No vaccinations are required to enter Italy. US visitors need no vaccination certificate at the border, and that stays true if you move here. The rules that do apply are for children: Italy has ten compulsory childhood vaccinations, and they decide whether a young child can start nursery or preschool.
This is general information, not medical advice. Your doctor, your pediatrician and the local health authority (ASL) have the final word on any individual case.
Vaccinations for Italy: what travelers need
The US State Department’s Italy country page lists “no vaccination requirements” for entry, and Italy’s official tourism site, Italia.it, says the same: there are no compulsory vaccinations for people entering the country. The CDC confirms that yellow fever vaccine is neither required nor recommended for Italy.
Not required is not the same as not recommended. The CDC Travelers’ Health page for Italy (reviewed August 2026) advises:
- being up to date on routine vaccines before every trip, including MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), chickenpox, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio, flu and shingles;
- MMR in particular, because measles cases are rising worldwide, with an early dose for infants aged 6-11 months who travel;
- hepatitis A for most travelers, especially if you plan to visit small towns and rural areas or eat street food;
- hepatitis B for unvaccinated travelers under 60;
- COVID-19 vaccination for eligible travelers, in line with current guidance;
- rabies, tick-borne encephalitis and mpox vaccines only for travelers with specific risks, after talking to a health care provider.
The CDC suggests seeing your doctor at least a month before the trip, so there is time for any doses. Italy has had no COVID-19 entry rules since 1 June 2022.
Moving to Italy: what changes
Adults moving to Italy face no vaccination requirement for a visa, residence permit or residency. Children are different. Once a child under 16 lives here, Law 119 of 2017 applies, and the ASL will check their record against the Italian list. The rest of this guide covers those rules.
The ten compulsory vaccinations
Law 119/2017 (which converted Decree-Law 73/2017) makes ten vaccinations compulsory and free from birth to 16, following the national calendar for each birth year. The list was checked against the Ministero della Salute vaccination pages and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) in October 2026:
- polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, whooping cough (pertussis) and Haemophilus influenzae type b, usually given together as the six-in-one (hexavalent) vaccine;
- measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella), usually given as MMR plus varicella or as a combined MMRV vaccine.
The law says the obligation for the last four (measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox) is reviewed every three years against coverage data, so check the official page if you are reading this much later. Four more are actively offered and free, but not compulsory: meningococcal B, meningococcal C, pneumococcal and rotavirus. Regions, including Puglia, offer others through their own calendars, such as HPV in early adolescence.
What the rules mean at each age
| Age | Nursery or school | If vaccinations are missing |
|---|---|---|
| 0-6 | Asilo nido (nursery) and scuola dell’infanzia (preschool) | Vaccination is a condition of access: no attendance until the child is up to date, exempt, or has a formal vaccination request filed with the ASL |
| 6-16 | Primary and secondary school | The child can enroll, attend and sit exams; the ASL invites parents to catch up and can fine them €100 to €500 |
For nursery and preschool, the paperwork must be in by the enrollment deadline. Parents can hand in a self-declaration first, then the proof of vaccination by 10 July (article 3 of the law). Many schools now check status directly with the ASL, so ask your school which route it uses.
Two exemptions apply. A child who cannot be vaccinated for documented medical reasons is exempt, or can have doses postponed, with a certificate from their pediatrician or family doctor. A child who is already immune after having one of the diseases, shown by a blood test or medical records, is exempt from that vaccine. Schools should place children who cannot be vaccinated in classes where the other pupils are vaccinated or immune.
Comparing US and Italian schedules
Both schedules protect against the same core diseases, but the timing and the combination vaccines differ, and Italy groups the early doses into fewer appointments. The US schedule has also been in flux. In January 2026 the CDC moved several vaccines, including hepatitis B, rotavirus and influenza, away from routine recommendations; on 16 March 2026 a federal court in Massachusetts stayed that change, and the government has appealed. Whatever the US schedule says on the day you read this, what counts in Italy is the Italian list. Hepatitis B and chickenpox, for example, are compulsory here.
The table below overlays the two timelines month by month, as they stood when it was drawn up, before the 2026 US changes. Yellow boxes show the US schedule and green boxes the Italian one. Use it as an overview and confirm details with your pediatrician.
Getting your child’s record accepted
Bring an official vaccination record showing your child’s name and date of birth, each vaccine by name, the date given and who gave it. Records in English are usually accepted by ASL vaccination offices, but ask your local office whether it needs an Italian translation. Once you are resident, register your child with a family pediatrician (pediatra di libera scelta) through the ASL. Our list of English-speaking pediatricians and doctors in Lecce can help, and our guide to public health insurance in Italy explains how to join the national health service.
The ASL vaccination office (ufficio vaccinazioni of your health district) checks the record against the Italian calendar and books any missing doses. For anything beyond routine shots, such as a blood test to prove immunity, our guide to booking a specialist visit in Puglia explains the referral and CUP booking steps.
Before the first day
Check your child’s record against the Italian list as soon as you know you are moving, ideally before you arrive, and contact the ASL about any gaps well before nursery or school starts. Keep a copy of the record with your passports. If you need care after you land, our guide to hospitals in Puglia lists the main public and private options.
FAQ
Do I need any vaccines to visit Italy?
No vaccine is required for entry. The CDC recommends being up to date on routine vaccines, especially MMR, and suggests hepatitis A for most travelers and hepatitis B for unvaccinated travelers under 60.
Do I need a COVID-19 vaccine or test to enter Italy?
No. Italy dropped its COVID-19 entry rules on 1 June 2022. The CDC still advises eligible travelers to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccination.
Do adults moving to Italy need vaccinations for a visa or residence permit?
No vaccination is required for adults. The compulsory list applies to children aged 0-16.
Which vaccinations are compulsory for children in Italy?
Ten: polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, pertussis, Hib, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. They are free through the ASL.
Can an unvaccinated child go to school in Italy?
From 6 to 16, yes: the child can enroll and attend, but parents can be fined €100 to €500 if they do not catch up. For nursery and preschool (0-6), vaccination, an exemption or a formal request to the ASL is a condition of access.
Will Italy accept my child’s US vaccination record?
Usually, yes. The ASL vaccination office reviews it against the Italian calendar and offers any missing doses. Ask your office whether it wants a translation.
We also have guides on tap water in Puglia.
