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Entry and documents: what is live now

Two of the four rules that decide an Italian entry are live: the biometric Entry/Exit System since April 10, 2026 and the 90 days in 180 shared with 28 other countries. ETIAS is not, and the declaration of presence is owed 8 working days after you land.

The border keeps a file now

Since April 10, 2026 the Entry/Exit System records the document, the face, the fingerprints and the date and place of every entry and exit for non-EU short stays, and it logs refusals too. The phased rollout began on October 12, 2025 and the passport stamp is gone.

The practical effect is time at the booth on your first crossing of the cycle. Where the Travel to Europe app is in use you can enter your details up to 72 hours ahead.

ETIAS: nothing to buy this season

As of September 1, 2026 ETIAS collects no applications, and the launch is expected in the final quarter of 2026 for visa-exempt travelers heading to 30 European countries. Any site selling you an Italian travel authorization today is selling you nothing.

The fee, the exemptions and the official channel are on the ETIAS page, which we update when the EU sets the date.

The 90 days are not yours to spend in Italy alone

The short-stay limit is 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, which has counted 29 countries since January 1, 2025, when internal controls with Bulgaria and Romania ended. Cyprus takes part in Schengen cooperation but has not lifted its internal checks.

Above the threshold the document is a national type D visa, from 91 to 365 days, issued by one state and still allowing 90 days in 180 in the others.

The 8 working days after you land

A non-EU traveler has 8 working days from entry to apply for a residence permit or file a declaration of presence, and the sanction for missing it is administrative expulsion. Hotels handle it through the guest notification they send to the questura.

If you are staying in a private home, ask your host what was filed and when. The full sequence, with the articles it comes from, is in entry requirements.

The tax the hotel adds at the desk

The imposta di soggiorno is a municipal tax set under article 4 of legislative decree 23 of March 14, 2011, ordinarily capped at €5 per person per night and payable on top of the room rate. Comuni where visitors outnumber residents many times over may go above the cap.

It is charged per night, per person, by the property, and it is the single most common surprise on an Italian bill. Rates by city are on the tourist tax page.

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FAQ

Do I need ETIAS to fly to Italy right now?

No. As of September 1, 2026 ETIAS is not operational and takes no applications, with the start expected in the last quarter of 2026 and the exact date announced by the EU months ahead. It will cover 30 countries: the 29 Schengen states plus Cyprus.

Will an Italian border officer still stamp my passport?

No. The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since April 10, 2026, after a phased start on October 12, 2025, and it records your document data, face image, fingerprints and every entry and exit instead of the ink stamp.

How many countries do my 90 days cover?

29 since January 1, 2025: 25 EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The limit is 90 days in any 180-day window across all of them together, so days spent in Spain or Germany come off the same allowance.

Do I have to register with anyone after I arrive in Italy?

Yes, within 8 working days of entry, as a residence permit application or a declaration of presence, under legislative decree 286/1998. A hotel files the guest notification for you. Skipping it exposes you to administrative expulsion, as does overstaying.

Why did my hotel ask for my passport at check-in?

Because it registers every guest and, in most tourist towns, collects the imposta di soggiorno. That tax comes from article 4 of legislative decree 23 of March 14, 2011, is set by each comune, and is normally capped at €5 per person per night.

Is the tourist tax included in what I paid online?

Often not. The imposta di soggiorno is a municipal tax, capped at €5 a night in the ordinary case and higher in towns where visitors vastly outnumber residents, and many properties collect it in cash or by separate card payment at check-out.

Can I pre-register my biometrics before landing?

In the countries that use it, yes: the Travel to Europe app takes your data up to 72 hours before entry. It moves the typing off the queue and does not replace the fingerprint and face capture at the booth, and it is not ETIAS.

What if I want to stay more than 90 days?

You need a national type D visa, valid 91 to 365 days and issued by one state, applied for before you travel. It also lets you move through other member states for 90 days in any 180. A visa is permission to ask for entry, not a guarantee of it.

Sources (6)

  1. 129Commissione europea - DG HOME; doc 2 · recheck by 2027-06-30
  2. 230Commissione europea - DG HOME; doc 2 · recheck by 2026-12-31
  3. 390 · 180Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale - portale 'Il visto per l'Italia'; Commissione europea - DG HOME · recheck by 2028-12-31
  4. 429 · 3,500,000Commissione europea - DG HOME · recheck by 2027-12-31
  5. 58Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale · recheck by 2027-12-31
  6. 65Comune di Firenze - Deliberazione di Giunta DG/2024/00535; Comune di Firenze · recheck by 2027-12-31

Updated 2026-09-02