UK travellers may soon need mandatory coronavirus tests to enter Italy

Wearing masks is compulsory in public outdoor spaces

Wearing masks is now mandatory in public outdoor spaces in Italy (Getty Images)

People travelling from the UK to Italy may soon be required to take a mandatory coronavirus test in order to enter the country.

At the moment, Italy only requires mandatory testing for travellers from countries it considers high risk, including Spain, Greece and certain regions of France.

But the existing guidelines are expiring on 15 October and the government is currently debating a new decree to replace it. The list of high risk countries is expected to be reviewed as part of this new decree, local media reported.

Drafts show that, following a recent spike in cases, the UK will be added to Italy’s list of high risk countries alongside the Netherlands and Belgium, il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

Visitors from high risk countries are expected to show negative coronavirus test results, taken within 72 hours of arrival; both PCR and rapid antigen tests are accepted.

Alternatively travellers are able to take a test within 48 hours of arrival, but must self-isolate until their results come back negative.

Italy has also recently made wearing masks mandatory in public, including outdoors. 

The only exceptions are when you’re eating or drinking in a restaurant, exercising outdoors alone, or when you’re outdoors and not in proximity to people not in your household.

Those who are caught not wearing one could be fined as much as €1,000 (£910.60).

Children under six and those with certain health conditions are exempt from the rule.

It comes as the UK government prepares to announce the latest updates to the dwindling list of travel corridors.

Numbers in Italy and Greece have crept up, which makes them potential candidates for removal from the list, despite both having far lower numbers of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people than the UK.