With new reentry requirements in place for US travelers as of December 6, 2021, some ItaliaPass community members have been asking where to get a Covid test in Italy prior to their return flight.
Here are some resources we've found:
- Farmacie di Turno search engine for open pharmacies offering rapid test = tampone rapido (Città o CAP = city or postal code, giorno = day, ora = time, avvia la ricerca = start search)
- Rapid test service at Rome Fiumicino airport
- Rapid test service at Milan Malpensa and Linate airports
- Rapid test service at Naples Capodichino airport
- Rapid test service at Florence Peretola Amerigo Vespucci airport
If you don't mind expanding further... by "rapid" you mean antigen, not PCR? Is the rapid sufficient for international travel purposes?
And what is this price range so that a traveler may budget accordingly?
Great questions! Yes, the rapid test is the rapid antigen test, not the PCR test, which in Italy is called molecolare. The rapid test (so called because results are usually available in 20-30 minutes) is sufficient for purposes of entry to Italy but has a shorter validity time frame (24 hours) than the PCR (72 hours, or 48 if the traveler is coming from the UK or has stayed in the UK in the 14 days prior to entry). These are the current rules as of January 9, 2022. For re-entry to one's home country, rules can vary and a traveler should check with their government or embassy in Italy.
The Italian government has put a price cap on testing here in Italy. The rapid antigen test is capped at €15 for adults 18+ and €8 for minors, but that is at participating pharmacies. Generally speaking though, even at private clinics the prices don't seem to be higher than €22 for rapid antigen tests.
PCR tests are significantly higher, ranging generally between €50 and €60 at private clinics. The regional government in Tuscany put a cap on the PCR test at a max of €80.
Where are the results of these rapid antigen tests stored?
My partner has to take one every 48 hours whilst there - but how do you prove you've taken one and show its negative for that 48 hour period?
Generally speaking, the pharmacy where you have the test done will email you the basic green pass certificate with a QR code.
Hi Shelley,
Once we take a test at the pharmacy or airport, how long will it take for us to get teh basic green pass certificate with the QR code via email?
THanks
Check with the pharmacy, but usually I get it in about a half hour from my pharmacy. Another member here had a similar experience in Rome (although it was several months ago, I don't think that changes much - the system is pretty fine tuned by now), you can read her post here.
Shelley- We arrive in Civitavecchia on a cruise ship on April 4th. Once I am inside Italy ( thru customs ) and pick up rental car and go,will I need to continue testing at variour parts of country or will we be good until we fly home from Fiumicino on May 4th?
Hi Valerio. In terms of the super green pass, it depends on the validity of your vaccination certificate. If you have a booster, then no additional testing is required. If you've only completed your initial vaccination cycle, depending on how long ago that was, you may need to have testing during your trip. Have a look at this post for more information.
Shelley- So if I read it correctly- We have had both shots and booster from Moderna and my wife was Pfizer- both approved by Italy, WE sail from Miami to Rome with stops in the Azores,and Spain and France- When ship docks we are good to go? Will not need to test on ship and have a negative result? And if we get stopped during the 30 days of driving in Italy our CDC card is as good as a Super Green Pass ?
Please advise
Valerio
Yes, that's my understanding. I'm not aware of any particular rules regarding ships but you could check with the company that you're sailing with to see if they have other regulations. Note that entry requirements are different than super green pass requirements; however, technically if you have a stop in France prior to entering Italy then I imagine you won't need an additional Covid test because entries from countries on List C don't require a test to enter. That being said, there is also a rule about where you've been in the 14 days prior to entry. Your best bet on entry requirements is to complete the Italian foreign ministry's interactive survey to see what applies to your particular situation.
If you're coming from the US with a CDC white card, you can also refer to the US Embassy's Covid-19 information page.
Hi Shelley, just regitered to say a big THANK YOU for all the valuable information you have provided on these posts regarding pass/superPass/6/9months/tests thing, This is the only place where I could perfectly find the detailed and easy to understand information. Thanks again :)
Prego!
Hello I am hoping to surprise my family with a visit to Venice.
We are all fully vaccinated so is that valid for our Super Green Pass.
Also returning back to the UK do we need antigen tests - can we do our own (from home) to prove we are negative.
Thank you
Giovanna
Hi Giovanna. It looks like fully vaccinated people don't have to test to enter the UK. Here's the info from the UK govt website:
Do I need a test to travel on an internal flight in Italy. Unfortunately our Australian International vaccination certificate QR code cannot be read by the Italian Super Green Pass. I will be travelling by train from Venice to Naples so will I only need to show my Australian vaccination certificate plus a copy of the Italian Govt decree or will I need to get a RaT test to travel in the train. I also have an internal flight from Brindisi to Rome. Do I need a RAT test to fly?
Hi Heather. No, you won't need any additional testing as long as you have a valid vaccination certificate. Did you see the letter that the Australian embassy issued to help Australian travellers have their vaccination certificates recognized? You can find it here.
Hi Shelley, I am travelling to Naples and had my second vaccine on 31st August. If I take a rapid lateral flow once landing in Naples will this give me super green pass?
I have also booked an apartment in Naples, will this just require green pass or super green?
Hi Amar, and thanks for your question. So, your initial vaccination certificate without booster, according to Italian rules, is already expired (six months validity). But as you mention, there's a regulation for foreign visitors that allows them to still have a super green pass if they get a negative result on a Covid test. I think it would be best if you took the test before you arrived in Italy, to save you some hassle. But technically speaking if your initial vaccination certificate is no more than 270 days ago (since your second dose), you can still enter Italy with the certificate, even though it isn't valid as a super green pass after six months have passed, unless it is accompanied by the negative test.
Staying in an apartment as a paying tourist is considered lodging and thus falls under the super green pass requirement. (Here is an English translation of the Italian govt chart that spells out things that require a super green pass).
Below is more information about the super green pass concession for foreign visitors. And you can get the original links at this post.
More information for those with recovery only or without a booster dose
The information about the concession for foreign visitors without a booster is also in Italian on the Italian national tourism board website, if you need to show someone who is checking the passes that your certificate is still valid if accompanied by a negative Covid test (click "Certificazione Verde Digitale Covid-19" and then scroll down to the paragraph under "Validità della certificazione"):
That information is available in English on the same webpage, just click where it shows IT and the globe icon in the upper right corner and select EN from the drop-down menu, then click "EU Digital Covid Certificate" then scroll down to "Validity of the certificates":
On the Italian government's national tourism board website it doesn't specify anything more than "over six months ago" so my assumption would be that any amount of time past six months would be ok so long as the vaccination certificate is accompanied by a negative test result. Here's that information (from this site):
Shelly- So if you have had a booster then all those rules are pointless since that already qualifies as a super green pass. Is that correct. We had all shots with booster on Oct/25/2021. So are we good to go as we dock in Civitavecchia then pick up rental and drive italy for 30 days with out any worry about being stopped, put in quarantine or shipped back to USA. We just want to have a simple vacation like the Pre Covid Era!!! Can We ?
Thanks
Valerio
Hi Valerio. Yes, you're correct. All good with the booster shot and no need in Italy for additional testing; just show your CDC white card.
The only potential issue that could come up is that if at the time of your travel the US still requires a negative Covid test to board the flight back home, and that test comes up positive, then yes, in that case you would have to go into quarantine because the CDC rules are that you can't come back into the US if you're testing positive for Covid.
Here's info from the US Embassy in Rome Covid-19 page:
Buon viaggio!