After the European Union (EU) removed the United States from the designated list of “safe” arriving countries on Monday, August 30th, Italy took the lead on Tuesday, August 31st, and established new travel restrictions for those arriving from the U.S. 

Any traveler who has been in the U.S. two weeks before arrival into Italy must present a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival and either a certificate of vaccination or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19, as well as complete a digital passenger locator form, regardless of vaccination status. Unvaccinated travelers will also be subject to a five-day quarantine and must submit to an additional Covid-19 test at the conclusion of their isolation period. These requirements are expected to last until at least October 25th. 

While Italy is the first European country to implement specific travel restrictions for U.S. travelers after the EU announcement on August 30th, it is anticipated that additional EU countries will follow suit. For example, as of August 15th, Germany previously classified the United States as a “high risk” travel country and required travelers entering Germany within 10 days of being in the U.S.  to be fully vaccinated or to demonstrate an important reason for entering the country. As similar restrictions are expected throughout the EU in the coming weeks, travelers from the U.S. to Europe should verify the latest travel restrictions for the destination country to ensure all requirements are met prior to departure. 

Foster will continue to monitor and make clients aware of Covid-related travel restrictions likely to impact travel to and from the United States. Future updates may be found on the Foster website at www.fosterglobal.com.