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Update: Italy recognises Indian-produced Covishield vaccine for travel

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
Update: Italy recognises Indian-produced Covishield vaccine for travel
Vials of the Covishield vaccine in Hyderabad, India. Noah SEELAM / AFP

Italy’s health ministry has confirmed that it now recognises the Indian-produced AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield, ending travel uncertainty for people inoculated with the jab in India as well as other countries including Canada and the UK.

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Previously Italy had only recognised the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) – AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) – meaning that only those immunised with one of the four vaccines were considered fully vaccinated when entering the country.

In a circular issued on September 23rd, the health ministry stated that it now recognises the equivalence of the following Covid-19 vaccines to those already listed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA):

  • Covishield (Serum Institute of India);
  • R-CoVI (R-Pharm);
  • Covid-19 vaccine recombinant (Fiocruz).

Italy is the 19th European. country to recognise Coishield, after Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, France, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The move means that those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 with these vaccines  can now enter Italy without being subject to the entry ban, through restrictions as testing or quarantine may apply.

Additionally, those immunised with the jab may now be eligible to request an Italian green pass once in the country, and can in any case use their proof of vaccination abroad as an equivalent document.

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“It should be noted that these vaccines are also considered valid for the issuing of the Covid-19 green certification for Italian citizens (including residents abroad) to their cohabiting family members and to foreign citizens residing in Italy for reasons of work or study, regardless of whether they are registered with the National Health Service, as well as all subjects registered in any capacity to the National Health Service who have been vaccinated abroad against SARS-CoV-2,” the circular states.

“The vaccination certificates issued by foreign national health authorities, as a result of vaccination with vaccines authorized by EMA or with the equivalent vaccines mentioned above, are considered as equivalent to the Covid-19 green certification for the purposes provided for by law.”

READ ALSO: Reader question: Can I convert my foreign vaccination certificate into an Italian Covid green pass?

Depending on which country you travel from, testing and quarantine requirements may still apply.

At present, the Italian Foreign Ministry's website states: “People entering/returning to Italy from Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or after a stay/transit in Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka in the previous 14 days, are subject to specific containment measures, with few exceptions.”

The requirements in place for travellers from these countries include a ten-day quarantine period and three negative test results.

Travellers from countries including the UK, US and Canada currently do not face quarantine requirements in Italy if they can show proof of full vaccination - now including with Covishield - as well as a negative test result on arrival.

Find more information about the current coronavirus-related restrictions on travel to Italy on the Foreign Ministry’s website (in English).

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Anonymous 2021/09/27 22:26
This is great news...now...help us with this...many in Canada had a mix...first Covishield, then an MRNA vaccine. Is there news on this aspect? Or, should it be presumed that if Canada (or a provincial jurisdiction) issues a confirmed Vaccine Status Passport, that it will be accepted as ‘fully vaccinated’ status in Italia? Keeping up with the rules and digging through websites is an onerous task...but has to be done. My fellow Local.it, you are readers are an immense source of info. Grazie Mille!
  • Anonymous 2021/09/28 09:52
    Hi, As there haven't been any recent changes regarding the recognition of mixed doses in Italy, it appears that the rules outlined in this article still apply (now with the addition of Covishield and the other vaccines given equivalence.) https://www.thelocal.it/20210915/mixed-dose-covid-vaccines-what-are-the-rules-in-italy/ Best wishes, - Clare
Anonymous 2021/09/27 21:02
Yes, at last! I've been double vaccinated since May but, because of Covishield, haven't been able to visit Italy. I'm really looking forward to visiting Italy sometime this year.

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