Italian Green Pass

[Alpinista]

Some miscellaneous notes: It is hit and miss as to being asked for our proof of vaccination. The places that have asked have accepted the CDC card without reservation — small town pizzerias and a spa outside Pisa).

We have made two short trips into Lucca for appointments — masks are universal inside; almost none in evidence outside (including the main shopping street which is shoulder-to-shoulder pedestrian traffic).

I was concerned about reception (didn’t want to be viewed as Typhoid Mary’s), but the people we have gotten to know over the years have seemed genuinely happy to see us.

We had a glitch in receiving results of our pre-departure Covid tests, but were able to pay for a same-day rapid test (the results of the first test showed up on our phones while sitting in the lounge awaiting our boarding).

We were able to fill out the Italian certification document on line with no problems and the United app was easy to use to upload all necessary files. The German certificate was a pain (we were transiting through Frankfurt). The embassy site said we didn’t need the certificate if we were transiting. United said we did. The German app kept freezing and forcing us to restart. When we finally got to the page asking, “Where are you staying in Germany” we had nothing to enter and we couldn’t proceed past the page to finish the certificate. This caused an issue at the United counter, but they still sent us in our way.

The United flight from DC to Frankfurt and the Lufthansa flight to Rome were both at capacity.

Bottom line is that it feels wonderful to be here even if our normal activities are somewhat truncated and things such as the Santa Croce procession and the rescheduled Carnevale di Viareggio are extremely limited in participation (as in, “not us”).

 

[Mom83]

Alpinista...just so glad to hear you arrived safely. I hope you have a wonderful visit despite any limitations due to Covid. My husband and I are hoping to return to Italy next Spring.

 

[GailS]

@Aplinista - thank you for the update about CDC card acceptance. We are headed to Venice on September 25th. Fingers crossed we can take a train to Florence for a couple of nights then back with the CDC cards. I booked flights from Boston through JFK direct to Venice to avoid any hassles or last minute changes with European airport rules.

 

[Damon]

We leave Wednesday, Vancouver > Frankfurt > Rome. We won't be taking any long distance trains for a bit, but I'll post about the airport process. We have our Canadian vaccine docs, and we'll do the ePLF tomorrow late afternoon after we check in online and get seat assignments.

 

[braindoc]

@Damon - Very curious about your experience. Assuming you are traveling Lufthansa? Did you have the same trouble as @Alpinista with the German forms?

We do not leave for a few more weeks, but had to switch from Swiss to Lufthansa for our flight to Venice. Swiss cancelled the early afternoon Zurich-Venice flight that one day and rebooked us for the evening flight, meaning a 7 hour layover and losing a half day in Venice. Air Canada/Aeroplan came to the rescue and found us business award seats on Lufthansa. The extra 5 hours is considered a “major involuntary schedule change,” qualifying for rebooking.

Hope you have a smooth trip!

 

[Damon]

Hi @braindoc,
Yes, we'll be going Lufthansa (ticketed by Air Canada but all actual flight stuff by Luft). but we haven't seen or been referred to any German forms. Or anything from Lufthansa specifically. The EUdPLF form and registration was a pain, but I won't know until later today if I'm able to make that work completely.

 

[Tbk]

I flew from SF to Milan via Frankfurt on Sep. 3 (now in Switzerland after week in Bologna). I had long layover not with a connecting flight (tickets purchased separately). When I uploaded my Italy dPLF & other documents to United Airlines online, they said I needed to fill out Germany form. But once at airport in San Francisco, I showed them my booking to Milan same day of arrival in Frankfurt and they were fine with that. Passport control in Frankfurt did not even care to see documentation of onward flight.

 

[Tbk]

Oh, fyi: when I uploaded dPLF & vaccine card to Lufthansa, it came back as all incorrect information (since they use different date format than U.S.). The next day I was able to check in online. They never let me know they were good with the documents after initial rejection. But they would not allow online check-in if they were not.

 

[Damon]

@Tbk
When did you upload docs to Lufthansa? Or where? I've been all over every thing I can find, but I don't see a place to do that upload. Does it happen when you do the online check in?

Thanks

 

[Tbk]

It was only a short time before, 48-72 hours. I thought they emailed me to do so, or when I tried to do early it said what the time parameter was. And they emailed to check in online, which I think is 23 hours ahead.

 

[Tbk]

I just noticed your flight is soon. It was Digital Document Check on their website, I tried to find the emails but my hotel internet lacking. If possible make sure you have all of the documents in printed form. In the U. S. my airline required printed boarding pass so they could see you passed document inspection (which is stamped at check-in), Canada may vary. I think you will be fine. I also stressed about it all and the officials at the airport on the Europe side seem less concerned than I was expecting.

 

[Damon]

Thanks. I have all the printed paperwork and the BC Government digital vaccination pass, which has a QR code, in pdf and paper form as well. Tests done this morning and paper for that as well. I'll check in in 75 minutes and then I'll be able to do the PLF as well.

Thanks for your posts.

 

[braindoc]

@Damon - Hope all went well and you are enjoying yourself so much there hasn’t been time to post!

 

[Damon]

Hi All,
Yes, we arrived yesterday, so it all worked. When we checked in at the airport in Vancouver, the agent wanted to see our covid test results, and our EUdPLF forms, but really just to see that we had them. She did not check details.

At Frankfurt, we went through security (very thorough, with full body scan and lots of touching and patting) and passport control; there the agent checked our test results and wanted to see that we had the PLF. I don't know how detailed her inspection was, as we were in a panic to make our connecting flight. Which, of course, we didn't make, so we spent an extra four delightful hours doing head-bobs in the lounge.

There was no check in Rome at FCO, though I did see the usual army guys checking the occasional traveler, but there was no line up that everyone went through.

Overall, it seems that our experience was similar to that of others in terms of getting onto the plane and into the country. I haven't tried our digital vaccine certificates yet, but I'll post that exciting news as soon as we give it a go.

 

[BryanS]

A week ago I went to the National Museum/Park at Paestum with two family members from the US. I used my Green Pass and they both had their CDC vaccine cards. There was a small building before entering the ticket area where they looked at the CDC cards (very quick as he seemed to know what he was looking for), scanned my Green Pass and took our temperatures. All less than 5 minutes and then we entered to buy our tickets.

There was a couple before us, language sounded germanic, who did not have their vaccine documents and were turned away.

 

[BryanS]

We recently spent 2 days with American clients visiting their ancestral villages and they also went to Rome, Naples and the Amalfi coast. They said they have had no issues with the CDC cards to prove their vaccinations. They said most of the time they are just given a quick glance.

We were together at a restaurant in a small town in Basilicata yesterday where they were unfamiliar with the CDC cards but once we explained what they were there was no issue.

 

[Damon]

Hi all,
We’ve come from Bella Umbria to ‘casino’ Roma and have had a few trials of our Canadian / British Columbia Covid vaccine documents that we can share.

Last night we went out for pizza. The place in Trastevere was packed, esp at the sidewalk tables. We were asked if inside was OK and we said ‘yes’. We were led inside without any doc check. We volunteered our vaccination code/ card. Clearly it did not work with their phone scanning software, but they seemed fine with it.

Today at lunch the same thing happened: no scan, but we explained that it was Canadian documentation, and all was fine.

Then, at the Chiostro del Bramante, the ticket agents scann our QR codes, but they did not work.. Again, saying that they were Canadian, she immediately understood and the vaccine certificate was accepted. Then, in my own immaculate Italian, I asked about our son’s COVID documents, which will not have a QR code. She said that US, Canadian Japanese and Israeli forms were known and acceptable because they had the dates of both vaccinations. That at least conforms to the official Italian articles I’ve read.

I hope this helps add to the collective information we’re sharing.

I typed this on my wife’s iPad, which I cannot deal with, so there are many typo’s, I’m sure.

 

[Damon]

Quick addition/ update ..

At a museum in Rome we were asked for our vaccination docs they accepted Canadian docs from BC and Alberta with no problem. No ID, just a temperature check and we were in.

I think its working!

 

[GailS]

We also had no problem today with our U.S. CDC cards when asked for a green pass in Venice.

 

[artnbarb]

Note the fine for no IDP — let this be a cautionary tale for driving in Florence (wait until the ZTL fines also roll in)

??? Is this in the wrong thread, or am I confused? And I didn't see anything about the fine!