INFO COVID-19

Entry and Exit Restrictions – Italy

The Italian government wants to lift all entry and exit restrictions from June 3rd. This means that domestic and international trips are permitted again, as are entries into Italy. Further easing is already planned from May 18, 2020: hairdressers, cosmetic studios, retailers, bars and restaurants are allowed to reopen. However, only with strict distance rules.

The following applies to cancellations:

If you have booked a package tour, you can cancel it free of charge if the stay / trip takes place until June 14, 2020, because the Federal Foreign Office has issued a worldwide travel warning up to this point.

The rules are somewhat different for individually booked stays. Anyone who has booked accommodation in Italy is generally subject to Italian law. With a decree of March 8, 2020 (see below), Italy allowed the accommodation companies to issue vouchers instead of reimbursements for the travel price paid.Here you will find current information on the legal situation in Italy

Italian Government Decree of March 17, 2020, Art. 88

1. The provisions of Article 28 of Legislative Decree No. 9 of March 2, 2020 also apply to residence contracts where the provision of the service is no longer possible.

2. After the adoption of the Article 2 paragraph 1) letters b) and d) of the decree of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of March 8, 2020 and from the date of adoption of the same decree, in accordance with Article 1463 of the Civil Code, it is impossible to provide the service to provide.

3. Buyers must submit a specific refund request to the seller within thirty days of the entry into force of this decree. The seller issues a voucher for the same amount. This voucher must be used within one year of the issue.

4. The provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 shall apply as long as the envisaged measures of the Council President’s decree of March 8, 2020 and other implementing decrees that apply to those pursuant to Article 3 (l) of Legislative Decree No. 6 of February 23, 2020.

Article 88, Legislative Decree March 17, 2020 n.18 (Official Gazette March 17, 2020, No. 70).

Article 88 of Legislative Decree of March 17, 2020, No. 18 extends the residence contracts to the possibility to use the voucher as an alternative to reimbursement if the in Article 28 of Legislative Decree No. 9 of 2020 (see our circular No. 89 from 2020).
The provision provides an exception to the general rules of the Civil Code and allows accommodations to issue a voucher to the customer that can be used within 12 months of its issuance, even if the customer requests a refund.
The voucher is a confirmation of a credit note that benefits those who have booked stays directly or through a travel agency or booking portal and who are in one of the areas listed in Article 28 of Legislative Decree no. 9 of 2020.

The provision applies to all Italian accommodations, regardless of the nationality of the customer or to the travel agency or portal where the booking was made.

The provision also applies to “impossibility of force majeure” cancellations relating to stays to be made during the period of validity of the specific containment measures referred to in the various regional and governmental measures that are adopted over time Article 3 of Legislative Decree 23 February 2020 n. 6.