Americans can skip quarantine in Italy under relaxed border rules

Italy has reopened to tourists from the EU, United States, Canada and Japan, as it gradually relaxes border restrictions to encourage travelers to return to one of the world's most popular destinations.

Up until now, Americans could only visit Italy if they agreed to quarantine on arrival, or arrived on government-approved COVID-tested flights. But under new measures implemented this week, travelers from the US, Canada and Japan can now join Europeans in traveling to Italy, provided they meet the requirements of the EU digital COVID certificate.

That means they must prove they been vaccinated, or have recently tested negative for COVID-19, or have recovered from the virus.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is a popular attraction © Catarina Belova/Shutterstock

Other non-European countries allowed to travel to Italy without restrictions are Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Rwanda, Singapore and Thailand.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Italy's prime minister, Mario Draghi, said, "we want to allow [tourists] to come safely into Italy to help our hoteliers and restaurateurs bounce back after a year-and-a-half of difficulty," the Associated Press reports.

As Italy lifts restrictions on the US, it joins countries like France in imposing quarantine on arrivals from the UK over Delta variant fears. British tourists are now required to quarantine for five days in Italy and take a COVID-19 test.

As Italy emerges from the third wave of the pandemic, restaurants and bars are open for indoor and outdoor services. Nightly curfew has been scrapped and museums, cultural attractions and beaches are welcoming customers with enhanced health and safety measures. Masks are generally required in public spaces, both indoors and outdoors.

Italy is home to many of the world's greatest works of art, architecture and gastronomy, and has more Unesco World Heritage cultural sites than any other country. Among its popular attractions are Pompeii, where visitors can walk in the footsteps of ancient Romans, and Ravenna, home to glittering Byzantine treasures. The gondolas of Venice take in the famous Rialto Bridge, while Rome is home to St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum, as well as the iconic Trevi Fountain.