There has been an exciting change in Italian healthcare affecting Italians who reside abroad and are registered with A.I.R.E. Below, we discuss what has changed, and what those Italian citizens living outside of Italy need to know.
Healthcare Access for Italians Abroad Before the Reform
Until now, Italian citizens residing abroad and registered with A.I.R.E. were generally removed from Italy’s National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) upon registering their overseas residence. Depending on the region and individual circumstances, they could still receive healthcare in Italy in emergency situations or during temporary stays of up to 90 days. However, they did not have full access to the Italian healthcare system and were often required to rely on healthcare coverage in their country of residence.
What Has Changed?
On June 9th, 2026, the Italian Senate approved a law that would allow Italians residing abroad to have healthcare coverage in Italy for €2,000 a year. This is a massive and positive change for Italians registered with A.I.R.E., granting them access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, particularly for those residing abroad in countries where healthcare might be more expensive and not as accessible.
Specifically, this applies to Italian citizens who are residing outside of the EU/EFTA area. Italian citizens outside of this zone can now voluntarily sign up for Italian health insurance and receive their own tessera sanitaria.
Within 90 days, the Ministry of Health should be releasing further guidelines. Here at ICA, we will keep you updated as new information emerges.
How to Register with A.I.R.E.
As a reminder, it is mandatory for Italians residing abroad for longer than 12 months to register with A.I.R.E., the official registry of Italians abroad. This applies to those who obtain Italian citizenship jure sanguinis and already reside outside of Italy.
To apply, you will need to submit an application via the Fast IT portal to your nearest Italian consulate. If you relocate and change consular jurisdictions, you will need to ensure your A.I.R.E. records reflect that.
Qualifications
As mentioned above, at the time of writing, we are still waiting for further information from the Italian Ministry of Health, but as of now, these are the primary guidelines to qualify for Italian health coverage for citizens residing abroad:
- Be registered with A.I.R.E.
- Reside outside of the EU/EFTA
- Pay €2,000 per year
Conclusion
If you are an Italian citizen residing abroad and would like to register for Italian health insurance, Italian Citizenship Assistance can help! Contact us today to get started with registration at [email protected].
