Italy's COVID-19 green pass for travel this summer will be valid for non-EU citizens

Italy's tourism minister Massimo Garavaglia in a recent press meet has announced that the new COID-19 green pass issued by the government for travel will be valid for non-EU citizens. To avail of the green pass, one has to have a simple piece of paper certifying that you respect the rules and prove that either you're vaccinated; you're immune because you've had the disease, or you have had a negative test.

Italy's travel pass will be launched a month before the country plans to adopt the EU-wide version. The Italian announcement followed the European Commission's suggestion which stated that countries should open borders to vaccinated non-EU travelers. In contrast, the final decision is down to each individual member state. Italy has been hesitant to announce firm dates for relaxing restrictions as the infection rate in Italy is still high.

The Italian tourism industry, worth around 13 percent of GDP before the pandemic hit, is one of the sectors worst hit by the coronavirus crisis. It is reported that the UK and US markets together account for some 30 percent of foreign tourism in Italy. However, the rules on travel to Italy from the US, UK, and other countries from mid-May will solely depend on those countries' governments.