Passport
Regulations
A visa is not required for US or Canadian
citizens holding a valid passport unless they expect to stay in Italy
for more than 90 days or are entering the country for study or
employment reasons. Anyone who decides to stay over 90 days once they
have entered the country should make an application once only to any
police station (questura) for an additional 90-day extension. Proof
will be required to ascertain that the person is a bona fide tourist
with adequate means of support and that the extension is not for study
or employment purposes. Generally, permission is granted immediately.
Non-American citizens should check current visa requirements with the
nearest Italian Consulate before departure.
Registration
for Tourists
The paperwork related to registering with
the police within 3 days of arrival in Italy is dealt with by the
hotels the tourist is staying in. If staying with friends or in a
private home, tourists must register in person at the nearest police
station within three days of arrival. In Rome there is a special
police information office to assist tourists. (Interpreters are
available) telephone: 06.461-950 or 06.486-609
Pets
A traveller entering Italy with a dog or
cat must have a veterinary certificate stating that the animal is in
good health and has been vaccinated against rabies between 20 days and
11 months prior to entry into Italy. The certificate must also state
the breed, age, sex and color of the pet, as well as the owner's name
and address. The certificate is valid for 30 days. Forms are
obtainable at all Italian diplomatic and consular representatives and
from the Italian Government Travel Office. A dog must be on a leash or
muzzled when in public. Customs officials may require a health
examination of any pet if they suspect that it is ill or has come
directly from tropical regions.
Healthcare
and Medical Assistance
Tourists requiring urgent medical care
should go to the nearest hospital emergency ward (airports and many
train stations also have medical teams and first aid facilities).
Those with serious illnesses or allergies should always carry a
special note from their physicians giving detailed information on the
treatments they are following or that may be necessary. Pharmacies
(Farmacia), generally follow shop opening times (approx. from 8.30am
to 12.30pm and from 3 to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, but in large cities
many are open throughout the day. Night time service is provided on a
shift basis. Business hours and night shifts are displayed outside
each pharmacy and are published in local papers. It is advisable to
procure a document certifying coverage by the national health care
service before departure.
Health
Services and Insurance Policy
Italy has no medical program covering
citizens from the US and Canada. US and Canadian tourists are
therefore advised to take out an insurance policy before traveling.
First Aid Service (Pronto Soccorso) with a doctor on hand is found at
airports, ports, railway stations and in all hospitals. Medicines, be
they prescription or over the counter, can be obtained only in
pharmacies.
Time
Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern
Standard Time in the USA and Canada. Daylight saving time in Italy
goes into effect each year usually from the end of March to the middle
of October.
Banking
hours
Banks are generally open Monday through
Friday from 8.35am to 1.35pm and from 3 - 4pm; in many tourist areas
they are open non-stop from 830am. to 4pm and closed all day on
Saturday and Sunday and on national holidays.Some banks also open in
the afternoon.
Euro
The new monetary currency is the Euro which
is divided as follows: bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500; coins of
1, 2, 5, 10 Euros, 20 and 50 cents.
Currency
exchange
»
The Universal Currency Converter
Post
Offices
All the Post Offices are open 8am-6.30pm
Monday-Friday and 8am-12.30pm Saturday.
If you want stamps, you can buy them in tabacchi too, they will often
also weigh your letter.
Shops
opening times
Although shops are normally open from 9am
to 1pm and from 3.30/4pm to 7.30/8pm, in some tourist areas they tend
to stay open uninterruptedly from 9.30am to 7.30pm, allowing for
slight variations from town to town. Large department stores like La
Rinascente, Coin or Upim are open throughout the country from 9.30am
to 7.30pm.
IVA
tax refunds
Like most other European countries, Italy
imposes a value added tax (VAT) on most goods and services purchased
in the country. This tax is known as the Imposta sul Valore Aggiunto,
or IVA. It is normally included in the price of most goods and
services. Generally the rate stands at 20% of the sale price.
Residents outside of the European Union visiting Italy may obtain a
VAT refund on purchases of new goods. VAT refunds may be claimed for
purchases of merchandise (not for services such as hotels, car rentals,
entertainment, meals or transportation) in excess of € 155.
Here is an outline of the procedures that should be followed for
claiming VAT refunds on goods purchased in Italy:
Tax
Free Italy Stores
If a "Euro Tax Free" sign is
displayed in a shop window, the store in question adheres to the
"Tax Free Italy" programme. Show your passport at the cash
desk when purchasing goods in these stores and ask the store clerk to
issue a "Tax Free Shopping Cheque" along with a receipt for
the goods. The store will charge you tax at the time of sale. The Tax
Free Shopping Cheque will indicate the amount of VAT refund you will
be eligible to claim later.
You must present the merchandise, Tax Free Shopping Cheque and store
receipt to the Customs Office at the airport upon your departure from
Italy. The customs official will examine the merchandise to check that
it matches the description on the receipt and cheque and will stamp
the Tax Free Shopping Cheque.
To obtain an immediate tax refund once your Tax Free Shopping Cheque
has been stamped, simply present it at any "Tax-Free Cash Refund"
booth at the airport.
Other
Stores
If you are purchasing goods in a store that
does not adhere to the "Tax-Free Italy" programme, ask the
store to issue you a special invoice known as a fattura, which should
be made out to you and include the phrase "Esente IVA ai sensi
della legge 38 quarter". The fattura should also indicate the
amount of VAT included in the purchase price. The fattura and the
goods should be presented at the Customs Office on your departure from
Italy to be stamped. You must then mail the stamped fattura back to
the store (either from Italy or your home country) within 90 days of
the purchase date. The store will then send you the VAT refund by
return mail to whatever address you specify. This can take quite some
time.
Shipped
Goods
If you require merchandise to be shipped
directly to your home address, your purchase is exempt of VAT. The
store will charge you no tax at the time of purchase and will issue
you with a "Tax-Free Receipt", rather than a "Tax Free
Shopping Cheque".
Customs
Regulations
Luggage is inspected on entering and
leaving Italy. Free entry is allowed for personal effects: clothing
(new and used), books, camping and household equipment, fishing
tackle, 1 pair of skis, 2 tennis racquets, portable typewriter, record
player with 10 records, tape recorder or dictaphone, pram, 2 still
cameras with 10 rolls of film for each camera, 1 movie camera with 10
rolls of film, binoculars, personal jewelry, portable radio set (subject
to a small license fee), 400 cigarettes and a quantity of cigars or
pipe tobacco not exceeding 500 grams (1.1 lb).
All items mentioned above may be imported duty free only on condition
that they are for personal use and are not be sold, given away or
traded. A maximum of two bottles of wine and one bottle of spirits per
person may be brought duty free. The bottles must be opened. A maximum
of 4.4 lbs of coffee, 6.6 lbs of sugar and 2.2 lbs of cocoa are
allowed duty free.
Overseas tourists arriving in Italy after visiting other countries are
allowed to bring souvenirs purchased in other countries for a total
value of $500. Only a verbal declaration is required for these goods.
Purchases may include up to a half litre of perfume.
Exports
from Italy
There are no restrictions on gifts
purchased in Italy except for antiques and works of art. These require
the authorization of the Culture Ministry.
Canadian Regulations on Purchases Abroad
Canadian residents returning from a trip abroad can qualify for
personal exemption. All articles acquired abroad, whether purchased or
received as gifts, or purchased at a duty free shop, either abroad or
in Canada, must be declared by the traveller on returning to Canada.
US Regulations on Purchases Abroad
Each US tourist may bring back to the US $400-worth of duty free goods
purchased abroad. The goods must accompany the traveller. A flat rate
of 10% is assessed on the next $1,000-worth of goods purchased.
Parcels containing gifts may be sent to the US duty-free, providing
the total value of parcels received by one person in one day does not
exceed $50. Each package should be marked "Unsolicited Gift".
The amount paid and the contents of the package should be declared.
Churches
Churches are generally open in the morning
from 7.30am-noon and in the afternoon from 4-6.30pm. Most churches and
cathedrals that are popular with visiting tourists remain open until
1pm. Sightseeing is not permitted during services.
Some churches operate a very strict dress code - strappy sundresses,
tank tops, shorts and miniskirts are not considered respectable
clothing. The solution for women is simple - carry a large but
lightweight wrap to put round your shoulders. Men will either have to
wear long trousers and suffer the heat, or do their church visiting
(in long trousers) in the relative cool of the morning and change
clothes after visiting.
Sites
of interest
Museums, monuments and archeological sites
are usually closed on Sunday afternoons and all day Monday. Their
opening follow two patterns:
Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-7pm in summer, and 9am-5pm the rest of the year;
or 9am-2pm (Sundays until 1pm). These given hours should be considered
mere guidelines.
