Can Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea fans travel to Italy for Champions League games?
UEFA has lifted a ban on fans attending European matches, but who can arrive in Italy from abroad and what are the rules?
Fans can return to travelling abroad to watch European matches this season, subject to COVID restrictions in each country.
Italian clubs will face teams from 13 different nations among their Champions League, Europa League and Conference League group stage games.
Premier League giants Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea have been drawn with Milan, Atalanta and Juventus in the Champions League. Leicester City face Napoli in Europa League. But what are the restrictions for travellers in Italy and who can arrive in the country?
CAN I TRAVEL TO ITALY FROM THE UK TO WATCH EUROPEAN MATCHES?
According to the latest regulations updated by the Italian Government on August 28, fans from the UK can travel to Italy provided they have a Green Certificate that proves they’ve got two jabs of Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, Vaxzevria or Johnson & Johnson and a negative swab test undergone at least 72 prior to their trip.
They are also required to fill the Passenger Locator Form and if they travel from the UK, the swab test must be done within 48 hours of their trip to Italy.
Upon their arrival in Italy they are required to show: a valid green pass, a negative swab test and the Passenger Locator Form.
Recovery certificates are not valid for fans travelling from the UK.
However, if they have travelled to South America, India, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka 14 days before their trip to Italy, they should quarantine for five days.
The same rules apply for fans from these countries (LIST D):
Albania, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands and British bases on the island of Cyprus and excluding territories not belonging to the European continent), Republic of Korea, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, United States of America, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
CAN I TRAVEL TO ITALY FROM THE SCHENGEN AREA TO WATCH EUROPEAN MATCHES?
Fans coming from the Schengen area must meet one of these three conditions:
Have completed the prescribed anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination cycle for at least 14 days
or have recovered from COVID-19
or have taken a molecular or antigen swab test within 48 hours prior to entering Italy with negative results.
These rules apply to fans from (LIST C):
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Estonia, Finland, France (including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Reunion, Mayotte and excluding other territories outside the European mainland), Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands (excluding territories outside the European mainland), Poland, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Andorra, Principality of Monaco.
I AM NOT VACCINATED, CAN I TRAVEL TO ITALY TO WATCH GAMES?
Those from List D who are not vaccinated or do not have a Green Certificate must fill in the Passenger Locator Form and provide a negative swab test undergone 72 or 48 hours before their arrival in Italy (48 hours only for travellers from the UK).
They must also:
– Inform the local health authority immediately of their arrival in Italy
-Travel to their final destination in Italy by private transport only
-Undergo self-isolation and health surveillance for five days
-Take an additional molecular or antigen swab test at the end of the 5-day isolation period
Fans from List C (Schengen area) who are not vaccinated or do not have a green pass must show a negative swab test taken 48 hours before their trip to Italy.
If they fail to do so, they would need to self-isolate for five days and undergo a new swab test at the end of that period.
It must be noted that, for Serie A games, only vaccinated fans are allowed inside the stadiums, so the same is likely to be applied for Champions League, Europa League and Conference League games.
CAN I TRAVEL TO ITALY IF I COME FROM RUSSIA OR TURKEY?
As of today, there are strict restrictions for fans coming from any of these two countries. People from Russia and Turkey can only travel to Italy for the following reasons:
-Work
-Health reasons
-Study reasons
-Absolute urgency
-Return to one’s domicile, home, or residence
If they can travel to Italy, they must quarantine for 10 days after showing a negative swab test upon their arrival.
CAN I TRAVEL TO ITALY IF I COME FROM THE USA, CANADA OR JAPAN?
Yes, without self-isolating, but only by showing a Green Certificate or a recovery certificate and after filling the Passenger Locator Form.
Anyone arriving from the USA, Canada and Japan and does not have a COVID vaccine or a Green Certificate, must show a negative swab test, self-isolate for five days and undergo a new swab test after the end of the period.
It must be noted that, for Serie A games, only vaccinated fans are allowed inside the stadiums, so the same is likely to be applied for Champions League, Europa League and Conference League games.