Welcome Office Friuli Venezia Giulia, Health insurance, Trieste Udine, tessera sanitaria, registartion, European Health Insurance Card

Health care insurance

If you are a national from either a EU Member State or an EEA country or you are of Swiss nationality, you should have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, Italian acronym: TEAM) obtained in your home country from your national healthcare authority. With that card, you are automatically covered in all EU-member countries. Please before leaving make sure that you hold an EHIC. If you do not have one, go to the competent Health Institution in your country to ask for an extension of your health insurance coverage to Italy.

Less than 3 months

In general, nationals from the EU Member States, EEA countries or Switzerland in possession of the EHIC are covered only for emergencies and medical care by a general practitioner (family doctor). A patient contribution is required for prescriptions, medical examinations, oral and dental care.
If you stay in Italy less than 3 months, please note that you are not entitled to register with the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale - SSN) (see art. 7 of Dlgs n 30, 7th February 2007). The alternative is to opt for a private health insurance that covers all risks (maternity included).

If you need medical assistance, you can contact the local health authorities Azienda Sanitaria Locale - ASL and SSN hospitals. Please note that you will be asked to show your EHIC! Remember to have your EHIC always with you!!!

More than 3 months

If you stay in Italy for more than 3 months, you can register with the SSN by submitting your application at the ASL, ONLY if you have the E106 Form or E109 Form. In order to be registered with the SSN you must be registered at the Anagarfe office (Anagrafe of citizens temporarily present or permanent resident) in Trieste or Udine. For more inforamtion about the Anagrafe registration, visit the section dedicated.
The following documents are needed to be entitled to public healthcare services:
- Passport or valid ID;
- Tax identification number;
- Temporary Anagrafe registration receipt or Certificate of permanent residence (or the request thereof submitted to the municipal Anagrafe office);
- Letter or statement of the study programme;
- Form E 106 or Form E109.
Remember to ask for a General Practitioner or a Pediatrician that can speak foreign languages!
For a list of General Practitioners or Pediatricians with language skills contact the Welcome Office staff of Trieste or Udine!
Please, when you go to the ASL to get a SSN card, remember to bring with you all the originals of the papers listed above. The health insurance card (tessera sanitaria) will be issued immediately and free of charge. The validity is annual and it could be renew.

Where do you have to go for the registration?
In order to be register and get the Italian health insurance card (tessera sanitaria) you have to go to the Distretto Sanitario - ASL where you belong to. If you wish to know your Distretto Sanitario, please refer to ASL 1 Triestina (if you live in Trieste) or Azienda per i Servizi Sanitari n°4 Medio Friuli (if you live in Udine and Province of Udine).

What are the benefits of accessing the SSN?
Being registered with the SSN entitles you to the same benefits as Italian citizens.
In particular the SSN provides:
- hospitalisation and treatment (including tests, surgical operation and medication during hospitalisation);
- basic medical care (GPs and paediatricians);
- specialist medical care by paediatricians, midwives and other specialist doctors;
- medication at a discounted price;
- laboratory tests, aids and devices;
- ambulance service and other free services provided by the local healthcare authority (e.g. family planning clinics).
People covered by the SSN are entitled to either free or subsidised medication. Any inpatient treatment, i.e. any hospitalisation is free and covered by the national healthcare system.

What is Form E106?
E106 certifies entitlement to health benefits in a country other than that in which the person concerned is normally or was previously insured. Before leaving, remember to go to your local health insurance institution and request an E106 for Italy!

What is Form E109?
E109 certifies entitlement to health benefits in a country other than that in which the person concerned is normally or was previously insured. E109 can be issued by your local health insurance institution only if you are dependant on your family's financial support.

Are you going to stay in Italy for more than 3 months and you do not have an E106 or E109?
In this case you have 2 possibilities:
1. The voluntary registration with the SSN if you are registerd with the National Health System in your country;
2. The underwrite of a private health insurance policy.

1. Voluntary registration with the SSN
If you are registered with the the National Health System in your country, you can decide to register with the Italian SSN on voluntary basis; in this case you have to submit the following documents at ASL:
- "Scheda di iscrizione volontaria al Sistema sanitario nazionale" (form for voluntary registration with the SSN) filled in and signed (see facsimile)
- Passport or valid ID
- Tax identification number
- Original of the receipt of the payment of 149.77 euro; this sum can be paid with a postal giro slip at any Post office. Please follow the instructions below when filling in the slip: Bank account (C/C) no. 181347; account holder (intestato a) "Servizio Sanitario Regionale - Regione FVG"; reason for payment (causale del pagamento) "Iscrizione volontaria al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale - Studio".- Self certification that you do not have any other source of income except for grants and fellowships
- Certificate of residence (only if you reside in Trieste or Udine) or self certification of your domicile in Trieste or Udine.
Please note that the registration expires on December 31st of each year.

2. Private health insurance policy
If you decide to underwrite a private health insurance policy (either in your country of origin or in Italy) it must covers all risks (maternity included). Please note that a private health insurance does not mean you may automatically benefit from the SSN services but only that the insurance company will cover your medical fees.
For further information, you can consult the section Private Health Insurance.

Please Note: More than 3 months with the EHIC!!!
According to EC COM (2009)313 final (2 July 2009) you can stay in Italy more than 3 months with your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, Italian acronym: TEAM). The EHIC remains valid for the length of the stay in Italy (only if you do not move your permanent residency from your country to Italy).

If you need more information about Italian SSN or how to be enrolled with it, you can address your requests to:

In Trieste:
PUNTO INFORMATIVO STRANIERI at ASL 1 Triestina
At "Punto Informativo Stranieri" the multilinguistic staff will be at your disposal.
Via Giovanni Sai, 7 - Comprensorio di San Giovanni - 1° Floor (room 138)
Tel. +39 040 3997584;
Opening hours: from Monday to Friday 2 pm - 6 pm
For more information: Punto Informativo Stranieri (available only in Italian)

In Udine:
AZIENDA PER I SERVIZI SANITARI n°4 MEDIO FRIULI
At "Anagrafe Migranti ed Assistenza Internazionale"
Via San Valentino, 20 - Udine
Tel. +39 0432 553874; e-mail: anagrafe.dist.udin@ass4.sanita.fvg.it
Opening hours: from Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 12.30 pm; Wednesday 8.30 am - 5 pm
For more information: Anagrafe Migranti ed Assistenza Internazionale (available only in Italian)

Do you need more information about Health insurance in Italy?
For further information on public healthcare, please visit the website of the Italian Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare.
If you want to know more about health insurance according to your profile and reason for the visit in Italy, there is useful database (at present, it is under construction and it is available only in Italian!) where you can find this kind of information.

Source: ASL 1 Triestina, Azienda per i Servizi Sanitari n°4 Medio Friuli, Italian Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare; European Commission;