Italy's New Visitor Rules

Italy is tightening tourist rules in 2026, with new fees, access controls and conduct limits in Venice, Rome, Florence, Capri and the Dolomites. (comune.venezia.it) Venice’s access fee now runs on 60 peak days from April 3 to July 26, 2026, and applies to day visitors older than 14 entering the historic city. The city says visitors must carry a QR code showing payment, exemption or exclusion. (comune.venezia.it) Venice says the fee is enforced from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., mainly through its web portal, and fines run from €25 to €150 plus the €10 fee. Overnight guests are exempt from paying but still have to register on the portal. (cda.ve.it) Rome started charging non-residents €2 on February 2, 2026, to enter the inner perimeter of the Trevi Fountain. The fountain remains visible from outside for free, but the close-up basin area now has ticketed entry from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (turismoroma.it) Rome’s Trevi rules also come with penalties: sitting, eating, drinking or climbing inside the monument area can bring fines of €40 to €240, and entering the water starts at €450. Damaging the fountain can trigger criminal penalties under Italy’s penal code. (fontanaditrevi.roma.it) Florence put a new outdoor-dining regulation into force on February 11, 2026, after the city approved stricter controls on public space in its UNESCO-listed center. City Hall said the new rules block any increase in total outdoor-dining surface in the UNESCO area and require new applications by April 30. (comune.firenze.it) Local reporting on the Florence rules says 60 streets in the UNESCO area no longer allow outdoor restaurant structures, while 73 more streets face tighter design limits. Restaurant owners told local and international outlets the changes could cut business in heavily visited squares. (055firenze.it, independent.co.uk) Capri is capping organized tour groups at 40 people starting in summer 2026. For groups larger than 20, guides must use wireless earpieces instead of loudspeakers, and umbrellas and adhesive stickers used to marshal groups are being phased out. (afar.com) AFAR reported that Capri, with about 13,000 year-round residents, can receive as many as 50,000 visitors on peak summer days. Lorenzo Coppola of Federalberghi Capri said the rules were meant to ease pressure on Piazza Umberto I and the Marina Grande docks. (afar.com) In the Dolomites, the village of Santa Maddalena is restricting access to its church area from May to November after residents complained about traffic, illegal parking and photo-stop tourism. Euronews reported the village gets about 600 visitors a day in peak season, and Mayor Peter Pernthaler said tour buses were overwhelming the valley. (euronews.com) The through line is not a national tourist code but a patchwork of local rules aimed at day-trippers, crowding and damage around famous sites. For travelers in Italy this year, the practical change is simple: more places now require a booking, a QR code, a ticket or quieter behavior than they did a year ago. (forbes.com)