Italy tightening requirements for COVID certificates

From December 6, a ‘super green pass’ (a term coined by Italy’s news media; the government uses the more sober but less snappy term ‘reinforced green pass’) will be required to access most public spaces in Italy, Report informs referring to The Local.

This supersedes the basic Italian ‘green pass’, or Covid health certificate, which can be obtained either through vaccination and recovery from Covid or by having tested negative for the virus in the preceding two to three days (depending on the type of test taken).

The ‘super green pass’, by contrast, can only be obtained through vaccination or recovery from Covid – not via a negative test result.

For those who already have an Italian green pass due to being vaccinated against or recovered from Covid, the changes will be minimal.

The government hasn’t indicated that vaccinated or Covid-recovered green pass holders need to do anything to upgrade their pass – so it appears as though their certificates will automatically be considered a ‘super green pass’, and users can go on as before.

From December 6, those without such a certificate will either need to get vaccinated to receive their ‘super green pass’, or lose access to the venues that will require them. These include indoor seating at bars and restaurants, tourist sites, museums, and art exhibitions, cinemas, theatres, concerts, clubs and discos, sports matches.

As under the current rules, Italy’s ‘super green pass’ requirement will apply to everyone in the country, including non-Italian tourists.

Foreign tourists with vaccination cards or certificates from Canada, Israel, Japan, the UK (including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and British military bases on Cyprus), and the US will be able to continue using these in place of the ‘super green pass’, provided they show the holder has completed a full initial vaccination cycle for at least 14 days.

From December 6, places that did not previously require any kind of green pass will be added to the list of venues that do need one; however, for all these places a basic green pass is valid – meaning they can be accessed by unvaccinated people who have recently received a negative Covid test result.

These are hotels, changing rooms in sports facilities, local public transport services.

A basic green pass has been required to access long-distance domestic public transport for several months now; from December 6, this will be extended to local public transport, including buses, trains, and metro carriages.

Workplaces will continue to require a green pass; however, in this case a basic green pass is also valid – meaning unvaccinated people can continue to go to work provided they have a recent negative Covid test result.

The new rules will remain in place until at least January 15.