Which Countries Can Travel to Italy?

As a member of the European Union and the Schengen Zone, Italy has similar travel requirements as its neighbouring countries, such as France, Spain, and Germany.

Under ordinary circumstances, people of all nationalities can travel to Italy. Travelers can be categorized into one of the following: EU passport holders, visitors from a country with a visa waiver agreement with the Schengen Area, or third-country nationals.

Entry requirements for a short term stay in Italy —whether for business, tourism, or transit purposes— depend on the traveller’s nationality.

EU citizens visiting Italy

Citizens of a Schengen member nation —whether they reside in their home country, in Iran, or elsewhere around the world— can circulate freely within other Schengen territories, including Italy.

These travellers don’t even need to carry a passport when crossing an internal Schengen border into Italy since their national identification document will suffice. 

Travelers that fall under this category are those holding passports from any of the following countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

Non-EU nationals traveling to Italy

Depending on the passport they hold, some non-EU visitors can benefit from a visa waiver agreement with Italy, while others cannot. The required documentation to travel to Italy or the rest of the Schengen Area will vary in each case.

ETIAS eligible citizens visiting Italy

Travelers from countries that have a visa liberalization policy with the EU can stay in Italy for up to 90 days for leisure or business without having to apply for a visa.  

At the time of writing, visa-exempt citizens, residing in Iran or elsewhere in the world, can enter Italy just by holding a valid passport. However, these visitors will need to have an additional entry requirement known as the ETIAS from the last trimester of 2022 onwards.

ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System and has been under development since 2016. The system will improve security in Italy and the rest of the Schengen member nations for nationals, residents, and travellers alike.

Visitors from 60 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and Australia will be required to register online for an ETIAS prior to their departure towards Italy by the end of 2022. — More information on ETIAS Italy requirements and eligibility.

ETIAS allows holders entry to Italy, all 26 Schengen countries, and the European microstates. Furthermore, the travel authorization can be obtained entirely online, eliminating the hassle of having to visit a diplomatic mission. 

Citizens from the following territories are all eligible to visit Italy with ETIAS: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Venezuela.

Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, and other nationalities

Third-country nationals from countries without a visa waiver agreement are required to obtain a Schengen visa to enter Italy for tourism and business purposes. Schengen visas, unlike ETIAS, cannot be obtained online and require a visit to an Italian Embassy or Consulate.

Travelers from Iran, India, and all the other countries in this list need to request a Schengen visa for short-term visits to Italy: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma/Myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dem. Rep. Of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Northern Mariana’s, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome And Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Travel Restrictions to Italy due to Coronavirus Outbreak

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed travel around the world, and this includes Italy. Temporary entry restrictions to the nation do not depend solely on a passenger’s nationality but also on the country or countries the traveller has recently been to or resides in.

In this sense, Italy has placed provisional restrictions to prevent the entrance of travellers from countries that have a high risk of spreading the virus. 

The list of high-risk countries is regularly updated depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation of each nation. As the spread of coronavirus cases continues to decline, more countries are added to the safe list and once more granted entry into Italy.