Medical care for extra E.U. citizens

Non E.U. citizens registered at the National Healthcare Service and regularly living in Italy

Foreign citizens registered at the National Healthcare Service can have all medical services granted by the Italian law at the same conditions of Italian citizens.

There are two types of registration at the National Healthcare Service SSN: compulsory and optional enrolment.

Compulsory enrolment
Foreign citizens with a valid Residence Permit or foreign citizens who have applied for the renewal of the Residence Permit must register at the SSN at the local healthcare districts (ASL) in case they are in one of the following conditions:
- subordinate or self-employed workers
- seeking assistance for family reasons
- seeking for political asylum (according to Geneva's convention)
- seeking asylum for humanitarian reasons
- waiting for acquisition of citizenship
- women during pregnancy and during the 6 months immediately after the birth of the baby
- detainees
- citizens registered at the employment agency

Required documents for enrolling with SSN
- self-certification of residence or declaration of effective place of residence as stated on one's Permit of Stay
- valid Permit of Stay or one in process of renewal
- fiscal code (self-certification is accepted)

Non EU citizens with business permit to stay, non EU citizens not requested to pay the income tax on natural persons and citizens with permit to stay for medical assistance are not entitled to the compulsory enrolment at the SSN.

Optional enrolment
Foreign citizens who don’t fall within the above list must anyhow insure themselves against sickness and accidents, choosing either to stipulate an insurance premium with an insurance company or to make an optional enrolment with SSN.
Only foreign citizens in the following conditions can make an optional registration at the National Healthcare Service:
- students
- au pair workers
- members of religious orders
- citizens with permit to stay for elective residence
- non EU employees of international organisations operating in Italy
- employees of consular and diplomatic delegations
- citizens not requested to pay the income tax on natural persons
- other specific categories of citizens not falling within the above list

Required documents for voluntary enrolment
- valid permit of Stay for more than 3 months (students and au pair workers can apply for optional enrolment even with a shorter permit to stay)
- self-certification of residence or declaration of an effective place of residence as stated on one's permit of stay
- fiscal code (self-certification is accepted)
- receipt certifying the payment of the required amount

Non EU citizens with permit to stay for tourism or medical purpose are not entitled either to the compulsory, or to the voluntary enrolment.

Non EU citizens not enrolled at the SSN can have:
- urgent hospital assistance (out patients or in patients wards and day-hospitals) paying the requested fee at the moment of discharge
- the requested medical assistance upon payment of the requested fee.

Department for foreign citizens

Within San Matteo Hospital, a Department for foreign citizens provides medical assistance to all citizens not enrolled at the National Healthcare System.

Special agreements

Some countries have specific agreements with Italy in order to guarantee medical assistance to some categories of their own citizens.
See the list