Covid and travel abroad, the rules for Italians

Consult the ‘data sheet’ for the single country to which you wish to travel and also contact the embassy or consulate of the country of interest in Italy. This is the first recommendation of the Foreign Ministry, highlighted in all the relevant sections of its website and of the ViaggiareSicuri portal, for all Italians who plan to travel abroad by next 30 July, or until it is in force. “The general regulations for travel to / from abroad contained in the Dpcm March 2, 2021 and in the Ordinance May 14, 2021 of the Minister of Health”. The Farnesina also reminds that “the Dpcm continues to be based on five lists of countries for which different measures are envisaged”. It then refers to a questionnaire through which it provides the user, through a series of questions, with all the necessary information and the procedure to follow to make the move, where permitted. Below, the provisions in force in Italy and the measures envisaged for access to some of the most important tourist destinations, both European and non. Among the countries to which travel is permitted without the need for motivation: -Austria. Following entry, it is necessary to undergo ten-day fiduciary self-isolation. It is also mandatory to show a Covid test with a negative result upon entering Austria (or in any case no later than 24 hours after entry). If already in possession of the test at the time of entry, it must have been carried out no earlier than 72 hours if it is a molecular test, not earlier than 48 hours if it is an antigen test. Before entering the country, it is also necessary to register online, through which your personal data and travel and quarantine information are communicated. Obligation to show a real-time Pcr molecular test (PCR-RT) to be carried out within 72 hours prior to departure. Antigen testing is not accepted, nor is PCR testing other than PCR-RT accepted. The obligation concerns travelers over 11 years of age. Anyone entering France by any means must complete a self-certification. -Germany. Anyone who enters Germany by plane, regardless of the country of origin, must have, before boarding, documentation proving that they have been vaccinated, cured or have tested negative for a swab. This obligation does not apply to children under 6 years of age. According to German legislation, people who have completed the vaccination cycle for at least 14 days are considered “vaccinated” (if they have already contracted Covid, the first dose is enough) and those who tested positive for a swab for no less than 28 days are “cured” and no more than 6 months earlier. For unvaccinated and untreated people, the swab can be antigenic (rapid) or molecular and must be performed within 48 hours prior to entry into Germany (in the case of antigenic; in the previous 72 hours, in the case of molecular PCR) . The documentation on vaccination, recovery or the outcome of the swab can be written in Italian (as well as in German, English, French and Spanish). – Greece. Removed the seven-day fiduciary isolation obligation, previously in force, for passengers residing in EU countries, provided that, at the time of entry, they are in possession of a negative molecular test (in English), carried out in the previous 72 hours upon arrival, or – alternatively – a vaccination certificate (provided that at least 14 days have passed since the completion of the vaccination). For other passengers, the obligation to respect a period of fiduciary self-isolation of seven days (or, in case of stay for shorter periods, for the entire period of stay) continues to be envisaged until a date to be decided. On the other hand, the possibility remains in force for all arriving passengers to be subjected, on a sample basis, to a rapid test carried out upon arrival in Greece. The sample test, if selected, is mandatory. In the event of a positive rapid test, a mandatory isolation period of 14 days is envisaged for travelers who tested positive and for their next contacts in special “quarantine hotels” (accommodation costs are covered by the Greek state), where new tests to verify the initial diagnosis. In order to enter the country, it is also essential, regardless of nationality and method of entry, to fill in – at the latest the day before arrival in Greece – an online form, the Passenger Locator Form (PLF), with which travelers must provide information on the place of origin, the duration of previous stays in other countries and the address of their stay in Greece.-Spain. Entry is allowed from all European countries and countries belonging to the Schengen area, without quarantine obligation. There is an obligation to submit a negative PCR molecular test carried out within 72 hours prior to entry – by air or sea – into the country. For Italy, the obligation concerns passengers from any region. Rapid tests are not allowed, not even for the Canary Islands.-United Kingdom. Travelers entering the United Kingdom are required to perform the following four requirements: 1) present the negative result of a Covid-19 test carried out in the three days prior to the day of departure and which meets the parameters indicated by the British Government. The obligation to show a test with a negative result applies to arrivals from all over the world and also includes travelers in transit and those traveling from the UK abroad for journeys of less than 3 days; 2) fill in an online form (“travel locator form”) in the two days prior to departure; 3) observe a precautionary isolation of 10 days; 4) carry out two Covid-19 tests on the second and eighth day of self-isolation in the country – United States. The possibility of entry into the USA is still suspended for travelers who, in the previous 14 days, have been in a country of the Schengen Area (including Italy), in the United Kingdom, in Ireland, in Brazil, in South Africa, China or Iran .-Australia. Until June 17, 2021, both incoming and outgoing international borders closed, not only for travelers and permanent resident foreigners but also for Australian citizens. There is a very strict 14-day quarantine obligation in facilities designated by the local authorities (usually hotels) due to the limited number of people who are granted the exemption, authorized on a case-by-case basis.-Japan. Persons from Italy must be placed in solitary confinement for the first three days of their arrival in a facility designated by the Japanese quarantine authorities. The rules require that you remain confined in a small hotel room, with meals provided by the quarantine authorities, without any direct contact with the outside. On the third day, a further test will be conducted, by the Japanese authorities, and in the event of a negative result, people will be able to reach, without using public transport, the place they have chosen to end the 14-day period of fiduciary self-isolation. Those who test positive will have to observe the health protocols that will be indicated by the competent Japanese authorities.