Updated June 1, 2021
Prior to the pandemic, millions of Americans traveled to Italy every year (5.6 million U.S. tourists visited the country in 2019). Since March 2020, however, Americans have been unable to enter Italy (among many other countries). After more than a year of restricted travel, Italy has reopened to American tourists in time for the country's peak tourist season, summer. Here’s what you need to know.
Will You Need to Quarantine to Visit Italy?
American travelers have two choices for visiting Italy: they can quarantine for ten days upon arrival, or take a series of COVID-19 tests before and during their journey. To avoid quarantine, you will need to take a PCR test 48 hours before leaving for Italy, and then take another, rapid test before boarding your plane. Once you arrive in Italy, you’ll be asked to take a second rapid COVID-19 test. If the results are negative, you can enjoy a quarantine-free visit to one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans are allowed to visit the country.
Which Airlines and Airports are Offering Quarantine Free Flights to Italy?
Although Italy is now open to American travelers, there are limited options for getting to the country. Italy is only accepting travelers who arrive from certain U.S. airports: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
So far, only two airlines have announced that they will be running “quarantine-free” flights to Italy: American and Delta. Both have flights from New York, and Delta also offers flights from Atlanta. Delta is expected to announce flights from Boston this summer, and American plans to announce flights from Dallas in the next few days.
If you live elsewhere in the U.S., you will likely have to route your trip through one of the above cities to enter Italy.
Do Vaccinated Travelers Still Have to Get Tested to Enter Italy?
According to Italy’s current decree (which is in place until the end of June), there are no exceptions for vaccinated travelers. Regardless of whether or not you’ve been inoculated, you will need to take a PCR test prior to leaving for Italy and take rapid tests at the airport on both ends of your journey. It’s possible that Italy will change their guidance for vaccinated travelers in the course of the summer, and we will keep you updated if that’s the case.
More On Coronavirus Travel
Are you vaccinated? Make sure you keep checking our travel list of where you can go; we also have a post that covers the travel requirements for every country, regardless of vaccine status.
Download the Skip App to stay up-to-date on government news, travel regulations, and more information for travelers like you. We can also help prepare you for your next trip with a renewed passport or TSA PreCheck enrollment.
