Italy travel advice
A summary of the UK government’s (FCDO) travel advice for Italy, last updated by the FCDO on 21 October 2026. The full advice on GOV.UK is the authoritative version.
FCDO status
No areas listed where FCDO advises against travel
The FCDO’s alert status for Italy names no areas where it advises against travel. The FCDO says no travel can be guaranteed safe. Read the full advice.
Latest FCDO update (21 October 2026): Addition of information about a national strike planned for 30 October and updated information about demonstrations (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
FCDO notice
Demonstrations and national strike
Recent demonstrations across northern Italian cities have led to violent riots and looting. There is an increased presence of police and military personnel in Milan. Further demonstrations may take place in major cities. See Political demonstrations.
A national strike is planned for 30 October and is expected to affect transport systems. Check with your travel provider for the latest information.
Warnings (from the FCDO, word for word)
This travel advice also covers Vatican City.
Passport validity
Italy follows Schengen area rules. Your passport must:
- have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it might have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago, making it invalid for entry to the Schengen area
- have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
From FCDO: entry requirements. Written for British passport holders.
Recent FCDO updates
- 21 October 2026: Addition of information about a national strike planned for 30 October and updated information about demonstrations (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
- 2 October 2026: Removal of information about Mount Etna volcanic activity (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
- 28 September 2026: New information about Mount Etna volcanic activity (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
Plan your trip
- Italy is in the Schengen area: count your 90/180 days, read about the Entry/Exit System and ETIAS.
- Passport validity checker · airport and airline rules
- Mobile data: compare Italy eSIM prices on eSIMAlts
This page shows the FCDO’s headline status and quotes its text word for word; we don’t reword safety advice. It refreshes automatically, so it can lag GOV.UK by up to a day. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: FCDO foreign travel advice on GOV.UK. FCDO advice is written for British nationals; other nationalities should also check their own government’s advice.