🇮🇹 Italy · Healthcare
How the Italy healthcare system works — public vs private care, eligibility, and costs for residents and visitors.
Italy’s public healthcare system is the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN). Access depends on nationality, residence status, permit reason and regional ASL registration, with the tessera sanitaria used for many healthcare services.
- Foreign residents with qualifying permits may register with the SSN through the local ASL; voluntary registration can apply in some cases.
- EU short-stay visitors commonly use the European Health Insurance Card; non-EU short stays may require private coverage or tariff payment.
- SSN registration and renewal generally follow the residence-permit period, so verify timing with the ASL before a permit expires.
Official authorities
- Ministero della Salute — foreign citizens and SSN
Official guidance on SSN registration for foreign citizens.
- Ministero della Salute — non-EU healthcare access
Official healthcare-access rules for non-EU citizens in Italy.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.