SO confused re italy travel guidelines

[henlee]

Could anyone advise?

UK gov says vaccination status and PCR or antigen test required. Is an antigen test the same thing as a lateral flow? And how do you prove that it was negative and the date you took it?

I ordered a lateral flow test from testing for all (unsupervised) but now concerned it's not the right one.

Italian website seems to imply vaccination status or negative test is sufficient, plus passenger locator form, to avoid quarantining.

If anyone has recently been and can advise would really appreciate it!

I spoke to friends in Italy last night as we are due to travel in early December. They have warned me that the Italian government are keeping a close eye on rising UK cases. The guidance can change within 24hrs and mandatory quarantine may well be re introduced.

@Noavocado

I spoke to friends in Italy last night as we are due to travel in early December. They have warned me that the Italian government are keeping a close eye on rising UK cases. The guidance can change within 24hrs and mandatory quarantine may well be re introduced.

Agh yes @Noavocado I saw someone post this on another thread.

Having enough trouble following the current guidelines let alone last minute changes! I am due to leave next week but of course booked knowing that it was a possibility - its not suprising given the UKs current state of affairs.

I travelled to Italy recently - I think you need an antigen test where the results are supplied and verified (vs a LFT) but I don't know if I read that somewhere or just assumed. Anyway, we went to Boots and it was £30 each.

Hi, we returned from Italy yesterday! We are both double vaccinated so had our NHS covid passes on phones. Before we left we did on an antigen test 48 hours before. The antigen test was easy peasy and cannot believe you are charged for it to be honest! It was a £29 test, a swab at the back of the throat, didn't go up the nose. The results were added the the test company's app within 10 minutes. The app gives you a QR code, your covid status and the date - all the details you'd need if asked for it.

Yes, I believe an antigen test is the same or very similar to a lateral flow. The difference is the paid for version gives you a fit to fly certificate. We went and did our lateral flows in person just to ensure we had the results as we didn't want to miss the post or have late delivery etc etc. Also, the PCR was £69 so didn't seem worth it paying more when Italy are happy to accept the antigen test. Fortunately we had done two PCRs and at home lateral flows for work so were relatively confident we were negative. We did a locator passenger form before we left the UK for our arrival in Italy.

Before we flew home yesterday morning: completed passenger locator for the UK and booked a lateral flow test to be posted as our day 2. All the cheaper ones were sold out so paid £19.50 for 1st class which are just waiting to be delivered. We are currently on Day 1 as day 0 is the day you arrive into the UK. So from what I've read, we have until tomorrow to do the test.

Frustratingly, no-one at all checked our covid antigen test status or vaccination status on the way out. We had to show our covid vaccination NHS pass at every tourist attraction we went to. Masks for airport, flight, indoors, on public transport and very much enforced. Our PLF was asked to be shown before we boarded our UK bound flight though.

All in all, a very simple process once you have done just ticked off a checklist. Hope that helps!

Not sure if it helps but we got

• rapid antigen test in the airport (it's a lft but not an NHS one)
• results in 30 mins emailed to us which I think we showed at check in and added to our locator form

I think what is making me so wary about travel to Italy is that that they can change the rules immediately. When they enforced the last lockdown it was announced at 9am and our friends had until 4pm before all non essential businesses were closed.
It doesn't make me feel confident. I would just keep checking the Italian guidance daily if I was you.

Fingers crossed for you.

Just got back. Did a supervised lateral flow test (antigen) in 48 hours before travelling. Emailed certificate.
Fill in passenger locator form for Italy.
Download NHS COVID app pass - you need this to access anything indoors and attractions. This counts as a green pass.
Under 18 without 2 vaccines need a lateral flow every 48 hours. Easily available from pharmacies for 22 euros. Just walk in later afternoon/early evening. You get emailed a certificate which acts as their green pass. Children under a certain age don’t need this.
Before return you need to book a lateral flow test for day 2. You get a reference number which you have to put on your English passenger locator form.
Italy checked all the paperwork on entry. In UK it’s all linked to your passport so just scanned passport in automated booth and straight through - very easy,
It sounds like hassle but it wasn’t too bad and we had a great time,

Just to add, rates are much lower in Italy than here, so they’re more likely to stop us entering than lock down while you’re there.

I think the antigen test needs to show your name, date of birth, date and time of the test and be dine by a third party not a self test. Most of these in Europe have a QR code but if it's for flying, the airline will check this as part of the check in / boarding procedure so you could ask them.

@Noavocado

I spoke to friends in Italy last night as we are due to travel in early December. They have warned me that the Italian government are keeping a close eye on rising UK cases. The guidance can change within 24hrs and mandatory quarantine may well be re introduced.

I'm in Italy and wanting to come "home" for the first time in 2 years the first week of December and can confirm what your friends say. Every news broadcast talks about the rates in Italy (obvs) (last night at 0.8% positivity on c500,000 tests a day) and then about the UK.

Things won't change overnight though, they never do. The first lockdown was announced on the Monday evening special broadcast by the PM and non food/chemists closed about a week later, following a further tightening of restrictions on the Wednesday. (Dates and times, and what we were all doing when we heard are pretty much engrained on the collective psyche) Everyone also knew it was coming (hence the mass exodus from Milan on the Saturday night)

I'm hoping to go to Florence in January for my 50th 🤞