Resettling in Italy

When you have a regular residence permit, you can register for the National Health Service (SSN) by contacting the ASL of your municipality of residence, or, if you are not yet resident, the actual municipality of residence indicated in the residence permit.

Registration with the SSN allows you to choose the family doctor registered in the ASL registers with the consequent attribution of 4 recognizable credits for the purposes of the integration agreement.
Health care is extended to your dependent family members who regularly stay in Italy.

HOW TO MAKE A COMPULSORY REGISTRATION TO THE SSN

All foreign citizens outside the EU are entitled to compulsory registration with the National Health Service (SSN):

• who are regularly staying in Italy and are engaged in regular work or self-employment or are registered as unemployed
• who are regularly staying and have requested the renewal of the residence permit for: employed or self-employed persons, family reasons, for asylum, for subsidiary protection, for special cases, for special protection, for medical treatment (Article 19, paragraph 2, letter d-bis of the T.U.), for waiting for adoption, by custody, by acquisition of citizenship
• pending the first issue of the residence permit for employed or family work
• unaccompanied foreign minors, even pending the issuance of the residence permit, following the reports of law after their discovery in the national territory and in any case all minors regardless of the state of regularity of the stay, with consequent entitlement to the basic pediatrician from 0 to 14 years and the general practitioner from 14 to 18 years

To benefit from the benefits provided by the NHS you must register, and the health card is the document that proves registration.

This document is individual and is used to access assistance.

Where to register for the SSN

The registration to the SSN must be made at the offices chosen and revocation of the ASL where you have the residence or habitual residence indicated on the residence permit.

What to do to register with the National Health Service

To register for the National Health Service, you must go to the counters of the ASL with the following documents:

• valid residence permit or application for renewal of the permit attested by the receipt issued by the Post Office or by the Police Headquarters
• self-certification of residence or, in the absence thereof, a declaration of actual residence as shown on the residence permit
• tax identification number or self-certification (codice Fiscale)
• receipt certifying that the application for the issue of the first residence permit for employed persons issued by the Post Office has been submitted

Pending the issuance of the permit for family reasons for the purpose of compulsory registration with the National Health Service, you must present the following documents:

• entry visa
• receipt, issued by the Authorized Post Office, certifying that the application for a residence permit has been submitted
• an unauthenticated photocopy of the clearance issued by the Single Window

For minors in foster care or pending adoption, a permit is not required for the purposes of the regularity of the stay. The foreign minor shall have all the rights attributed to the Italian child in foster care upon entry into Italy. Therefore, in such cases the child, adopted or entrusted, must be compulsorily registered with the SSN under the same conditions and modalities provided for the first registration of the Italian minor

Duration of registration with the SSN

The Personal Health Insurance Card (Tessera Sanitaria) has the same duration as the residence permit.

Pending the issuance of the permit for family reasons or the first permit for employed work, registration is temporary and will be converted with the same duration of the permit at the time of submission of this.

What is entitled to the health card

The Personal Health Insurance Card entitles you to the following benefits:

• have a family doctor or pediatrician
• free hospitalization in public and conventional hospitals
• pharmaceutical assistance
• general medical examinations in the clinic
• specialist medical examinations
• medical examinations at home
• vaccinations
• blood tests
• radiographs
• ultrasound
• medicines
• rehabilitation and prosthetic care
• other benefits provided for in the essential levels of assistance

How to access healthcare

When registering choose your family doctor or pediatrician, whose name is on your health card, to which you can contact free of charge.

When you have a referral from a doctor, you can make an appointment with a specialist in the manner defined by the region in which you are registered.

Each specialist visit involves the payment of a fee to participate in the health expenditure (ticket) as is the case for Italian citizens.

There are arrangements for exemption from the payment of tickets for recognized specific conditions of income, age, disability or disease. The Ticket Exemption Card is issued at the counters of your ASL.

Psychological help 

You can find more details here: https://www.facebook.com/emergenzapsicologionlineunipd

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You can get an Italian mobile phone number just by going to one of the mobile phone company stores (e.g., Tim, Vodafone, WindTre), which you can find almost anywhere throughout the country, and asking for a sim card.

While you are in Italy, an Italian phone number is useful not only for making regular calls, but often for opening a bank account, or for dealing with public administrations, institutions, service providers (energy, gas, light, internet, etc.), public and private companies (e.g., insurance companies), etc. Some of them prefer to communicate via text messages.

It is possible to ask for a rechargeable sim card or, if all the requirements are met, for a card with a monthly payment plan.

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