If you are an international student and are planning to study in Italy, here you will find all the options for Health Insurance For Non EU Students (and EU Students as well).

Will you stay in Italy more or less than 90 days?

First of all, if you want to study in Italy and you are staying for more than 90 days you need health insurance.

If you stay less than 90 days and come from a country that has a visa-free entry, you can avoid private insurance and pay any medical tickets out of your own pocket.

You can visit this website to check if you need a visa to study in Italy.

Read Also Healthcare in Italy – Why Is It Among The Best in The World?

Health Insurance For Non-EU Students

If you are an international student from a non-EU country and you are planning to stay for more than 90 days, you need to take out health insurance for your full stay in Italy.

If you take out your insurance in your country of residence, please bear in mind that it must comply with the following conditions:

• Health Insurance has to be taken out in the holder’s name 
• Health Insurance must be in Italian (or English, French, Spanish)
• Health Insurance must be valid in the Schengen area and of course in Italy
• It shall indicate the exact period of coverage (this period may not be less than six months or more than one year)
• It must have clearly stated what medical expenses it covers
• It must have a ceiling of € 30.000 (converted into euros) to obtain a stay permit (Permesso di Soggiorno)
• It must be endorsed and stamped by the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country.

Italian National Health Service for Students

Once you arrive in Italy, you can register with the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale – S.S.N.) and get a health card (European Health Insurance Card) 

But to register, you first need to have a Stay Permit (Permesso di Soggiorno).

So we suggest you to add this coverage from the Italian National Health Service to your existing health policy. So you will have additional coverage.

Currently, you must bear a cost of €149,77 a year.

IMPORTANT 

This cost covers a calendar year (from 1 January to 31 December). So if you sign up in September, you will pay the annual fee, but the card will only be valid for three months.

You first have to submit your residence permit application, and then you should go to the A.S.L., the local administrative office in the area where you live and apply for the subscription.

You must bring with you:

• A valid passport
• The residence permit receipt

Read Also Study and Work in Italy

Italian National Health Service PROS & CONS

PROS

• You will benefit from the same services as Italian citizens.
• You will get a European Health Insurance Card valid in all EU countries
• You can choose a Primary Care Physician (Medico di Base). These are doctors who offer free consultations, prescriptions for drugs, or diagnostic tests.
• if your GP prescribes you class A or B drugs you can buy them a lower or no cost (if the NHS covers them)

CONS

• You can choose the primary care physician but not the specialist who will examine you in case you need a specialist examination. 
• If you need to see a specialist or submit to a diagnostic test you first need to ask for a prescription or referral paper from your GP
• Not all doctors in Italian public hospitals speak English well. But let’s say that being students in Italy you could be the one to talk to Italian 
• You still need to pay a ticket for most medical services, but its cost is very low. For example, for a specialist examination is 36 euros. 

Health Insurance For Non EU Students – How to Choose?

Ask Your School

You can ask for information both to your School at home or to the one in Italy. They will surely help you in this process.

Search Online

Many Health insurances offer Student Health Insurance so you can try to compare them.

Extend your plan 

If you already have a private family insurance in your home country, you can check if it is possible to extend it so that it will cover you also while you are in Italy. 

What to check when you are choosing a Student Health Insurance

As with any type of health insurance, there are some aspects to check and be aware of:

How much is the deductible?

Almost all insurance companies have deductibles, which are the fee that the insured must bear.
For example: if you have a €250 deductible, and your medical fee is €1000, the insurance will pay 750 euros, and you will pay €250

Validity

As we said, validity is essential for your stay permit (Permesso di Soggiorno). 

Coverage 

You need to read carefully, which accidents and diseases are covered by insurance.
For example, coverage for accidents due to the practice of certain sports, such as riding, sometimes should be required in addition.

Limit of Liability

There is always a maximum amount that your policy will cover. You must be aware of that.
Rembert that to obtain a stay permit the ceiling must be at least 30.000 euros

Pre-existing conditions 

Most health insurance does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, in particular chronic disease.
If you have a pre-existing condition, you should check carefully with the Insurance Company what they can cover.
You may be required to pay a higher insurance premium.

Health insurance for EU students in Italy

Students resident in a European Union country can use their National Health Insurance Card (European Health Insurance Card).

They are entitled to access to the national public healthcare service as they were Italians. 

So they don’t need any additional health insurance.

For any further information, students can contact the A.S.L. in the area of residence.

However, who prefers to consult a private doctor or a private health facility then may still wish to take out private medical insurance.

Useful Information

Who is the “Medico di Base” (Primary Care Physician)

If you are an Italian citizen or a foreign citizen registered with the Italian National Health Service, you must also choose your Primary Care Physician or Family doctor.

These are doctors who work for the Italian National Health. They offer free consultations, can give you prescriptions for drugs or diagnostic tests. 

Every general practitioner has his or her own office and determines the opening hours.