“Given the worsening of the epidemiological situation in Europe, the Foreign Ministry recommends all compatriots avoid travel abroad unless for strictly necessary reasons,” an update on the ministry’s website read on Monday.
The ministry also warned that travel to Italy could be complicated by new restrictions on movement – as previously happened when the country began to restrict entry from many nations during the initial emergency phase.
“It should also be noted that given the high number of infections in many European countries, future further restrictions on travel cannot be ruled out, which would risk complicating re-entry to Italy,” the ministry warned.
“Similar repatriation problems could arise, with a much more serious impact, in the case of travel to non-EU destinations.”
While Italy currently allows travel from European and Schengen zone countries, travel from many nations outside the EU remains heavily restricted.
Arrivals to Italy from some “high-risk” European countries are subject to mandatory coronavirus testing.
The rules on travel from within the EU could change, depending on the number of infections seen in each country.
While the situation in Italy has worsened dramatically in recent weeks, with more than 20,000 new cases registered on Sunday, the infection rate is currently even higher in some neighbouring countries including France and Spain.
For more details on the rules when travelling to or from another country, the Foreign Ministry recommends that travellers check the relevant country information on the government’s Viaggiare Sicuri (Safe Travel) website.
