Italy to Relax COVID Entry Regulations from June 1

On Monday, the Italian government announced that from June 1st, all of the entry restrictions will be lifted.

The Italian Ministry of Health confirmed the news. According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, the ministry stated that the existing requirement to show a COVID pass upon entry into Italy would not be renewed when it runs out on May 31.

The statement from the Ministry reads; "from June 1, the green pass for entry into Italy will no longer be accepted. The Minister of Health's ordinance responsible for issuing a Green Certification Covid-19 (green pass) to enter Italy expires on May 31. The restriction will not be continued under the current legislation."

Starting from June 1, all visitors to Italy regardless of the nation they are coming from will no longer need a valid vaccination, recovery, or test certificate, according to the statement of the Minister.

As a result, once the new measure takes effect, everyone will be permitted unrestricted access to Italy.

Italy is one of the EU states that has kept some of the most strict limitations due to its high infection rate records during the early phases of the pandemic.

All visitors to Italy have been required to present a vaccination certificate proving that the traveler has completed primary immunization in the last nine months or received a booster shot, up until now. Italy also accepted COVID-19 test results and proof of recovery from COVID in the last nine months.

However, as the summer vacation season approaches and with most of other EU/EEA countries lowering their entry restrictions, Italy has decided to follow suit.

It's also possible that the Italian government's decision to scrap their COVID-19 entry criteria is connected to the country's heightened vaccination rates and descending infection rates.

According to the World Health Organization's recent data, in the previous seven days, Italy has experienced 141,325 new Coronavirus infections.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's website indicates that as of May 19, Italy has given a total of 136,206,350 COVID-19 vaccinations. Primary vaccination has been completed by 87.4 percent of the total adult population, while another 77.3 percent have received a second shot.

Besides Italy, 19 other EU/EEA nations have rescinded all COVID-19 entry limitations. Consequently, travelers have unrestricted access to the following countries; Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Romania, Poland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Ireland, Iceland, Hungary, Greece, Denmark, Cyprus, Croatia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Belgium, and Austria.