Clarification of passport expiration for visit to Italy

https://www.italia.it/en/italy/practical-information/travel-document-italy#:~:text=for%20EU%20citizens%20and%20citizens,departure%20from%20the%20Schengen%20Area.

Citizens from non-EU countries may enter Italy with a passport valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen Area.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements

Passport validity requirements
Italy follows Schengen area rules. Your passport must:
have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area

According to the State Dept website:
“PASSPORT VALIDITY:
Six months validity recommended, at least 3 months validity beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area.”
If you don’t need your passport before your May trip, perhaps send for your renewal this year so you don’t stress about it.

Often discussed, lots of back and forth, advice to contact an embassy, but all that does not matter. It will not be a burly Italian that turns you away at the border, it will be your airline that denies you boarding according to their rules. The Six month thing comes about because despite your planned trip, you are able to stay up to 90 days (~3 months) plus the 3 months required after your departure.

I would first contact your airline and ask them. You can also go on their website, they often have a link to their policy or a calculator to determine if you are OK. At the minimum you can go here: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/ Their database is one often used by airlines to verify documentation. But you are basically up to the interpretation of the agent at check-in or gate who verifies your documents.

But from a pure practical standpoint, and to eliminate any hint of worry, just renew your passport now, you have plenty of time, don't risk it.

I agree that, if at all possible, you should renew your passport before your trip to Italy. It doesn't really matter if Italy says you only need 3 months. If the airline policy is 6 months, then you probably aren't getting on the plane. But this appears to be the tour company's policy. Their tour: their rules. Do you really want to waste time and effort trying to argue the point?

This is not unlike some cruise lines' policies. They are often more conservative in their passport requirements than the countries they will port in. You can argue with them til you're blue in the face, but that won't get you on board.

The tour company is simply covering their butts.

But from a pure practical standpoint, and to eliminate any hint of worry, just renew your passport now, you have plenty of time, don't risk it.

Amen. The backlog has been cleared - do it while you have the time.

I just wanted to add that it is the airline in the end that decides whether to let you on the plane based on your passport's expiration date. This is because if you land in Europe and the local immigration authorities don't let you in the country, it is up to the airline you arrived on to fly you back to the U.S. at their expense. So IMO better to check in with a fresh passport.