Italian Allergy Card: How to Say Your
Food Allergy in Italian

The phrase structure to know

Italian allergy communication runs on one adjective with two endings. Use allergico if you're male or allergica if you're female, add the allergen with its article (al, alla, ai, or alle, depending on the word), and you have a complete sentence:

For anything severe, two more lines matter — these are the exact sentences printed on the AllergyPass Italian card:

Every major allergen in Italian

These are the same terms the AllergyPass card prints for Italy — the words on Italian menus and EU-mandated allergen charts, not a dictionary translation:

Italian restaurants are required to disclose allergen information on request, but not always by default on the printed menu — tourist-oriented venues tend to have it ready, while a small family-run trattoria may rely on whoever's cooking that day. Pointing at this table's terms, or handing over a written card, gets you further than describing an allergy in English.

How to say gluten-free in Italian

Gluten-free in Italian is senza glutine (SEHN-tsah GLOO-tee-neh), and Italy backs the phrase with more infrastructure than almost anywhere else in Europe. A 2005 national law (Legge 123/2005) recognizes celiac disease as a public health matter, and AIC (Associazione Italiana Celiachia) trains and inspects restaurants and pizzerias through its Alimentazione Fuori Casa program — certified venues carry a crossed grain symbol recognized nationwide, so senza glutine on a certified menu means something specific and verified.

What that certification doesn't do is extend to any other allergen. Dairy, eggs, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish are disclosed on request like anywhere else in the EU, without the same training or symbol behind them — so a senza glutine kitchen isn't automatically a safe kitchen for a dairy or tree-nut allergy. Our Italy food allergy guide covers where those other allergens hide, from parmesan grated over pasta to pine nuts in pesto.

Why written Italian beats spoken English

Italy's AIC network makes gluten uniquely well covered, but that's one allergen out of the fourteen the EU requires disclosure for. Outside major tourist areas, English proficiency at family-run trattorias and osterias drops, and a written card closes that gap without depending on a real-time exchange between you, the server, and whoever's actually cooking. That handoff, from front of house to kitchen, is exactly where a spoken request gets lost and a written one doesn't. It's the same principle behind our translation card approach, and Italy's mix of strong EU labeling law with patchy non-gluten training makes it a clear case for having one.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say food allergy in Italian?

Food allergy in Italian is allergia alimentare. The phrase to know is Sono allergico a [allergen] if you're male or Sono allergica a [allergen] if you're female — "I am allergic to [allergen]." A peanut allergy is Sono allergico alle arachidi (or Sono allergica alle arachidi). For anything severe, put it in writing rather than relying on spoken Italian across a busy kitchen.

How do you say gluten-free in Italian?

Gluten-free in Italian is senza glutine. Italy backs the phrase with real infrastructure: a 2005 national law and AIC's certification network train and inspect restaurants through the Alimentazione Fuori Casa program, and certified venues carry a crossed grain symbol recognized nationwide. That system covers gluten specifically — it says nothing about how a kitchen handles dairy, eggs, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish, so other allergies still need to be communicated separately.

Do restaurants in Italy accept written allergy cards?

Yes. Italian restaurants are required to provide allergen information on request, but disclosure quality varies by venue — tourist-oriented restaurants and chains tend to have information ready, while small family-run trattorias may rely on whoever's cooking that day. A written Italian-English card removes the need for a real-time language exchange and works at every step of the handoff from server to kitchen, which matters most outside major tourist areas where English proficiency drops.