Italy opens for SA travel, with a catch

Good news: Italy has lifted the travel ban that was placed on South Africa and six other southern African countries – but there’s a catch.

In an announcement that was made on 14 January, the Italian Health Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza said that travellers to Italy from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Swaziland would no longer be subject to the entry ban, which was instated in November last year in response to the Omicron variant.

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Italy places South Africa on ‘List E’

Travelnews reports that although travel is allowed, tourists are not. This means that South Africa and these six countries have now been moved to List E, which includes strict rules for entry into Italy. One of these rules entail that the traveller requires a “compelling reason” for travel to the country – meaning documentary proof relating to health, work, study or other plausible reasons that necessitate travel to Italy.

In addition to this, visitors from these seven countries must also adhere to the following guidelines:

• Travellers have to self-isolate for ten days after arrival and take a COVID test before leaving isolation.
• Passengers (except children under the age of six) must complete a digital Passenger Locator Form.
• Travellers must have a certificate of a negative result of a PCR test (taken in the 72 hours before arrival) or a rapid Antigen test (taken in the 24 hours before entry into Italy).

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