Italy to ease entry requirements as of March 1

Now, only if we could come home to the US with only one of those items.

Agree! Fingers crossed for that!

YEAH!

I have to take multiple planes to get from the north part of Idaho to Italy, so this will reduce my biggest issue of timing for the test, plus results back with the clock ticking for (arrival time - test).

I wonder is RS will relax their covid testing later this spring / summer / fall. One can only hope...

That’s good news…. However you highlighted a big hurdle for those whose boosters may be expiring unless Italy does not have an expiration date on them…

‘One additional item to note - you still need to have a vaccine card (meeting the current parameters for timing of shots’

Chris: The Italian government previously announced this (early February I think) - there is no expiration for those who have had a booster shot.

That is wonderful Denise….Now….if only Switzerland will do that

The vaccine card must show that last dose was within 270 days which makes many vaccine cards ‘expired’.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/italy-to-relax-entry-restrictions-for-third-country-travellers-from-march-1/

‘It has been emphasised that the non-essential travel ban should be removed for all third-country travellers who have been vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved for use by the European Medicines Agency or the World Health Organization, provided that the last vaccine dose has been received within the last 270 days.’

None of this is very clear and I would not want to travel that far only to be denied entry.

That article is not accurate - In early February, Italy extended the validity of vax cards with a booster to indefinitely - mainly because a 4th shot is not approved for the general public. If people have only had the initial series of shots - there is only a 6 month validity.

"Validity of the certificate in order to use services that require a “reinforced” Green Pass.

The vaccine certificate is valid up to 6 months from the completion of the primary vaccine cycle (either the first and only dose for the Janssen Pharmaceutical NV/ Johnson and Johnson or the second dose for all the others approved vaccines). If however the carrier of the certificate has received a booster or has completed the primary vaccine cycle and he or she has recovered from COVID, the certificate validity is unlimited."

Link to Info

Denise….that’s the Tourist Board and it is not current…I would trust something from the EU, Italy itself, or from Schengen…not the tourist board.

Chris: The EU does not set the requirements for each country - that country sets it's own rules. See below from the EU website - although the EU only can make recommendations - each country sets it's own requirements.

EU Website

Under this approach, non-EU travellers who are vaccinated with an EU or WHO-approved vaccine should be able to travel to the EU, provided they have received the last dose of the primary vaccination series at least 14 days and no more than 270 days before arrival, or provided they have received a booster dose.

From the US Embassy for Italy

US Embassy for Italy Website

The Super Green Pass is valid indefinitely when the certification is issued after the 3rd booster dose or after the 2nd dose and recovery from Covid. For those who have not recovered from Covid but received the second dose, the Super Green Pass remains valid for only 6 months.

Denise ….in your opening post:

‘One additional item to note - you still need to have a vaccine card (meeting the current parameters for timing of shots) to go into museums, restaurants, bars, etc. So traveling unvaccinated will really limit access once in country.’

‘meeting the current parameters for timing of shots’..which means the shots have to be within a timeframe….

These are your words

Chris: Not sure your question. They are easing entry requirements to Italyas of March 1 - you will not need vaccine card to travel to Italy but you still need vaccine cards (equivalent to Super Green Pass) to enter hotels, restaurants, museums, etc. I will leave it at that.

Why not just wait until the "official" announcement comes from the Italian government. All the websites quoted are not official.