INFO COVID 19
In an attempt to combat the spreading of the pandemic, Italy has introduced a 3-tier system by which regions (or micro areas) are risk-classified. They are colour coded in Yellow, Orange or Red and the level of restrictions vary in relation to the evaluated risk. The objective is to reach covid-free areas which are then classified White and therefore free of any restrictions other than the standard Personal Protection Requirements recommended by the World Health Organisation.
With effect from April 26th 2021 and until further notice, persons are allowed to move freely within and between Yellow (or White) zones. For areas classified Orange or Red, movement within and to other areas is restricted exclusively for work or health reasons or returning to your official residence or domicile. At present, throughout the Italian territory, curfew is in force between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 every day but this is under review and expected to be reduced or lifted altogether before the summer season.
Italy has introduced a Green Pass (certification) that will allow, as from May 15th2021, travel without restrictions in all areas of the Italian territory whatever the colour code in force at the time. A Green Pass will be issued to anyone who can provide certification of a completed cycle of vaccination against SARS-Cov-2, the recovery from the infection or a negative result of a molecular or antigenic test prior to arrival. Certifications that have been issued by EU member states will be recognised. For arrivals from NON-EU countries we recommend that you consult the nearest Italian Embassy for updated restrictions before arriving in Italy.
When cruising in Italian waters you should abide by the above regulations at all times.
Before entering Italian waters, all masters of pleasure craft are however obliged to follow the regulations issued by the Italian Ministry of Health issued on the 30/03/2021. [Click here to download the file]
- all vessels below 24m LOA arriving from a foreign port should send an email attaching a duly completed Maritime Declaration of Health and crew list together with a copy of the vessel’s registration certificate, to the maritime health authorities prior to entering port or reaching an anchorage;
- in the absence of a Green Pass or equivalent EU certification, the result of a PCR test (taken no later than 72 hours before arrival) will need to be presented
It is recommended that a copy of the email and attachments is also sent to the local port authority (locomare, guardia costiera or capitaneria di porto) in order to avoid unnecessary checks by officers on duty.
In the absence of any negative answers to the questions asked, the vessel is automatically considered to be free of any health restrictions and can proceed to its destination. During the time spent in Italian waters, the master of the vessel should advise the maritime health authorities and local port authorities of any changes to the declarations made and in particular should there be any change in the state of health of the people on board.
If your first entry into Italy is at Taormina, you will need to send your duly completed health declaration to the maritime health office in Messina at following email address: usmaf-ct-utme@postacert.sanita.it
We recommend that you also send a copy to the local port authority in Giardini at the following address: lcgiardini@mit.gov.it including a copy of the yacht’s registration certificate.
For all other maritime health offices please consult the following link: www.salute.gov.it
For all other Capitaneria di Porto offices please consult the following link: www.guardiacostiera.gov.it
Download Maritime Declaration of Health
Yachts above 24m LOA will need to present a more complex Libera Pratica Sanitaria at least 12 hours before arrival and given that the procedure is somewhat more complicated, we recommend that you appoint a maritime agent to prepare and handle the application in your behalf.
We do work with a number of maritime agencies in Sicily however, if you will be arriving in Taormina (or Marina di Riposto) we recommend that you contact Gianpiero Puglisi of Luise Associates Sicily on tel. +39 331 5767316 or by email at sicily@luise.com.
The Sicilian Region has introduced a regulation aimed at controlling any possible introduction of the Covid 19 virus by persons not permanently domiciled or resident in Sicily.
Each visitor arriving from outside Sicily is obliged to register with the Sicilian Health Service via a dedicated website at www.testcovid.costruiresalute.it, scroll down the page to the section “Tamponi – Rientri in Sicilia” and click on “registrati”.
The Sicilian Government recommends that you do register in order to ensure that in the event of any change in the status of your health, the island will be able to provide each person with the necessary care and protection.