In Italy, urgent healthcare is provided to everyone, even to undocumented people.
If you are an asylum seeker, a refugee or you hold subsidiary protection status, you are entitled to access health services on the same basis as Italians. You must register with the Italian public healthcare system (SSN – Sistema sanitario nazionale), together with your family members. The registration is carried out at the local public healthcare office (ASL – Azienda sanitaria locale or ASP – Azienda sanitaria provinciale) of the place where you are living. Once registered, you will receive a health card (Tessera sanitaria) and you will have the right to: a family doctor (or pediatrician for children under 14 years old), specialized medical visits in case of need, blood tests and vaccinations, hospitalization, and other different kind of health treatments, depending on your needs.
When you approach an ASL/ASP you can also ask for more specific information on specialized health care, including mental health support, that you can book through the healthcare booking services of your local ASL/ASP (CUP – Centro Unico Prenotazioni).
On the website of the Ministry of Health you will find additional information on healthcare for foreigners in Italy.
If you live in a reception facility, ask the reception staff to provide you with information and support to approach the nearby local health clinics.
Even if you do not have a stable place where to stay or accommodation in a reception centre some NGOs are specialized in healthcare of migrants and refugees, and they may be present where you live. Here are some links that you may find useful:
MEDU – Medici per I Diritti Umani (Medical Doctors for Human Rights)
Intersos – Provision of social and health assistance also to groups in conditions of marginality including unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), young adults previously entitled to humanitarian protection, survivors of human trafficking and of gender-based violence are the most fragile categories that we assist.
LHIVE – Health assistance also for persons with HIV
MSF – Medici Senza Frontiere – for medical care and assistance in various locations in Italy, also for psychological assistance
Mental Health
The Italian system has a dedicated network of assistance services for mental health that you can access through your medical doctor. On the website of Ministry of Health you can also find the list of DSM – Dipartimenti Salute Mentale (Department of Mental Health) in your city
Disability
Services may vary depending on your place of living and health infrastructure. However on the website of Ministry of Health, you can find general information and initial guidance to have access to specific services for disabled persons (in Italian).
