Cover your shoulders and knees, and take off your hat. That is the safe reading of every official version of the rules for the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.
- Checked on 22 October 2026
- Sources: the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica, the Papal Household
In short
- One rule covers the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Gardens.
- Not allowed: sleeveless or low-cut tops, shorts above the knee, miniskirts and hats.
- Safest: knees covered. The French and German versions of the rule ask for it.
- The rule also covers visible tattoos and objects that may offend Catholic morality.
- Museum tickets cannot be refunded. Dress right before you go.
- Pack a thin shirt or a large scarf, and keep it on inside.
Our outfit helper opens set to a tourist visit to a place of worship in warm weather. Menswear only, for now.
Where the rule is checked
The rule applies when you enter: at the Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano, and at St Peter’s Basilica, which you reach through a security check in the square.
The numbers match the list.
Vatican Museums entrance, Viale VaticanoSecurity check with metal detectors, then the dress rule. Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 20:00, last entry 18:00. Metro A: Ottaviano or Cipro. Bus 49 stops in the square in front of the Museums.
Sistine ChapelInside the Museums, under the same rule. Silence, and no photos or filming.
Vatican GardensThe Museums’ rule names them too. Their page sends you to the official ticket site.
Security check for the BasilicaRun by the Italian State Police, in the right-hand half of St Peter’s Square as you face the Basilica. Every visitor queues on that side.
St Peter’s BasilicaIts own rule: no excessively short clothing, sleeveless tops or hats. Open 7:00 to 20:00 until 25 October 2026, then 7:00 to 19:00 until 28 March 2027.
Paul VI Audience HallThe ticket office for papal audiences is just inside. Tickets are free.
Dashed line: the walk outside the walls, along Viale Vaticano to Piazza del Risorgimento (bus 32, 81, 982 and tram 19), then to the square. The official pages give no route or time for it.
The rule, word for word
The Vatican Museums publish it under “Clothing” on their page “Useful information for visitors”. Entry to the four places it names “is permitted only to appropriately dressed visitors”.
“Sleeveless and / or low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, miniskirts and hats are not permitted.”
The rule also covers “visible personal objects” and visible signs “such as, for example, tattoos” that “may offend Catholic morality, the Catholic religion and common decency”.
St Peter’s Basilica publishes its own rules in English and Italian, the “Rules for the common good”. Under “Appropriate clothing”:
“Entry to the Basilica is permitted only with appropriate clothing for a place of worship. Excessively short clothing, sleeveless tops, or hats are not allowed inside the church.”
The language versions differ
The Museums publish their rule in several languages, and the versions do not say quite the same. Our translations are in brackets.
| Language | Shorts | Tops |
|---|---|---|
| English | “shorts above the knee” | “Sleeveless and / or low-cut garments” |
| Italian | “pantaloncini che non coprano fino alle ginocchia” (shorts that do not come down to the knees) | “indumenti sbracciati e/o scollati” (sleeveless and/or low-cut) |
| French | “les shorts qui ne couvrent pas les genoux” (shorts that do not cover the knees) | “vêtements échancrés et/ou décolletés” (cut-away and/or low-cut) |
| German | “Shorts, die nicht die Knie bedecken” (shorts that do not cover the knees) | “tief ausgeschnittene und/oder dekolletierte Kleidungsstücke” (low-cut clothes) |
Official sources disagree
Shorts. The English version bans shorts above the knee. The French and German versions ban shorts that do not cover the knees.
Tops. The English and Italian versions name sleeveless tops. The French and German versions speak only of cut-away or low-cut clothes.
We follow the strictest wording of each: knees covered, as the French and German say, and sleeves, as the English, the Italian and the Basilica’s rule say. An outfit that meets both passes under every version.
What passes at the door
Our reading of the two rules, not an official list. Neither text says “shoulders and knees” word for word.
| Part | Passes | Does not pass |
|---|---|---|
| Top | A T-shirt or shirt with sleeves | A tank top, a strap top, a low-cut top |
| Legs | Long trousers; a skirt, dress or shorts that cover the knee | Shorts above the knee, a miniskirt |
| Head | Bare head inside. A cap is fine in the queue. | A hat or cap kept on inside |
| Cover-up | A shirt or cardigan over a strap top, kept on inside | A cover-up taken off inside |
Before you go
Dress before you leave
Museum tickets cannot be refunded. A wrong outfit can cost you the ticket.
Book only on the official site
The Museums name tickets.museivaticani.va as the only one. Lookalike sites may charge much more.
Check the day
The Museums close on Sundays, except the last one, and on some holidays. See the table below.
Mind your bag
Going on to the Basilica after the Museums? They ask you not to leave bags in their cloakroom.
Linen shirt, linen trousers, suede loafers. Change a piece and the helper tells you if it still works.
Opening hours, closed days and contacts
| Point | Vatican Museums | St Peter’s Basilica |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 20:00, last entry 18:00. Last Sunday of the month 9:00 to 14:00, last entry 12:30. | 7:00 to 20:00 until 25 October 2026. 7:00 to 19:00 from 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027. |
| Closed | Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, and holidays. Next: 8, 25 and 26 December. All closed days | No closing day on its page. |
| Entry | EUR 20, or EUR 20 plus 5 when booked online. Free on the last Sunday of the month. | Through the square with the flow of visitors, or book a visit on the Basilica’s site. |
| Security check | At the entrance, with metal detectors. | Italian State Police, in the right-hand half of the square. |
| Contact | +39 06 69883145, info.musei@scv.va | Fabbrica di San Pietro, for access: +39 06 69883462, accoglienza@fsp.va (not for tickets) |
Papal audiences and Mass
- Tickets for papal audiences are free. The Prefecture of the Papal Household: “TICKETS ARE ENTIRELY FREE”. Ask the Prefecture by letter or fax (+39 06 6988 5863), not a seller.
- Collect them at the ticket office just inside the Paul VI Audience Hall. For a General Audience: 15:00 to 19:00 the day before, or 7:00 to 10:00 that morning.
- The Prefecture publishes no dress rule for audiences. Inside St Peter’s, the Basilica’s rule applies at every service. Our advice: dress as for the Basilica.
Questions
Can I wear shorts in the Vatican?
Only if they cover your knees. The English text bans “shorts above the knee”; the French and German texts ask for shorts that cover the knees.
Do I have to cover my shoulders?
Yes, in practice. Sleeveless and low-cut tops are not allowed. A T-shirt with sleeves is fine.
Is a scarf over the shoulders enough?
The rules do not mention scarves. In our view, a large scarf that stays in place covers a strap top, but a shirt with sleeves is the surer choice.
Where is the dress code checked?
When you enter: at the Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano, and at St Peter’s Basilica, after the security check in the right-hand half of the square.
Do I get my money back if I am turned away?
No. The Museums: “Tickets cannot be refunded.”
Are the rules different for men and women?
No. The same words apply to everyone.
What should I wear to a papal audience?
No official dress rule is published. Dress as for St Peter’s: shoulders and knees covered, no hat inside.
Related tools
Sources
- Vatican Museums, Useful information for visitorsThe dress rule, hours, security check, cloakroom, contacts. The same page in Italian, French and German. Checked on 22 October 2026.
- Vatican Museums, Days and hours of closureChecked on 22 October 2026.
- Vatican Museums, Prices and ticketsPrices, no refunds, the only official ticket site. Checked on 22 October 2026.
- Vatican Museums, Getting hereAddress, metro, bus and tram. Checked on 22 October 2026.
- Vatican Museums, Vatican GardensChecked on 22 October 2026.
- St Peter’s Basilica, Rules for the common goodThe same rules in Italian. Checked on 22 October 2026.
- St Peter’s Basilica, Entering the BasilicaThe security check. Checked on 22 October 2026.
- St Peter’s Basilica, Info and opening hoursChecked on 22 October 2026.
- St Peter’s Basilica, ContactsChecked on 22 October 2026.
- Prefecture of the Papal Household, TicketsFree tickets, ticket office, collection times. See also its main page. Checked on 22 October 2026.