SINGAPORE — Residents here will no longer be able to enter Italy as tourists from Thursday (Dec 16) after the Italian authorities placed Singapore on a list of countries deemed to have a higher risk of Covid-19 cases.

In an update on its website on Wednesday, the Italian embassy here said that Singapore and Brunei had been placed on Italy’s "List E" of countries by Italy's health ministry on Tuesday. The classification is valid from Thursday until Jan 31 next year.

Travellers from countries placed in List E are allowed to enter Italy only for work, study or health reasons, out of absolute urgency or to return to their homes. Entry for leisure purposes is not allowed. 

Exemptions can be granted for specific conditions such as the tourist being an Italian, a citizen of a European Union or a Schengen Area country, or having a partner who is legally residing in Italy, the embassy added.

The Schengen Area covers 26 European countries that have abolished passport and border controls with one another.

Travellers who are still allowed to enter Italy must present a negative result from their pre-arrival Covid-19 test and self-isolate for 10 days at their declared residence in Italy.

Airport transit through Italy is still allowed for travellers from Singapore, provided they do not exit designated areas within the airport.

The move comes barely two months after Singapore and Italy launched a vaccinated travel lane that allowed for quarantine-free travel between both destinations.

TODAY has contacted the embassy to ask how the new measures will affect Singapore travellers scheduled to travel to Italy as well as Singapore tourists who are already there.

In response to queries, Singapore Airlines (SIA) said that it will be contacting customers on upcoming flights to Italy to notify them of the new travel restrictions.

Travellers who booked their flights directly with the airline may seek a refund, and those covered by SIA’s complimentary rebooking policy may also choose to rebook with change fees waived.

Eligible travellers from Italy are still able to enter Singapore via the travel lane scheme without quarantine requirements.