Until at least 15 June the use of FFP2 masks are compulsory in the following cases:
- When entering Italy by plane, ferry, train or coach
- On public transport within the country, including commercial flights, boats, ferries, interregional trains, buses, subways, cars and taxis with a driver
- At indoor public venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, live music clubs and indoor sporting events
- When visiting healthcare facilities.
It is still recommended to wear masks in all indoor public spaces. You should pay close attention to signage when travelling and carry a mask with you.
Regional and local authorities in Italy are empowered to adjust these measures where required, which may occur at short notice. You are advised to consult the websites for the regions in which you are travelling for the latest information.
Green Pass and Super Green Pass
From 1 May, Green Passes or Super Green Passes are no longer required to access businesses or services in Italy. A Green Pass is still required to visit or accompany relatives in hospitals and care homes.
Green Pass
A “Green Pass” (website only in Italian), also known as an EU digital COVID certificate, certifies vaccination, recovery or negative test result.
Italy will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record as the equivalent to a Super Green Pass as long as it is in the form of a verifiable QR code.
You can also obtain a Green Pass valid for 48 hours by testing negative to a rapid COVID-19 test available from local pharmacies and test centres.
Children aged 11 and under are exempt from presenting a Green Pass and Super Green Pass (see below).
Anyone falsifying a certificate is liable to face a fine of up to €3000 or a prison sentence.
A Green Pass is required for accompanying non-COVID patients to hospital or specialist medical centres.
Travelling within Italy
You must comply with the local travel regulations of the region you are visiting, even if you have only just arrived in Italy. FFP2 masks must be worn on public transport until at least 15 June.
International travel from Italy
To board an international flight from Italy, you should check the requirements for your destination country.
Wearing masks for flights
Until at least 15 June, FFP2 masks or higher grade must be worn to travel on flights in Italy. You should take spare masks for long journeys. Check with your travel operator before travelling.
If you are travelling to the UK, see Return to the UK for additional requirements.
Consult the European Union’s Re-Open EU page for rules on travelling within the EU.
Healthcare in Italy
COVID-19 testing is widely available at private clinics. Rapid testing is also available in many pharmacies, and, in some regions, drive-in testing is available. You are strongly advised to consult the website for the region from which you are travelling as test facilities vary across regions.
Developing symptoms of COVID-19 while in Italy
If you think you have symptoms, including a fever or respiratory difficulties such as shortness of breath or a cough, you should stay in your accommodation and call your regional hotline. Most of the regional hotlines listed have English speaking staff. You can also call your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale).
If you are staying in a hotel or resort, your accommodation provider may have a list of private doctors that they can call to assess your symptoms and conduct a COVID-19 test.
If you have arranged your own accommodation you can find details of English speaking doctors on our list of healthcare providers.
Remember that an EHIC or GHIC covers state healthcare only, not private treatment. You will be responsible for the cost of any treatment provided by a private doctor or private clinic.
Close contact
If you come into close contact with someone who tests positive, you will need to self-monitor and wear the FFP2 mask for 10 days from the last contact. If you develop symptoms, you should take a test when the symptoms occur and, if symptoms remain, test again on the fifth day after being in contact with the positive person. Local health authorities have now indicated you can test in a private facility. If you do so, you must send a digital copy of your negative test certificate to the local ASL office.
For further details please see Ministry of Health website (only in Italian).
Testing positive for COVID-19 while in Italy
If you are tested and the result is positive, you must immediately self-isolate in your accommodation and call your regional hotline as set out above.
You may be able to remain in your existing accommodation for self-isolation, or be required to transfer into a state hospital or other government-provided accommodation. You may be required to fund accommodation. Depending on local arrangements, travellers in groups may be spread across different accommodation locations.
If within the last 120 days you have either (a) completed a full course of vaccination OR (b) received a booster the self-isolation, you must self-isolate for 7 days. Otherwise, you must self-isolate for 10 days.
In order to be released from self-isolation, you must produce a negative test. The local health authority determines the type of test they will use and the pattern of testing. You will also need to have been symptom-free for at least 3 days.
If you continue to test positive for a variant other than Beta or Omicron, you can be released from self-isolation after 21 days. You will also need to have been symptom-free for at least 7 days.
You should always follow the advice of the local health authorities as regional variations may apply.
Local health authorities have now indicated you can test in a private facility. If you do so, you must send a digital copy of your negative test certificate to the local ASL office.
For further details please see Ministry of Health website (only in Italian).
Quarantine hotels
If you test positive for COVID-19 you may be able to remain in your existing accommodation for self-isolation, or be required to transfer into a state hospital or other government-provided accommodation. You may be required to fund accommodation.
Depending on local arrangements, travellers in groups may be required to stay in separate accommodation (e.g. if a sufficient number of rooms is not available in one venue, your group may be spread across different accommodation locations).
The UK government will not cover mandatory quarantine costs for British nationals. EHIC or GHIC cards therefore cannot be used to cover the cost of staying in a quarantine hotel if payment is required. Make sure you have access to funds to cover the costs or take out insurance, checking the policy has adequate cover.
If you have or are entitled to an EHIC or GHIC and you need state healthcare treatment while staying at a quarantine hotel, the UK government will fund treatment as usual through the EHIC/GHIC scheme.
Remember that an EHIC or GHIC does not cover private treatment. You will be responsible for the cost of any treatment provided by a private doctor or hospital.
In some Italian regions, you may be required to take a coronavirus test if you spend 48 hours or two consecutive nights in a hospital for any reason. If you test positive, you will be required to quarantine, as outlined above.
In the case of an emergency you should call Italy’s 112 emergency number. English speaking operators are available.
For contact details for English speaking doctors, visit our list of healthcare providers. Find out more from the NHS website about EHIC and GHIC healthcare cover abroad. For information regarding access to healthcare in Italy see healthcare for UK nationals visiting the EU. Your emotional and mental wellbeing is important. Read guidance on how to look after your mental wellbeing and mental health. View Health for further details on healthcare in Italy. See also the guidance on healthcare if you’re waiting to return to the UK.
COVID-19 vaccines if you live in Italy
Wherever possible British nationals should aim to be vaccinated in the country where they live. We will update this page when the Government of Italy announces new information on the national vaccination programme. You can sign up to get email notifications when this page is updated.
The Italian national vaccination programme started in December 2020 and is using the AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. British nationals resident in Italy are eligible for vaccination. The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) has issued comprehensive information, on the vaccine and the documentation required to book an appointment.
Many regional authorities have launched on-line booking platforms and opened call centres for bookings. Regional requirements vary, with booking platforms requiring you to enter the details of your tessera sanitaria (Italian health card), a codice fiscale or STP card. Some regions are now offering a dedicated vaccination service to those not registered with the Italian health system. You should consult the regional health pages where you live.
An interactive map (in Italian) details a list of vaccine administration points by region.
Find out more, including about vaccines that are authorised in the UK or approved by the World Health Organisation, on the COVID-19 vaccines if you live abroad.
If you’re a British national living in Italy, you should seek medical advice from your local healthcare provider. Information about COVID-19 vaccines used in the national programme where you live, including regulatory status, should be available from local authorities.
If you receive your COVID-19 vaccination in Italy, you can get an EU Digital COVID Certificate from the national authorities. The Certificate proves that you have been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result, or recovered from COVID-19. It will help facilitate your travel within the EU and, in some countries, you can use it to demonstrate your COVID-19 status to businesses and other organisations. For further information visit the European Commission’s EU Digital COVID Certificate page.
Finance
For information on financial support you can access whilst abroad, visit our financial assistance guidance.
Help and support
If you need urgent consular assistance, contact your nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate. All telephone numbers are available 24/7.