Passports/Visas
To holiday Rome your passport has to be valid for at least three months beyond the length of stay.
EU citizens need only a valid ID card to be granted entry. Rome in Italy is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. Legal residents of one Schengen country do not require a visa to enter another Schengen country.
Citizens of Great Britain are also exempt from visa requirements for Schengen countries.
Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the USA do not require a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days in Rome Italy or any Schengen country.
For different purposes other than tourist and for stays over 90 days please contact the Italian Embassy in your home country for more information.
All other nationalities need a visa to enter in Rome Italy.
Customs
Merchandise brought in and exported inside Rome Italy and the European Union (EU) incur no additional taxes: if provided duty has been waged somewhere in the EU and the goods are for personal use.
Duty-free sales within the EU no longer exist. People coming into Italy from non-EU countries can import the following duty-free items: 1 litre of spirits, 2 litres wine, 60ml perfume, 250ml eau de toilette, 200 cigarettes, other goods up to a total value of €175.50.
Anything in excess of these limits has to be declared on arrival and the apposite duty tax paid.
On going out of Rome Italy and the EU, non-EU citizens can get back any Value Added Tax (VAT) on high-priced purchases.
Health Care
No any specific immunizations are compulsory to enter Rome Italy. Good health care is available, although standards can vary.
An English speaking doctor is available 24 hours a day at International Medical Services telephone: 06 488 2371 . For emergency treatment, you can go directly to the Pronto Soccorso (ER), it is a sections of a public hospital.
Pharmacists can give helpful advice and sell over the counter drugs for small ailments.
If you are taking any medication, we suggest to take it in the original clearly labelled container. A signed and dated letter from your doctor describing your medical conditions and medications, it is sometimes necessary by certain airlines.
If you are an EU citizen, you can receive free or reduced-cost cure on showing of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
Citizens coming from a non-EU country should find out if there is a reciprocal agreement for free medical care between their country and Italy. Otherwise a travel health insurance is advised.
Tax and Tipping
Occasionally a 10% service charge is included in restaurant’s bills. There is also a bread-service charge called pane or coperto – generally around €1-2 per person. As in most of Europe, additional tipping is not a general practice; however you can leave the small change on the table (as many Italians do) at your judgment.
Value Added Tax (IVA in Rome Italy) is 20% on clothing and luxury goods. Tourists from non-EU countries can claim a tax refund, provided they spend at least €155 at the same shop on the same day (always ask for a receipt of payment). Upon departure from the EU (no later than 90 days after the date of purchase), the payment receipts and merchandise should be presented to customs.
Currency and Exchange
The Euro (€) is Italy’s official currency. Notes are in denominations of:
€5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500.
Coins come in:
1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, €1 and €2.
If you need to change some money you can do so: at banks, post offices, luxury Hotels or exchange office (cambio). Banks are usually the most reliable and tend to offer the best rates. Commission depends on whether you are changing cash or traveller’s cheques. Most of the time traveller’s cheques incur higher exchange fees.
Most ATM cards, credit cards or debit cards can be used in ATMs throughout Rome as a convenient way to extract Euros. Check the commission and the possibility to do so with your bank before you leave home.
Major Credit Cards such as Visa, MasterCard or Amex are widely accepted at the main tourist areas but there are still many places that only accept cash.
Language
Italian is the official language, however many people in Rome city centre speaks English and a bit of French.
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