Non-EU citizens legally present in Italy have access to the facilities of the Italian National Health Service in different ways depending on the reason for living.
Foreigners residing legally in Italy for a period exceeding three months, are required to insure themselves against sickness, accident and maternity, by private insurance policy or with mandatory enrollment in the Italian Health Service.
The eligible citizens to mandatory registration in the National Health Service are:
- people who are legally residing and working as an employment or self-employed or are registered in employed list;
- people who are legally residing or having applied the renewal of residence permits for: employment or self-employed work, family reasons, political asylum, humanitarian asylum, asylum in general, waiting adoption, foster care, citizenship acquisition;
- people who are waiting for the first issue of residence permit for employment or for family reasons.
How and where to go for the mandatory registration in the Italian Health Service?
Non-EU citizens with valid residence permit can go to the Local Health Units ASL (Italian only) of the City of registered residence, or if not yet resident, domicile indicated in the actual permit. Health care is extended to dependent family members residing legally in Italy.
The necessary documents for registration are:
- residence permit;
- passport with visa;
- Italian tax identification number;
- certificate of residence;
- a certificate of family status if you want to get the benefits for your spouse or children;
Duration of the National Health Service registration
The health card has the same duration of the residence permit.
How to access to health care
After registration, the citizen choose a general practitioners and, if he has children under six years old, a pediatrician, to which he can ask for free if needed. To citizen and his every family member will be assigned a number of public health and receive a health card valid for one year which must be constantly renewed, and if you lose or change an address, you must request a new one. Once we receive the medical card will be shown at public health facility or agreement to require the cures they need. The service is direct and therefore nothing is due, except the payment of any ticket that is not refundable.
