Can I obtain the tessera sanitaria?

All the foreigners that hold a permesso di soggiorno are allowed to request the tessera sanitaria, but your request can be voluntary or mandatory

What does it mean?

The voluntary registration to the health care system means that based on the foreigner status, if you want to obtain the Tessera Sanitaria, you have to pay a certain amount every year.

Instead the mandatory registration means that based on the foreigner status, you can obtain the tessera sanitaria for free.

Who has to do the voluntary registration to the Italian health care system?

– Students

– The holders of permesso for residenza elettiva

– People with the religious permesso di soggiorno

– People who are working in foreign embassies in Italy

– Foreign employees of international organizations that have their offices in Italy

– Foreign people that are doing volunteer programs

– Parents over 65 years old that are holders of family reason permesso

– Europeans that are living in Italy without working

How can I pay?

The foreigner has to pay with the modello F24, the cost of the tessera sanitaria, that starts from a minimum of 700€ for students to a maximum of 2000€. After the payment the tessera will be valid until the end of the year

Who has to do the mandatory registration to the health care system?

– Foreigners who have a regular permesso di soggiorno and are working as an employee, freelancers or if they are registered to the unemployed list

– Holders of permesso for lavoro subordinato, autonomo, family, asylum, subsidiary protection, casi speciali, special protection, health care, asylum seeker, attesa adozione, custody, attesa cittadinanza

– Foreigners who are waiting for the first release of lavoro subordinato permesso or family permesso

– Unaccompanied minors

So, whether I’m working or unemployed, I can ask for it for free, no matter which type of permit I have?

Based on the law it works like that, unfortunately most of the ASL (health office) are not aware of it, so it will be difficult.

Where can I register to the Italian healthcare system?

The foreigner has to request it to the closest ASL of his city. Depending on the city the request can be done online or in person

What documents do I need?

– A valid residence permit or the renewal request and the expired permesso

– Residency certificate or a self-declaration of residency, or something that proves where the foreigner is living

– Codice fiscale

For how long will Tessera sanitaria be valid?

In case of voluntary subscription, the Tessera Sanitaria will expire the 31st of December of the current year. In case of mandatory subscription, the tessera sanitaria will expire the same day of the permesso of the foreigner

Is there a cheaper and valid alternative to the Tessera Sanitaria?

As you may know for every type of permesso you need an insurance, and since the Tessera Sanitaria is very expensive, so a lot of foreigners want an alternative to it. There are a lot of private insurances that the foreigners can use to renew or ask the permesso, unfortunately, there isn’t one that has the same power of the Tessera Sanitaria.