Italy Will Welcome Back Low-Risk International Travelers This Month

The Mediterranean nation is working on a vaccine passport.

Amalfi coastal village in Italy
Amalfi, Italy | Shutterstock
Amalfi, Italy | Shutterstock
Editor’s Note: We know COVID-19 is continuing to impact your travel plans. As of April 2021, official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention states that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk, though safety precautions are still required. Should you need to travel, be sure to familiarize yourself with the CDC’s latest guidance as well as local requirements/protocols/restrictions for both your destination and home city upon your return. Be safe out there.

Americans have waited a long time for Italy to reopen its borders to foreign visitors. You might have spent the past year figuring out your itinerary for when the day arrives: first the Riviera towns and beaches, then the social plazas and food destinations. Fortunately, you won't need to wait much longer to make your grand tour a reality, thanks to word from Italy's prime minister that the Mediterranean country will embrace low-risk international tourists come mid-May.

With vaccination rates skyrocketing, European nations are hustling to safely reopen before the summer tourism season begins. CroatiaGreece, and Spain are among the European Union states dropping quarantine requirements for vaccinated visitors, and now it's Italy's turn to formally say benvenuti to wanderlust-stricken outsiders who have dutifully stayed put during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MORE: Every Country Open to Vaccinated Travelers—and Why You Should Go

The EU is working on a vaccine passport of sorts called the Digital Green Certificate that shows proof of whether a person has been fully vaccinated, received a negative COVID-19 test, or recently recovered from COVID-19. It's expected to go live sometime in June, but Italy's cooking something similar up that'll let visitors in sooner.

"Let us not wait until mid-June for the EU pass," Mario Draghi, Italy's recently elected PM, reportedly said on Tuesday. "In mid-May tourists can have the Italian pass... so the time has come to book your holidays in Italy," he added.

While the Italian health certificate has not yet been unveiled, Draghi's confident announcement has already sparked an influx of travel bookings, according to Italian property managers.

"Few countries are intertwined with tourism as Italy. The world longs to travel here," said Draghi. "Our mountains, our beaches, our cities and our countryside are reopening. And this process will speed up in the coming weeks and months."

Remember that, regardless of the destination, all US-bound flights require passengers to submit negative COVID-19 test results, so plan on getting a swab at the end of vacation whether you're vaccinated or not.

MORE: The British Virgin Islands Is About to Ease Restrictions for American Tourists

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Kyler Alvord is a news writer at Thrillist. Find him on Twitter and Instagram. Or don't. It's really up to you.