Many Italians prefer to take out private medical insurance to complement the services of their national health system.

BEFORE LEAVING THE UNITED KINGDOM

Get a EHIC - European Health Insurance Card from the Post Office. It entitles UK residents to free or low-cost medical treatment when visiting other EU countries for a limited period of time.

Consider private medical or travel insurance for what's not covered by the European Health Insurance Card.

ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN ITALY

As an EU citizen you are entitled, upon presentation of your EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC), to be visited by a medico convenzionato for a small sum.

In case of emergencies, you can go to any Pronto Soccorso (First Aid) free of charge (if the hospital believes it wasn't a real emergency, it may charge a small fee).

Once you are paying Italian National Insurance contributions you should register with the local Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) and obtain a Tessera Sanitaria (EU Health Insurance Card for Italy - which will also include your tax code number). Most ASLs have their own website now and you can consult that for further information.

Registering with a doctor, a medico convenzionato. The ASL will have a list of local doctors and health centres. ASL addresses can be found in local newspapers or on TuttoCittà or other street guides. Also, you can visit the Health Ministry (in Italian only) website for further information on ASLs.

Self-employed or freelance workers should first register with the local Istituto Nazionale di Previdenza Sociale (INPS – Italian only).

Not all medical staff will speak English, so it's a good idea to look up your symptoms in a dictionary first. If you would prefer to communicate in English with medical staff, visit the doctors, dentists and vets pages on this website.

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