Frequently Asked Question #19:

Q. What medical provision is available to foreign residents in Italy?

A. If you are a foreigner who wishes to become resident in Italy, you are required to demonstrate that you have adequate medical cover there: this can be provided either by the state, or privately.

In Italy, state provision of free medical benefits is tightly linked to the payment of Italian social security contributions - the local equivalent of UK National Insurance contributions. Residents not paying Italian social security contributions generally need to have private health insurance: if for any reason they then receive treatment in the state sector, they are expected to pay for it at the point of delivery.

EU citizens who retire to Italy are in a special category: in most cases, they can register for state health care without being required to make social security contributions.

EU citizens who are not resident in Italy can be covered in Italy by a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued in their country of residence. Take the EHIC to your local health centre (Unita Sanitaria Locale, USL), which will issue you with a Certificate of Entitlement (a 'USL Certificate') and show you a list of local family doctors. Take the USL Certificate to one of the doctors on the list, who will then - for a small fee - accept you as a patient so that you can receive free medical treatment.

Unless they are employed in Italy, non-EU citizens will almost certainly find themselves outside the Italian social security system, and therefore obliged to have private health insurance if they wish to have resident status.

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