Gradual roll-back of restrictions

The Italian cabinet met on March 17 and issued its long-awaited decree prior to the end of the current state of emergency on March 31. In the decree, the government outlines the changes it foresees for loosening green pass restrictions.

Here is the official March 24 decree in Italian.

No green pass required starting April 1: where?

Starting April 1, a green pass will no longer be required for the following activities:

  • hotels and lodging
  • outdoor dining
  • museums, exhibitions and cultural venues (“luoghi della cultura”)
  • non-essential shops
  • public offices, banks and post offices
  • thermal bath complexes
  • theme parks and video arcades
  • outdoor shows and stadiums
  • local public transport (meaning within the same region, including trains)

Basic green pass for train travel starting April 1

  • A basic green pass (negative Covid test within past 48 hours for rapid antigen/lateral flow test or 72 hours for PCR test; or valid vaccination or recovery certificate) will be required for inter-regional trains through April 30 (Article 6, number 5c).
  • A basic green pass will also be required through April 30 for domestic flights and inter-regional travel by ferry or ship.

Basic green pass for indoor dining starting April 1

Access to indoor dining venues will be possible with a basic green pass starting April 1 (Article 6, number 2a).

No green pass required starting May 1: where?

Starting May 1, a green pass will no longer be required for the following activities:

  • indoor dining
  • all forms of public transport including planes, trains, boats
  • cinemas and theatres
  • wellness centers
  • indoor sporting activities and events
  • gaming halls, bingo parlors, casinos
  • indoor parties and dance clubs

Restrictions as of April 1 – what changes and what stays the same

  • The state of emergency will end March 31 and will not be renewed.
  • Face masks required indoors through April 30.
  • FFP2 face masks (instead of basic surgical masks) required on public transport including trains and planes, and in theatres and cinemas until April 30.
  • The color-coded zone system is being shelved starting April 1.
  • Sport venues such as stadiums will be open to 100% capacity starting April 1.
  • Starting April 1, no green pass is necessary to dine in hotel restaurants for guests of the hotel.