Healthcare and Primary Services for temporary stays
Healthcare for European students
Students coming from EU countries can benefit from medical assistance in Italy thanks to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, in Italian "TEAM") issued by the competent health institution in your country of residence.
- The EHIC must be valid abroad: please verify that the European medical assistance section is filled out with your personal data.
- Please check the EHIC expiry date before the departure and make sure to renew it on time in case of expiry during your stay in Italy.
If you do not have an EHIC, please contact the competent health institution in your country of residence before the departure.
The EHIC gives you access to the National Health Service for "urgently needed medical treatments" during your temporary stay (The general aim is to ensure assistance while you are staying in Italy):
- You can have free check-up by all GPs
- You can access all hospitals and agreed clinics, laboratories and instrumental-diagnostic tests by paying a fee, commonly called "ticket".
The EHIC guarantees medical assistance for health issues occurred during your stay in Italy only; it does not cover the cost of private medical treatments.
If during your stay you need to undergo regular therapies, you must contact the hospital or clinic in Italy well in advance, in order to make sure that such therapies are available (for this purpose, a medical report must be provided).
For scheduled treatments, elective care and waivers please see detailed info here: https://www.unipd.it/en/healthcare-EU
Healthcare for extra-European students
Extra-EU students have 3 options:
- EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)
- Private insurance
- Bilateral agreement
1. EHIC
If you reside in a EU country and you have a Health Insurance Card (EHIC, in Italian "TEAM") issued by the competent health institution in your European country of residence, you can benefit from medical assistance in Italy during your stay.
- The EHIC must be valid abroad: please verify that the European medical assistance section is filled out with your personal data.
- Please check the EHIC expiry date before the departure and make sure to renew it on time in case of expiry during your stay in Italy.
If you do not have an EHIC, please contact the competent health institution in your country of residence before the departure and ask if you are entitled to request it.
The EHIC gives you access to the National Health Service for "urgently needed medical treatments" during your temporary stay (the general aim is to ensure assistance while you are staying in Italy):
- You can have free check-up by all GPs
- You can access all hospitals and agreed clinics, laboratories and instrumental-diagnostic tests by paying a fee, commonly called "ticket".
The EHIC guarantees medical assistance for health issues occurred during your stay in Italy only; it does not cover the cost of private medical treatments.
If during your stay you need to undergo regular therapies, you must contact the hospital or clinic in Italy well in advance, in order to make sure that such therapies are available (for this purpose, a medical report must be provided).
For scheduled treatments, elective care and waivers please see detailed info here: https://www.unipd.it/en/healthcare-nonEU
2. PRIVATE INSURANCE
If you don't have an EHIC, you must purchase private insurance (with any company, in Italy or abroad).
Minimum requirements for all immigration procedures:
validity in Italy;
- coverage of all disease risk claims;
- coverage of medical expenses (€ 30,000 minimum);
- coverage of emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains;
- the validity period must be clearly stated and it has to be equal to the residing period in Italy;
- clear indications for claims;
- a national office established in Italy to be contacted in case of emergency;
- legal translation in Italian, in case the insurance policy is signed in another Country;
Students covered by private insurance must contact the insurance company directly with regard to the insurance policy's conditions of use (e.g. how to obtain medical assistance; if medical expenses must be paid by the holder and claimed later; which medical expenses are covered, etc.)
The University of Padova or ULSS (Unità Locale Socio Sanitaria) do not provide any kind of information or assistance about private insurance.
3. BILATERAL AGREEMENTS
Italy has agreements with a few extra-European countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Monaco, Republic of San Marino) which entitle to comprehensive medical care provided by the Italian National Health Service, using the forms released by the healthcare institutions in your country of residence.
For further information please see here: https://www.unipd.it/en/healthcare-nonEU
(Special cases > Bilateral agreements)
How to get medical assistance
Medical emergency
If you need medical assistance, you can go to any General Practitioner (GP – in Italian "Medico di Medicina Generale" or "Medico di base") in any Social Health District (Distretto Socio Sanitario) of the ULSS n. 6 (local health district).
Costs: if you have an EHIC or you benefit from a bilateral agreement, the service will be for free; if you only have private insurance, you will have to pay a fee for the check-up (it may vary from 50 to 150 Euros approx.)
In case of severe emergency, you should go to the nearest Emergency Room ("Pronto Soccorso").
At the arrival in the ER, a code is assigned based on the urgency of your condition:
- Red code: very critical, danger of death, highest priority, immediate access to healthcare;
- Yellow code: averagely critical, advanced risk, possible danger of death;
- Green code: little critical, no risks of worsening, treatment can be delayed;
- White code: not critical, not urgent.
To access the Emergency Room you should bring with you:
- ID or passport;
- EHIC or the form released by the Social Health District (for students from countries with which Italy has an agreement only), or a valid medical insurance.
Before leaving the Emergency you well have to pay a fee, commonly called "ticket", which varies depending on the color code assigned (see above).
If you cannot go to the Emergency Room, you can call the phone number for medical emergency: 118.
Dental emergency
In case of dental emergency (severe toothache, abscess, bleeding, broken orthodontics) you can access the Dental Emergency Room without an appointment.
The location is:
Pronto soccorso odontoiatrico
Azienda Ospedaliera Università di Padova (University Hospital)
Via Nicolò Giustiniani, 2 - Building "Palazzina Ambulatori del Policlinico", 3rd floor.
The service is open from Monday to Friday, from 8.00 to 12.30.
You can find a detailed map at page 10 of this document: https://www.aopd.veneto.it/mys/apridoc/iddoc/1624/v/2
To access the Dental Emergency you should bring with you:
> ID or passport; Italian Codice Fiscale (Tax Code)
> EHIC or the form released by the Social Health District (for students from countries with which Italy has an agreement only), or a valid medical insurance.
Before leaving the Emergency you will have to pay a fee, commonly called "ticket", which varies depending on the severity of your problem.
General Practitioners (GPs)
You can go to any General Practitioner (GP – in Italian "Medico di Medicina Generale" or "Medico di base") in any Social Health District (Distretto Socio Sanitario) of the ULSS n. 6 (local health district).
Hospitals and emergencies
Contact Centre (for appointments with a referral issued by a GP for specialist treatment or medical exams)
tel. 840 000664
Mon - Fri 7.30 am - 5 pm
Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova (Main Hospital)
via Giustiniani 2
tel. +39 049 8211111 (switchboard)
tel. +39 049 8213200 (Public Relations Office)
Complesso socio-sanitario ai Colli
via dei Colli 4
tel. +39 049 8216811 (switchboard)
Ospedale Sant'Antonio
via Facciolati 71
tel. +39 049 8216511 (switchboard)
For detailed information about medication and pharmacies, specialist consultations and diagnostic examinations, scheduled treatments, elective care, vaccinations, psychological and psychiatric assistance please visit:
https://www.unipd.it/en/healthcare