Will there be an issue entering Italy on a US passport if I have no return flight booked?

Scroll down to Entry, Exit & Visa Requirements and you will find your answer which is that the US dept of State says that "You will need proof of sufficient funds and a return plane ticket." Good luck! I know a person who was in the same situation as you and what she did was buy a fully refundable ticket that she canceled after she got to Europe and then bought her return to ticket to the US a couple of weeks before her departure date.

According to the US State Department site Schengen recommendations are are:
- Check the expiration date on your passport book carefully before traveling to Europe.
- Ensure your passport book is valid for at least six months when you enter the Schengen area. This is especially important for minors under age 16 as their passports are only valid for five years. In contrast, U.S. citizen adults aged 16 and older receive passports that are valid for 10 years.
- Always carry your passport book with you when traveling to another country in the Schengen area. Even if there is no border check at that time, officials may reinstate border controls without notice.
- Be prepared to explain your purpose of travel.
- Be prepared to provide proof of sufficient financial resources for the visit.

And the requirements for Italy are:
- Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. Review our U.S. Travelers in Europe page.
- You will need proof of sufficient funds and a return plane ticket.
- For additional information about visas for the Schengen area, see the Schengen Visa page.
- U.S. citizens who arrive at an Italian Port of Entry without a valid travel document – including passports that have been previously reported lost or stolen – will be denied admittance into Italy and returned to their point of origin. This regulation is strictly enforced in Italy.
- U.S. citizens may enter Italy for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa.
[Additional requirements for long stays etc.)

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

That is the official answer. Period. Border control can demand proof that you comply with these requirements and refuse you entry to the country based on your answers.

Unofficially, I personally have never been asked anything beyond the most basic questions and usually they just look at your passport, the computer screen, stamp your passport and move you on.

And there is no way to put this delicately but the only people I have seen grilled at border entries in Italy (and Europe in general) have been people of color. I watched an (obviously wealthy) Indian family talking to immigration officials for the entire time our 30 minute line wandered through the other booth. And I did hear them specifically asking about having tickets to exit the country.

I'm sure that immigration officials would argue there is a criteria that I am not familiar with and other signs they look for but in my personal experience I have only seen people with dark skin questioned extensively.

It sounds like you are aware of the requirements but don't mess with the 90 day limitation for Schengen zone. You can extend your time in non-Schengen countries like England and Ireland but be sure to count your Schengen days carefully. In theory the EITAS system will be working in some from starting mid-2025 to start counting people's days regardless of country of entry and exit. Unless it is delayed again which it has been repeatedly delayed in the past. There are apps to help you counting the days you have left and how long before you can return if you're planning on doing this kind of thing on an on-going basis.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

It may be required for you to get an ETIAS for your trip if it is scheduled for next summer. ETIAS has been pushed back many times, but be prepared.
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

Very likely, if you come in on a one way ticket, you will be asked how long you plan to stay, and if you have proof of onward travel (leaving the Schengen Zone). Your airline will probably notify authorities you are on a one way ticket, and the airline may bring it up at check-in.

You can explain your plans to go to Ireland (Ireland would be leaving the Schengen area), better if you have a ticket from someplace in the Schengen area to Ireland. You might also make up an itinerary you could show, you are not hard and fast beholden to it, but it shows what your intent is. Keep in mind, you only have 90 days in the Schengen area, Ireland is not in the Schengen area.

There are return ticket services that provide a verifiable return flight for a nominal fee for digital nomads, vagabonds and wanderers such as yourself with “fuzzy” return plans. One of those companies is www.onwardticket.com but you can do a google search for similar.

The first issue you will have is with the airline on which you are departing the United States for Europe.

They will be the ones to check whether you have a plan for leaving Europe within 90 days if you are not traveling with a visa - because they don't want to be the ones delivering you to the incoming country’s authorities (I presume Italian) if there is a risk the Italians won't let you in because they (the Italians) aren’t comfortable believing you will leave their territory within 90 days.

Because the airline doesn’t want the foreign authorities turning you back around at entry and sending you directly back to the United States on their (the airline's) dime, they want to be very sure that you are planning on complying with terms of tourist travel to (Italy) under the terms of the visa waive program.

I might get a refundable ticket on a budget carrier ahead of time. Because you would probably be flying anyway - you just don’t know when or from where.

What Kim said about the airline. When I moved to Rome on a one-way ticket, I had to show not just my passport at check-in (it was Delta) but my visa. The airline is responsible for flying you back if the country you're flying to won't let you in.

Yeah, this is why I can never check in online when leaving the States to come back to France. I have to show the airline desk staff at the airport my French residence permit in person.

I have flown to Europe several times in recent years on one-way frequent-flyer tickets and then purchased a return ticket (with miles or dollars) mid-way through the trip. No eyebrows have been raised. I'm gambling it won't happen. I travel with three credit cards and two debit cards, and the electronic record of my comings and goings indicates (at least as far back as those records exist) that I spend close to three months in the Schengen zone every (non-COVID) year without overstaying the 90-day limit. In a pinch I could log into one of my financial accounts to prove solvency.

No one can guarantee you will not face questions. I'm 73 years old, so I probably look like less of a risk than a younger person to work illegally in Europe.

If you plan to fly home from Dublin, you could either buy a fully refundable ticket home or buy a ticket that has no change penalty. Read up on the airline’s restrictions; a number of airlines have removed change penalties and give you a credit for a future flight. Choose the date you think you will be returning home.

When traveling on a one way ticket, I have been asked to show my return ticket at least twice by the airlines at check in. I have only had one occasion where an immigration officer asked to see my return ticket; I was in my 20s and backpacking.

I assume you know about the 90 day / 180 days rule in the Schengen area. If not, read up on it.

First, you only have 90 days-actually a bit less-to stay in the EU. You can't stay 4 months in Europe and yes, border agents will flag your passport electronically if you overstay. Playing dumb also won't work. Just an FYI as I've known a few people who've overstayed and had to wait a few years before returning.

We've bought one way tickets each way to Europe and no one has ever asked us about it. I would have a set departure date in mind that is before the 90 day period because passport control will ask you how long your stay is.

First, you only 90 days-actually a bit less-to stay in the EU.

I dont know enough to know if this is true.

90 days including partial days is the limit for Schengen, not the EU. Ireland and Cyprus are in the EU but is not in Schengen. What I dont know is if they have an agreement with Schengen that may affect your stay. Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are in the Schengen area but are not EU member states.

You can't stay 4 months in Europe.

Well, that isn't true. 40% of the courntries with land in Europe are neither in the EU or Schengen. So you can hang out in Zhalpaqtal, Kazakhstan for instance.

and plan on exiting the EU from Dublin hopefully 4 months after
entering

You will have to be sure that you limit your time in the Schengen countries to 90 days, which means if there is no other agreement that I dont know anything about, you will have to spend a bit more than a month in Ireland. Or possibly yoiu over simplified the post and you have a few other stops outside of the EU and Schengen along the way? In four months there is a lot that can be seen that will help on the time in Schengen .... Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhastan, N. Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom

I guess buying a refundable ticket to home might be good insurance.

As others have mentioned, your issue will be with the airline when you check in for your flight to Europe. They will likely insist you have a return flight unless you have proof of residency or a visa for an extended stay. I live in Europe and happens to me every time as the airline will get fined.

You really need a refundable return flight - but what do we know? We are just random people on the internet. I think you ask the airline.

Every immigration officer is going to handle this differently.

They are concerned you will overstay your visit in Schengen. Going to Ireland does not concern them. It's not part of Schengen.

Are you flying into Italy? Do you have your trip planned or are you going to wing it around Europe? With no real travel plans, they might get suspicious.

But what you can do is plan when you are going to Ireland. If you can show a ticket to Ireland, that will probably please them. They just want to make sure you are leaving Schengen. If you go to Ireland, it's then Ireland's problem. And they may want to see a ticket out of their country.

A couple of years ago I flew from Athens to Stockholm. Even though it was in Schengen, I had to go through immigration. And it was intense. Over 10 minutes of grilling. They ultimately wanted to see my flight out of Schengen. I was going to the UK. Fortunately, I had bought that ticket a few days prior. Once I showed that, I was good to go.

One other thing....if you tell them you are planning to stay for three months, be ready to show that you have enough funds to pay for the entire stay without working.

Blockquote You are traveling into Italy by train, correct? You will not see any immigration officers and no one will ask how long you are staying or how you are leaving. On our most recent trip, riding the train from Switzerland into Italy, our train was boarded by uniformed officers with weapons, doing a random identity check. They were looking for illegal immigrants and unconcerned about tourists.

No, we are flying in, using the Train to get out though..

if by using the train to get out you mean using the Eurostar to get to the UK on the way to Ireland, when you check in in Brussels, Lille or Paris you will have airport style security (but with some fewer restrictions) and then both French or Belgian exit border control and then UK Border Force before going to the waiting area. It all happens at the beginning so at the other end you just walk off.

If you do indeed intend to use the cross Channel Eurostar you would be wise to not let that float along before buying tickets unless money is less important to you than flexibility. The tickets, while rarely cheap, are released well in advance and the price only goes in one way - up. If you get them at the last minute they can be eye watering, if there are tickets left on the train you want.

Effectively your train tickets are proof of your intention to leave Italy and Schengen. Also you will have your UK ETA showing that you are leaving Schengen for the UK and then finally the flight ticket home from Dub!in.

Thus you have a who!e travel plan to show initially to airline check in if asked (who may otherwise deny boarding) and to Italian immigration, if asked.
So you need to have these ready and available at each of those stages.

You need an amendable flight home as otherwise UK Border Force could equally deny you entry, even with an ETA. The ETA is clearance to enter the UK, not a right or a certainty. You still need to prove intent to the Border Force Officer.

I feel like you don't believe me, Bill, when I tell you that these rules don't apply to you and your EU passport. Here is my comment from an earlier post of yours:
My reading of the ETIAS website indicates that it is simply a system for pre-approving visa-less travel. It is for short-term entry only (up to 90 days in 180 days).
My recollection from your prior posts is that you have an EU and a US passport and your wife has a US passport only. I don't believe that either of you need a visa to stay longer than 90 days. This is what the right of free movement means. As an EU citizen, you have the right to travel to any individual EU country (not the whole Schengen zone) for up to 90 days without restriction, and your non-EU citizen spouse has the right to accompany you without a visa.
Here is the relevant language:
Length of stay
If your non-EU family members have the required documents, they are entitled to accompany or join you without any conditions or formalities for consecutive periods of up to 3 months per EU country visited. They are not subject to the overall limitation of up to 90 days in a 180-day period that applies in the Schengen area. You can combine stays in different EU countries without an overall time-limit (as long as the conditions of the EU rules on residence are met).
(The "required documents" are a valid US passport).
The source:
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.html

except he says he wants to enter Italy on his US passport

He can show both.

I feel like you don't believe me, Bill, when I tell you that these rules don't apply to you and your EU passport. Here is my comment from an earlier post of yours:
My reading of the ETIAS website indicates that it is simply a system for pre-approving visa-less travel. It is for short-term entry only (up to 90 days in 180 days). My recollection from your prior posts is that you have an EU and a US passport and your wife has a US passport only. I don't believe that either of you need a visa to stay longer than 90 days. This is what the right of free movement means. As an EU citizen, you have the right to travel to any individual EU country (not the whole Schengen zone) for up to 90 days without restriction, and your non-EU citizen spouse has the right to accompany you without a visa.
Here is the relevant language: Length of stay If your non-EU family members have the required documents, they are entitled to accompany or join you without any conditions or formalities for consecutive periods of up to 3 months per EU country visited. They are not subject to the overall limitation of up to 90 days in a 180-day period that applies in the Schengen area. You can combine stays in different EU countries without an overall time-limit (as long as the conditions of the EU rules on residence are met).
(The "required documents" are a valid US passport). The source: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.html

That may work for me as I have the Irish passport. But the other couple traveling with us will not have that.
I'm Not really worried about the Schengen stuff as we will only be in country 87 days, possibly less. I'm just trying to figure out if the airline will let me on the plane, I called them, they know absolutely nothing and cannot tell me who might. I have also email the Italian consulate, but their auto response says I may "someday" get a response, but probably not.

I am guessing we will buy fully refundable return tickets from Dublin prior to leaving. Or even get those dummy tickets I read about. They seem a bit sketchy though.

You have a European passport ?

Boy do I feel dumb having contributed to this thread.