Public holidays in Italy 2026 – 4 October, emergency numbers, cash limits and smoking rules
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Italy gained a national public holiday in 2026: 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi. Here are all the public holidays, the numbers to save in your phone, the cash and card rules at the till, and what the law says about smoking and alcohol.
The biggest change to everyday life in Italy this year is on the calendar. From 2026, 4 October – the feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy – is a national public holiday, added by Law 151 of 8 October 2025 with effect from 1 January 2026. Public holidays in Italy are national; a few days are local to one comune (municipality).
What are the public holidays in Italy in 2026?
Besides every Sunday, these are the national public holidays under Law 260/1949 as amended, plus the religious holidays recognised by the State.
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | National |
| 6 January | Epiphany | National |
| Easter Monday | Easter Monday | National; the date moves each year |
| 25 April | Liberation Day | National |
| 1 May | Labour Day | National |
| 2 June | Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) | The national day; back on 2 June since 2001 |
| 15 August | Assumption | National |
| 4 October | St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy | New national holiday from 2026 |
| 1 November | All Saints | National |
| 8 December | Immaculate Conception | National |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | National |
| 26 December | Second day of Christmas | National |
| 29 June | Saints Peter and Paul | Only in the comune of Rome |
Source: Normattiva – Law 260/1949, Law 54/1977, Law 336/2000, Law 151/2025 and DPR 792/1985, read 23 September 2026.
If you read Law 260/1949 yourself, take care. It still prints St Joseph, Ascension, Corpus Domini and Saints Peter and Paul, but Law 54/1977 abolished them as civil holidays and moved 4 November to the first Sunday of November. That law moved 2 June too, until it returned as a holiday from 2001.
Local holidays and shop opening
Some days are local: 29 June is a holiday only in the comune of Rome, and Turin marks its patron, St John the Baptist, with city events on 23–24 June. Check your own comune's local days before you book appointments.
Under a national rule, shops, bars and restaurants are not bound by fixed opening hours or compulsory Sunday and holiday closing – everywhere since Decree-Law 201/2011, not only in tourist towns and art cities. Regions and comuni can still restrict certain businesses in specific areas for reasons such as health, heritage, safety or urban decorum.
Which emergency numbers should you save in Italy?
112, the European emergency number, is free from any phone – even with no SIM, a locked phone or no credit. How it is answered differs by region. Where a regional CUR (single answering centre) exists, calls to 112, 113, 115 and 118 all go there, and you can also call through the Where ARE U app, which sends your location; elsewhere, the Carabinieri answer 112. A Ministry of Health page last updated in June 2024 says the NUE 112 service is active in numerous regions, not all.
| Number | What it is for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | European emergency number: police, fire, ambulance, sea rescue | Free, even without a SIM or credit |
| 113 | Polizia di Stato (state police) | Staffed 24 hours a day |
| 115 | Vigili del fuoco (fire brigade) | Staffed 24 hours a day |
| 118 | Medical emergencies | Free, nationwide, 24 hours a day |
| 117 | Guardia di Finanza (financial police) | – |
| 1530 | Guardia costiera (coast guard) | – |
| 1522 | Anti-violence and stalking helpline for women | National |
| 800 290 290 | Anti-trafficking helpline | Toll-free |
| 116117 | Non-urgent medical help | Free, 24/7, Italian and English; not in every region |
Source: Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Interior, read 23 September 2026.
When you call 118, give your phone number, what happened and where – comune, street and house number – and how many people are involved and their condition, then keep the line free. Do not use 118 to book a visit.
116117 is fully active in Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Lombardy, Molise, Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and Trento – so in Rome, Milan, Turin and Florence – and partly active in Liguria, Marche, Sardinia, Umbria and Bolzano. Nationwide, the free guardia medica (out-of-hours doctor) covers urgent needs on Saturdays, Sundays and every night from 20:00 to 08:00; your ASL (local health authority) gives you the local number.
At a hospital pronto soccorso (emergency department) you pay a ticket (co-payment) only if your case is classed as non-urgent code 5 (white) at discharge and you are not admitted. The amount varies by region, and children under 14 are exempt.
Cash and cards in Italy: what are the limits?
Legislative Decree 231/2007, a national law, caps cash. Since 1 January 2023, paying or transferring €5,000 or more in cash between different people has been prohibited, and so has splitting a payment to dodge the limit; larger sums go through a bank, Poste Italiane or a payment institution. Older guides may quote €2,000, the limit until 31 December 2022.
| Rule | Limit | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Cash payments between different people | Prohibited at €5,000 or more | 1 January 2023 |
| Cash sent through money-transfer services | Threshold of €1,000 | – |
| Bank and postal cheques | From €1,000, the payee's name and the non trasferibile clause | – |
| Card acceptance | Sellers of goods and services, professionals included, must accept at least one debit card, one credit card and e-money, unless technically impossible | 30 June 2014 |
| Refusing a card payment of any amount | Fine of €30 plus 4 per cent of the payment | 30 June 2022 |
| Carrying cash into or out of Italy | Declare €10,000 or more to customs, also within the EU | – |
Source: Normattiva – Legislative Decree 231/2007 and Decree-Law 179/2012; Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, read 23 September 2026.
So you can pay by card for a coffee, and a business that refuses risks a fine. pagoPA, the national platform for paying taxes, fees and charges to public bodies, works from the QR code on the notice: scan it in the IO app or your home banking, or pay at a bank, post office or affiliated shop. Part 4 covers bank accounts.
What are the smoking and alcohol rules in Italy?
Since Law 3/2003, smoking has been banned in all enclosed public places and workplaces, bars and restaurants included; only dedicated smoking rooms and private homes are exempt. Age limits and the drink-driving limit are national too.
| Rule | What applies | Sanction |
|---|---|---|
| Selling tobacco or e-cigarettes to under-18s | Banned; the seller checks ID | €500–3,000 and a 15-day licence suspension; repeat offence €1,000–8,000 and licence revoked |
| Selling or serving alcohol to under-18s | Banned; the seller asks for ID unless you are obviously an adult | €250–1,000; repeat offence €500–2,000 and suspension of the business for 15 days to 3 months |
| Drink-driving | Maximum 0.5 g/l blood alcohol; zero for drivers under 21, new drivers and professional drivers | – |
| Venues with entertainment that sell alcohol | Must display blood-alcohol tables | Closure for 7 to 30 days |
| Glass and metal containers, Turin only | No sale or drinking citywide from 23:00 to 07:00 (municipal police regulation, as described by the city in 2025) | Local rule |
Source: Normattiva, Ministry of Health and Città di Torino, read 23 September 2026.
The Ministry of Health advises at most two units of alcohol a day for men, one for women and over-65s, and none under 18; one unit is 12 grams, such as a 125 ml glass of wine. The ministry's free smoking helpline, Telefono Verde Fumo, is 800 554088.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Put 4 October and your comune's local holidays in your calendar | Now |
| 2 | Save 112, 118 and – where your region has it – 116117 | Your first day |
| 3 | Ask your ASL for the guardia medica number | When you register with the SSN (national health service) |
| 4 | Pay €5,000 or more through a bank, Poste Italiane or a payment institution, never in cash | Every time |
| 5 | Declare cash of €10,000 or more to customs | When entering or leaving Italy |
| 6 | Carry ID when you buy alcohol or tobacco | Always |
Source: Normattiva, Ministry of Health and Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Normattiva – Legge 8 ottobre 2025, n. 151, artt. 1 e 3 · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – Legge 260/1949, aggiornamenti all'atto · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – Legge 260/1949 art. 1; Legge 20 novembre 2000 n. 336 art. 1 · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – Legge 5 marzo 1977 n. 54, art. 1 · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – DPR 28 dicembre 1985 n. 792, art. 1 · normattiva.it
- Città di Torino – La Festa di San Giovanni · comune.torino.it
- Ministero della Salute – Numero unico europeo per le emergenze (NUE) 112 · salute.gov.it
- Ministero della Salute – Il numero 118 e il 112 · salute.gov.it
- Ministero dell'Interno – Numeri utili · interno.gov.it
- Normattiva – D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 49 (text in force from 1-1-2023) · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – DL 179/2012, art. 15, c. 4 · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – DL 223/2006, art. 3, c. 1, lett. d-bis) · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – DL 201/2011, art. 31 · normattiva.it
- Città di Torino – Comunicato 25 marzo 2025 / 4 settembre 2025 · comune.torino.it
- Normattiva – Legge 125/2001, art. 14-ter · normattiva.it
- Normattiva – R.D. 2316/1934, art. 25 (text in force from 2-2-2016) · normattiva.it
- Ministero della Salute – Fumo: Quadro normativo ( · salute.gov.it
- Ministero della Salute – Alcol, zero o il meno possibile · salute.gov.it
- Ministero della Salute – Tabelle tasso alcolemico · salute.gov.it
- Ministero della Salute – Fumo / Alcol theme pages · salute.gov.it
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.