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Social and health services for foreigners

The Regional Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Regionale) guarantees healthcare assistance to foreign citizens registered with the National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale-SSN) and the provision of determined healthcare services to immigrants without residence permits: urgent ambulatory and hospital care, vaccinations, international prophylaxis interventions, Sert (drug addiction services) and mental health interventions.

To obtain information on health services and assistance on the Electronic Health Folder (Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico), call the regional toll-free number 800 033 033 from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 1 pm.

Healthcare for foreigners temporarily residing in Italy

Foreign citizens, both EU and non-EU, who are temporarily staying in Italy for tourism, study or work, can benefit from healthcare in different ways, depending on their status and origin.

  • EU citizens who are resident in Italy, as an alternative to private health insurance, can provide health cover through voluntary registration by paying a fee.
  • EU citizens enrolled on a study course can obtain healthcare cover through voluntary enrollment by paying a fee and declaring their domicile in the Emilia-Romagna region.
  • Minors up to the age of 14, children of immigrants without residence permits, have the right to choose a paediatrician for a fixed term, renewable from year to year until they reach the age of 14, and a family doctor until they reach the age of 18, as long as the child/young person lives in the Region.

A specific temporarily resident foreigner card, the STP card (Straniero Temporaneamente Presente) is issued by the Local Health Authority District to foreigners temporarily staying in the Region, whether or not they have a residence permit.

To find out what healthcare coverage you are entitled to and for the issue of the needed documents, contact the Local Health Authority District of the area where you are temporary staying.

Enrolling in the National Health Service

Enrollment in the National Health Service is free of charge. It is necessary to go to the Local Health Authority District of residence with a personal identity document, residence permit (or document proving that the citizen is awaiting its issue or renewal) and self-certification of residence.

The special STP card issued by the National Health Service has a temporary nature (6 months), is renewable, is valid until the end of the procedure for issuing a residence permit, is issued to foreigners temporarily staying in Italy and not in compliance with the rules on entry and residence.

Nella pagina dedicata è inoltre possibile trovare la lista degli uffici ai quali rivolgersi.

On the dedicated page you can also find a list of the offices you can contact.

Persons registered with the National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) can have a health insurance card. For foreigners, the health insurance card has the same validity as the residence permit. This document is individual and is used to access assistance (i.e. medical examinations, analyses, hospital admissions).

On the dedicated page you can also find a list of offices/venues you can contact.

At the time of registration, the person chooses a family doctor or paediatrician (Medico di medicina generale and Pediatra di libera scelta).

Every citizen has the right to choose his/her doctor and paediatrician (family doctor and paediatrician of free choice). The paediatrician looks after children from 0 to 14 years old. The paediatrician is compulsory for children up to the age of 6 years old; for children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old, the choice may be between paediatrician and family doctor; adolescents between the ages of 14 and 16 years old, for special reasons and upon motivated request, may continue to be treated by the paediatrician. The choice is valid for one year. It may be revoked in favour of another family doctor or paediatrician or tacitly renewed.

For non-EU foreign nationals with a residence permit, the choice of family doctor and paediatrician is for a fixed period and is valid for the same period as the residence permit.

The family doctor and paediatrician’s clinic is open five days a week, from Monday to Friday. If necessary and at the request of the patient, the doctor and paediatrician make home visits.

The choice of doctor among the doctors and paediatricians in the district territory can be made in person at the health district of residence, via the Electronic Health Record or by e-mail. An interactive map is available on this page to find the offices/venues of family doctors and paediatricians in the Emilia-Romagna Region.

The Electronic Health Folder (Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico-FSE) allows you to archive and consult your health and social-health data and documents from PCs and smartphones, in a confidential and protected form. It is like a drawer where all your health documentation is stored and organised.

By activating the Electronic Health Folder you can: pay fees for medical visits; book, move or cancel visits or specialist examinations; consult and print the reports of visits and examinations you have carried out in the facilities of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Health Service, including emergency room reports, discharge letters from admissions to public hospitals, specialist and pharmaceutical prescriptions; have access to the reports in real time; consult your vaccination certificate; enter other paper health documents – such as reports of visits or examinations carried out in private facilities or prior to activation – by simply uploading them after scanning or photographing them; change your family doctor or your children’s paediatrician; consult waiting times for specialist visits.

Specialist visits and examinations

Specialist visits and examinations are prescribed by the family doctor or paediatrician and by other doctors of the Regional and National Health Service.

Screening programmes for the prevention and early detection of cervical, breast and colorectal cancer

Foreign women and men, if resident or domiciled in Emilia-Romagna and if in the age range indicated in the programmes, are also invited to participate in screening programmes for the prevention and early detection of uterine, breast and colorectal cancer. The invitation letter arrives at their homes.

Vaccinations scheduled for all children and adolescents

Community Health Houses (formerly Health Centres)

Health Centres are a single, close and usual point of reference for citizens, where they can access primary care, receive counseling and assistance and find all health-related professionals and services.

In the Health Centres, assistance is provided through collaboration between family doctors, specialists, nurses, social workers and reception staff.

Here you can find the nearest Health Centre to which you can refer for information.

For more information on social and health services for foreign citizens resident in Emilia-Romagna please check:

Private fee-for-services

Please note that health insurance card or other forms of free or subsidised healthcare are only available at public hospitals or medical centres accredited with the National Health Service.

  • DoctorsinItaly offers the possibility to book private healthcare services. It is a digital platform that allows you to find available English-speaking doctors throughout Italy and operates by putting doctors in contact with patients.
  • Gruppo Villa Maria Care & Research is one of the Italian groups operating in the health field. Its areas of activity range from medical services, to medical-scientific research and training, but also the biomedical sector. Through the platform, it is possible to book a specialist visit or examination at GVM Hospitals and Outpatient Clinics on a private regime. In particular, it is possible to select: medical service, date, time, location and referring doctor.Here you can access the page for bookings.

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