Most Covid-19 test requirements have been dropped, but if you still need one, testing is easy and results are fast. If you are planning a trip to Italy, where can you get a Covid-19 test to return home and what are the requirements? The good news is that I have done it, and it was super easy, so no need to worry. Here is how to get a Covid-19 test to return to the USA from Italy.
Update June 12, 2022: As of midnight on June 12, 2022, the United States will no longer require a negative Covid-19 test result for travelers flying into the U.S. If you are traveling elsewhere, please check with your local authorities, airline, or cruise ship for current requirements.
Update April 30, 2022: All Covid-19 restrictions to enter Italy have been dropped for all travelers. Please check specific rules at hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
Update March 2022: Starting March 1, 2022, you only need to present a vaccine card to enter the country without quarantine or random testing. Unvaccinated travelers must show a negative test result and quarantine for five days upon arrival and test again at the end of those five days. These rules are expected to be reduced even further on April 30, 2022.
Click the button below to reserve your Covid-19 rapid antigen test for the day before your departure from Italy.
Headed to Italy? Great idea! Definitely check out our Italy tours for the most memorable experience. We take away the guesswork about getting into the main attractions, and an experienced guide will elevate your visit to the next level!
Covid-19 Questions About Returning to the USA from Italy
Here are some common FAQs that I have received about how to get a Covid-19 test to return to the USA from Italy.
Do you need to get a Covid-19 test to return to the states?
A Covid-19 test is no longer required to return to the U.S. as of June 12, 2022.
When should you get a Covid-19 test in Italy to return to the USA?
Quick Answer: You no longer need a Covid-19 test to return to the U.S., however, you can still take one if you prefer.
I recommend going to a Red Cross site or a private clinic a day prior to your flight. Getting a test at the airport is also possible, but you’re definitely adding extra stress on the day of departure, especially if you happen to test negative. A savvy traveler takes care of it in advance.
That means that getting a Covid-19 test done the day before departure is usually the best since antigen results arrive within a couple of minutes or hours. I received my antigen test result just hours after my test at a private clinic in Como.
Do I have to schedule my test in advance?
Quick Answer: Yes, it’s better to plan this due to the time requirements.
There are many places in Italy, especially in Rome or Milan, where you can get your test without an appointment that I’ll cover below. I flew home from Milan after ending my trip in Lake Como. I had to schedule an appointment because there are only private clinics in Como. There are Red Cross centers in Rome and Milan that do not require appointments.
The airports do not require appointments for Covid-19 tests. But if you are testing at a private clinic, you need to schedule in advance. I’ll discuss my process for scheduling my appointment in Como down below in the Milan section.
What is the cost of a Covid-19 test in Italy?
Quick Answer: €20 to €100 with an average cost of €20 to €35.
Antigen tests are inexpensive in Italy, especially compared to PCR tests. That’s another reason to visit Italy during this time. At a private clinic in Milan, I paid €35. At the airport in Rome, Sean paid €30. For another trip, I took a PCR test at a private clinic in Milan. That cost €100.
Which train stations in Italy have tests available?
Unfortunately, the Red Cross ended their popular free testing program in the middle of September. For example, at Roma Termini, you might still see the white tent where free tests were previously administered, but Covid-19 tests are no longer given.
Each major train station has a pharmacy. Check the pharmacy when you are at the station about when and how you can get a Covid-19 test to return to the USA. The Roma Termini station has a pharmacy that administers the test and there is also a pharmacy down the street that I recommend.
How to Get A Covid-19 Test in Italy
After reading the above FAQ, you know that you need a test, so here is how to get it!
Where to Get a Covid Test in Italy
You can get a Covid-19 test very easily in any major city in Italy. The Tour Guy has done the work and made booking a Covid-19 test stress-free for major cities in Italy. There are three basic places to get a Covid-19 test in Italy to return to the USA:
- Pharmacies
- Private clinics
- Major airports
Each major city has these options, and I’ve written about these in detail.
Where to Get a COVID Test in Rome
Where to Get a COVID Test in Milan
Where to Get a COVID Test in Florence
Getting a Covid-19 Test at Rome FCO Airport
The testing center is located in departures Terminal 3. Sean walked through the door at 5:00 am to get his test. (Two people directed him to the test center.)
Operating hours are from midnight to 4:00 pm (16:00). If you have a flight after 4:00 pm, get to the airport well before it closes, or better yet, don’t wait to take the test there.
Reserve Ahead
Before arriving at the airport, you must register for your test by using this link to get a COVID test at FCO Airport in Rome. This reservation number will be required when you sign in to get tested.
Sign in
You turn left, and there is a small queue to approach a series of desks. You can barely see it, but you must grab a number before they sign you in. These stations are where they take your RSVP number from the online confirmation.
In the early morning, the whole process took 26 minutes total.
To summarize, you need:
- Online RSVP number
- Ticket number from the airport computer
Take a Test
Next is the testing center. They take your passport, hold it, and then take the ticket number from the airport computer.
Once they have that information, you cross from the left side to the right side of the room. That’s where the test is administered, and there is a party in your nose where everyone is invited.
Results
After the test is administered, you walk away without your passport. The same thing happened when I arrived at the beginning of June, which is momentarily scary but perfectly normal. You then have to wait in the area pictured below. The wait time can be anywhere from 15-30 minutes.
The ticket number from the airport computer appears on the screen when your results are ready. They give you a particular document for your final destination country and put a sticker on your boarding pass.
The escalator to departure is right next to where you come into Terminal 3 arrivals.
Where to Get A Covid-19 Test in Milan
Getting a Covid-19 test at Malpensa Airport
Travelers wishing to take an antigen test at Malpensa airport in Milan must register in advance by using this link. The website to register for an antigen test at Malpensa is a bit tricky. Sometimes the location is listed as Palazzo Della Salute, but you will take the antigen test at Malpensa. The cost is €36. For more details, please visit the Malpensa Airport website.
The Covid-19 rapid antigen test is available every day from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Arrivals area. The testing center is located in the Arrivals section of Terminal 1 at door number 4 on floor zero. On the map below, it is located at D4 in arrivals.
A Private Clinic
Getting an antigen test at a private clinic in the Milan area is also another option. There are various clinics located throughout the city. This is also a good option if you are ending your trip in Lake Como like I just did. I’ve tested at two different private clinics in Lake Como and both processes were very similar. One clinic, Analisi, had a great English-speaking staff. They called me to confirm my appointment in English.
The first step to take an antigen test at a private clinic for returning to the USA is to register online. In Lake Como, the clinics and testing centers will be in Como town. If you are staying in Bellagio, Tremezzo, or Lezzeno, you will have to go to Como for your test.
For Analise, I registered using this link. For Bianalisi, I registered using this link. Both are located in Como.
At Analise clinic, located in the center of Como, all of the registration was done ahead of time. I showed up for my appointment at 10 am. At the front desk, I showed them my confirmation email for my appointment and then paid for my test. The test was a quick swab of the nose, and I was out within 10 minutes. I received an email with my results later that day.
Benefits
There are three clear benefits to getting the test early at the train station or at a private clinic. The first is the elimination of unnecessary stress by getting it done ahead of time. Second, you will have your test in hand, and if you fly American Airlines as I do, you can use the Verifly app to upload your results making check-in at the airport simple and straightforward.
Third, and probably most importantly, the códice fiscale, which is kind of like an ID number, is generated by the private clinic. The códice fiscale is often asked for when taking a Covid-19 test in Italy. The private clinics provide a little bit more service and answer more questions for you.
The only extra step I had to take at the check-in this morning was to show my Verifly pass and that was it. I didn’t need to show my Covid test or any sort of printout.
I flew American Airlines back to the United States. All of those extra steps, questions, and forms are done directly through the app after the negative Covid tests results are uploaded.
WOW. Thank you for this information. We too will be ending our trip in Como next month and I was thinking this (figuring out how to get our Covid tests for the trip back) was going to be difficult but my search results immediately took me to your blog and all was answered.
Thank you
David
Glad you found everything you needed!
Four of us will be travelling to Italy this May (2022) and ending our stay in Positano.
We depart on May 31st. Can you tell me if we can be tested in Positano anywhere the day before we leave?
If not, can we be rapid-tested at the Naples International Airport if we arrive early before our flight on May 31st?
Thank you!
Naples Airport will be your best option. Or a pharmacy in Naples or Sorrento.
While in Italy, what happens if you test positive in a pharmacy test? Do they enforce quarantines? I have been advised to test a few times ahead of our return to the US to start the clock early, but curious what happens if you officially test positive?
You will not be able to board your flight to the USA. You would be required to immediately self-isolate in your accommodation and call your regional hotline. Check with your hotel what the quarantine protocols are there. In order to be released from self-isolation, you must produce a negative test. You should follow the advice of the local health authorities at all times as regional variations may apply.
Hello, my husband and I are in Multipulciano at the Villa Ciciano. We are flying out of Rome airport on Monday. We understand you can get a Covid test at the Rome airport before flying back to the USA. . We are a little confused as to I understand you have to get your boarding passes first but can we wait before turning our bags in for transport at the American Airlines desk to get ourcovid tests? We expect them to be negative but what if they would be positive and we have already checked our bags in ? Thank you for answering this if you can
The Biden Administration is lifting testing requirements to enter the USA on June 12, 2022 00:01. Testing will not be required to enter the USA after that. The CDC plans to evaluate this plan after 90 days. But for now, no more testing after June 12 for air travel entry into the USA.
Hi Angel thank you so much for all information provided at this page!!! Two of us are leaving to USA next Wednesday (June 15), we will be in Naples in our last days here. We saw that there are COVID tests without any costs on Naple Centrale train station, do you know if is that true?
The US Government is lifting testing requirements to enter the USA on June 12, 2022 00:01. Testing will not be required to enter the USA after that. The CDC plans to evaluate this plan after 90 days. But for now, no more testing after June 12 for air travel entry into the USA.
Back when a negative Covid test was necessary for return to the USA, a fellow cruise ship passenger tested positive. She was in a post cruise Italian hotel when she received her positive test result. She had to quarantine and undergo multiple Covid tests from pharmacies until she tested negative. She was asymptomatic.
Her trip was insured by AON Travel Insurance. They are requesting a doctors letter regarding her quarantine. She was not offered an opportunity to have a doctor because her testing was done through pharmacies. Do you have any information regarding a doctor’s letter necessitating quarantine in Italy?
No I don’t. Best of Luck!