If compared to other European countries, Italy has a very high standard of living and quality of life, and also the life expectancy is very high – 81.9 years for men and 85.9 for women.
This is partly due to the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale or SSN) and its successful welfare measures and well-established health policies that have been applied through the years.
The SSN gives residents access to general practitioners, treatment at public hospitals, subsidized medicines, lab services, ambulance services and specific specialist care. However, even though it is a public system, it is managed by regional governments, which is the reason why its quality may vary according to the region.
If you are a foreign national working in Italy who wants to join the SSN and once you have registered to the Town Hall Registrar’s office of the municipality that you live in, you can go to your local regional health office (Azienda Sanitaria Locale or ASL) to enroll in the Italian healthcare system.
For the application, together with your ID and the Italian tax code, you will need your residence permit and the proof of employment. In addition, if you want to claim benefits for your family you will need a family status certificate (certificato di stato di famiglia).
Please note that the SSN enrollment is mandatory if you have an Italian employment contract. If you have an assignment employment contract (provided that you have also the S1 form) you can have access for free to enrollment. If you don’t have the beforementioned prerequisites but you still want to enroll in the SSN, you must qualify for voluntary enrollment (iscrizione volontaria). Depending on your situation and income, voluntary enrollment has a minimum cost of 2,000 euro per year and it has to be renewed upon expiration (every December).
During the enrollment process, you must choose a family doctor and a pediatrician, if applicable.
As a final step, you will receive your Italian health insurance card (tessera sanitaria), which must be presented to receive care under the SSN. From now on you will have access to all the services mentioned above.
If you need support for obtaining health coverage for you and your family, do not hesitate to contact us. Principal Relocation Company will be pleased to assist you.
