Italy to scrap all Covid travel rules from June 1st
Travel to Italy will now be restriction-free for the first time since March 2020.
Italy’s health ministry has confirmed that the remaining travel requirements will be scrapped as of June 1st.
The ordinance requiring travellers to show proof of coronavirus vaccination, recent recovery or a negative test result in order to enter Italy “will not be extended” when it expires on May 31st, the ministry said on Monday.
This is the last remaining Covid-related rule in place for travellers to Italy, after the requirement for arrivals to complete an EU digital passenger locator form (dPLF) was lifted on May 1st.
The end of Italy's mask mandate?
Italy also plans to ease the remaining masking rules further from June 15th: from this date, the will no longer be required in cinemas, theatres, concert halls and indoor sports arenas - health situation permitting.
Italy's health ministry is still debating whether or not to lift the mask mandate on public transport, and is expected decide shortly before June 15th based on the latest Covid data. For now, high-grade FFP2 masks are required on all public transport in Italy.
Surgical masks will continue to be needed on health and social care settings, and will likely be required in schools for everyone over the age of six until the end of the school year, including in exam settings.
READ ALSO: Will Italy scrap the last Covid restrictions on June 15th?
Bear in mind, though, that these are just national rules - local governments and individual organisations and businesses can still impose their own tighter restrictions.
Public holiday - and a long weekend for some
June 2nd is Italy's Republic Day or Festa della Repubblica, a national holiday on which the country celebrates its foundation as a republic.
On this date in 1946, Italians voted in a referendum to abolish its monarchy, which had fallen out of favour due to its close alignment with Mussolini's fascist regime.
This year's Republic Day falls on a Thursday, which means many people in Italy will likely be taking the Friday off as well for a four-day ponte or 'bridge' long weekend break.
READ ALSO: Five things you should know about Italy’s Republic Day
Referendum on justice system reform
On Sunday, June 12th, Italian citizens will go to the polls to vote in an important referendum on five proposed reforms to the country's much-criticised justice system.
These include changes to rules around pre-trial detention, as well as the question of whether judges and prosecutors should be allowed to switch back and forth between the two roles during their career (as is currently the case).
Perhaps the most significant, however, is the proposal to repeal the Severino Law, which bars people who have received at least a two-year prison sentence from holding political office for six years.
The reforms are part of a wider programme of changes to Italy’s tortuous judicial system. This is required by the European Commission to unlock billions of euros in the form of post-pandemic recovery funds.
The start of tax season
We're sure you'll be thrilled to hear that this month brings the first Italian tax deadlines of the year. Tax season begins with the IMU property tax deadline on June 16th for those who own a second home in the country.
Summer holidays begin
Italy's schools all start their summer break in June, with kids on holiday until September.
The dates for the end of the school year vary by region, starting on June 4th (Emilia Romagna, Marche), and then June 8th (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Lazio, Lombardy, Molise, Piedmont, Sardinia, Val d'Aosta, Veneto), June 9th (Calabria, Puglia, Umbria), June 10th (Liguria, Sicily, the autonomous province of Trento, Tuscany), June 11th (Friuli Venezia Giulia), and June 16th (the autonomous province of Bolzano).
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