Italy drops quarantine for vaccinated British travellers

Five-day self-isolation period axed from today

Italy is opening back up to Brits (Getty/iStock)

Italy has dropped its quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated British travellers from today.

Previously, all arrivals from the UK had to complete five days of self-isolation upon entering Italy, regardless of vaccination status.

From 31 August, this measure has been lifted for double-jabbed Brits who test negative for Covid-19, according to a statement from Italy’s health ministry.

Travellers must have received their second dose of the vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel and must present a negative PCR or antigen test taken within the 48 hours before arrival in Italy.

The Italian health minister, Roberto Speranza, tweeted on Saturday that, while he had signed an order to keep restrictive measures in place for those arriving from other countries, vaccinated people entering from the UK would be exempt from quarantine.

“From 31 August, travellers from the UK can enter Italy without being required to quarantine if they have proof of vaccination and a negative test taken within 48 hours before entering Italy,” reads the Foreign Office (FCDO) advice.

“If you wish to fly, you must present the airline with a negative Covid-19 rapid antigenic or molecular swab test taken no more than 48 hours before travel.”

Unvaccinated UK arrivals will still be required to present a negative test and self-isolate for five days.

At the end of quarantine they must take a rapid antigen or molecular swab test for Covid and receive a negative result in order to stop self-isolating.

Since early August, Italy has also required proof of vaccination, recent recovery from coronavirus or a negative test for people wanting to dine indoors or enter museums and sports events.

In mid-August, the FCDO lifted its blanket advisory against all non-essential travel to Italy.

It withdrew its former warning due to “the current assessment of Covid-19 risks”.

The FCDO advice is separate to the Department for Transport’s traffic light system for international travel, which grades countries as red, amber or green depending on the risk of arrivals reimporting coronavirus infections into the UK, particularly virus variants of concern.

The lifting of the travel advisory means holidaymakers should be covered by their travel insurance when taking a trip to Italy – most policies are invalidated if the FCDO advises against travelling to a certain destination.

Italy is currently on the UK government’s amber list for travel, meaning returning passengers need not quarantine if they have been fully vaccinated in the UK, EU or US at least two weeks prior, but must take a day two PCR test.

Unvaccinated arrivals to the UK must quarantine for 10 days and take two PCR tests.