Health Insurance
Health Insurance Coverage is mandatory in order to obtain a student stay permit in Italy.
- If you take out a private insurance in your country, please remember that, in order to be valid in Italy for obtaining the residence permit, it needs to have the following requirements:
- it has to be taken out in the holder’s name (in western characters)
- it has to be written in Italian (or in English, French, Spanish)
- validity in the Schengen Area/Italy
- it states the exact coverage period (it must be not less than 6 months and maximum 1 year; notice that the duration of the residence permit will be connected to the duration of the insurance)
- it must clearly written the type of coverage for the medical expenses and it must have € 30.000 ceiling (expressed/converted in Euros)
- The whole document has to be endorsed and stamped by the Italian Embassy/Consulate in your country.
- As an alternative, once in Italy you can take out a private insurance through an Italian insurance company which will cover urgent medical assistance (surgery and accidents) in the Emergency Room (Pronto Soccorso) of any hospital.
- Otherwise, upon the arrival, it is possible to subscribe to the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale - S.S.N.). At present the price for students is € 149,77 a year; the payment is valid for a calendar year, that is, until the 31st of December of the year when the payment has been made. In order to subscribe, first you have to pay € 149,77 at any post office, by filling in the F24 form (MODELLO F24). After submitting your residence permit application, you have to go to the A.S.L. office in the area where you live (A.S.L. are the local administrative and operative facilities of the National Health Service) and apply for the subscription, bringing along: your passport, the residence permit receipt, the paying-in slip receipt for MODELLO F24. The public coverage provided by the National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) provides full health assistance - including the possibility to choose a family doctor. In the Italian health system, the family doctor gives general or 1st level health assistance, i.e., health care outside the hospital, hence including medical treatment in case of ordinary diseases or no-emergency health problems, and prescribes medicines and tests.
- Lastly, those who have a document proving their right to health assistance on the basis of treaties and bilateral agreements signed by Italy and one’s own Country, which has been issued by the Italian Embassy/Consulate in their Country, can show this document to make use of the health services stated in the agreement. For more information, it is necessary to apply to the A.S.L. in the area of residence.
