Health insurance Italy

If you’re going to Italy for a longer period of time or are emigrating, you’ll need to know about the Italian healthcare system, the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, and how you as a foreigner can be insured for healthcare costs.

In Italy, not everyone has their own chosen health insurance. Instead, healthcare is managed under a national healthcare system. Any resident can register for free with the SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale). This means you can also insure your family members.

The insurance system is funded per region by regional taxes. Your employer pays the tax to the government or, if you’re self-employed, you do this yourself. Once you have registered locally, you’ll receive the ‘Tessera Sanitaria’ – the Italian insurance card.

The SSN covers treatment such as the general practitioner, paediatrician, dentist, gynaecologist and hospitalisation. These payments go via the government. Care is free when provided at a local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) office or a doctor registered with the SSN.

You may still have to pay a personal contribution for medical tests and medicines. If you choose to receive treatment from a private doctor not registered with the SSN, these costs are at your own expense. Publicly registered doctors and hospitals generally have longer waiting times.

There are a number of situations where it is mandatory to have health insurance in Italy. First and foremost, this applies if you have a residence permit and are working in Italy, or earning income as a self-employed person. It may also be necessary if you’re registered in Italy, or if you renew your residence permit.

If you have dependent family members, then one or more of them may also have to take out mandatory health insurance.

Dutch nationals residing in Italy for other reasons, but who have a residence permit for more than 3 months, can voluntarily apply for the SSN. This includes, for example, students, au pairs and volunteers. This group pays a fixed amount for healthcare from the SSN.

You can arrange to register with the SSN at a local office. To do this, you’ll need proof of identity, a tax code and possibly a residence permit or a residence permit renewal application form. After registration, you’ll receive an insurance card. In addition to health insurance in Italy, you may also be entitled to pension accrual and protection against unemployment or disability.

• Public providers have longer waiting times and in hospital it is usual to share a room with other patients.
• Costs for private clinics and non-registered doctors are not reimbursed, so it’s important to check your provider in advance.
• If you’re moving to Italy, you may have to deal with an interim period before your insurance comes into effect.

Depending on your personal situation, you may be required to keep your Dutch national health insurance during your stay in Italy. Dutch national health insurance refunds emergency care worldwide. However, you will never be refunded more than the cost of the treatment in the Netherlands. You may, therefore, have to pay extra if you’re staying in a country where medical care is more expensive. Repatriation due to illness or an accident is not covered by Dutch national health insurance.

We are the insurance specialist when it comes to healthcare insurance for Dutch nationals going abroad. This means we also have a solution for your foreign adventure in Italy. We offer a solution if you are not, or are no longer eligible for Dutch national health insurance. You can also use our insurance as a supplement to your Dutch national health insurance, or your Italian health insurance.

• Determine the duration of your cover - if you move to a new address, you can terminate the insurance on any day
• Choose how extensive your healthcare insurance needs to be
• Our Dutch help centre is available 24/7
• 15% discount if you have Dutch national health insurance
• We also offer several other insurance options, such as household contents, accident or third-party liability insurance

For more information about our insurance, or to find out what the premium would be, take a look at our international insurances.

• Information from the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance about registration with SSN
• Information from the CAK about retiring or receiving a Dutch benefit in a Treaty country