italian residency / uk residency

Once we had become resident, we took our documents to the ASL offices, we chose a family doctor and we each got our Tessera Sanitaria without any problem.  Might vary from region to region though.  Once you are resident in Italy, the UK is no longer liable for health care.

Dear TrishaYou have to apply for residence within 18 months of the purchase to benefit from the "prima casa" rule, and new rules were introduced in Italy in 2007 on the requirements for EC nationals to obtain residence.  This requirements include having health cover.You have two options, either to produce the E120 (which would entitle you to registration with the ASL in Italy) or if you are not willing to do this because of the risk of not being able to use the NHS in the UK you will need to take out a policy of private health cover in Italy for one year.After 5 years of residence in Italy you will be entitled to apply for permanent residence, and from that point will be entitled to permanent registration with the ASL. If you are willing to pay for private health cover here for 5 years that may be the safest way to keep yourself covered by the NHS.Charlotte   

Charlotte Oliver is spot on with her advice. I would only want to add that Italian health care is, from my own and also my other-half's point of view, far, far better than the NHS in the UK. I would chose here for hospitalisation any day of the week, including domeniday. Oh, another point. The UK doesn't care whether you are a resident - i.e. have residenza - here or not. They care only that you have an official address and be registered with a GP in the UK within the last 2 years for continuing NHS eligibility.

It all depends on how long you are out of the UK per year and whether you are only looking for emergency treatment.  You can get emergency treatment anywhere in the EU as an EU citizen. If you are looking for longer term care it might be a little different.  According to the Department of Health website, they do care if you are resident elsewhere...Quote: "Are you visiting the United Kingdom? Have you been living outside the UK for more than 3 months? Did you know that you may have to pay for hospital treatment whilst here? Hospital treatment is free to people who ordinarily live in the United Kingdom (UK). If you do not normally live here then you may be required to pay for any treatment you might need. This is regardless of whether you are a British citizen or have lived or worked here in the past.""Residing between 3 and 6 months each year in an European Economic Area (EEA)  member state or Switzerland?If you are a UK state pensioner living not less than six months in the UK and not more than six months in another EEA member state each year, you will be exempt from charges for NHS hospital treatment in England while living in the UK, as long as you are not registered as resident in the other EEA member state.  This exemption extends to your spouse/civil partner and children (under the age of 16, or 19 if in further education) as long as they are living in the UK with you on a permanent basis for your period of residence in the UK." UnquoteYou can read the whole of it here:http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074384How individual areas would choose to implement the rules is another matter.  The GP I had previously in the UK was only prepared to see me on a visitors basis when I went back after being out of the UK for 6 months, and I had to pay for prescriptions.Anyway, as the previous poster commented, healthcare is brilliant in Italy so why go back!

Because you're not 65, the official retirement age, your being covered by the Local ASL for health care depends very much on the person you see. Be prepared for an uphill struggle if you don't chose Private Heathcare ( about € 1k per year). Good Luck.

Hi Trisha,You might find it useful to read some of the threads on the old forum:http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/legal/9803-private-health-insurance-aga...Also you can find some much cheaper insurance options if you need to go down that path:http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/legal/9803-private-health-insurance-aga...& see this linkhttp://www.allianzras.it/salute/scacciapensieri (8-19 Euro per month depending on cover required)Apparantly this policy was enough to satisfy ASL demands for health cover for some forum members. Don't forget you can get at least two and a half years with an E106 this will only leave you with just a bit to find before you automatically get full status at retiremenmt age.See here:http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/465535/ShowPost.aspx (It is from a France forum but they have the same arrangements.) Also just to encourage you I just got my Tessera Sanitaria without insurance by registering as an "imprenditore agricolo" (farmer). I just had to produce my carta d'identita, codice fisacle, & certificate of residence (now called "Attestazione di regolarità per i cittadini dell'Unione Europea") & my temporary Tessera Sanitaria was printed out on the spot with the plastic one to follow in the fullnes of "Italian" time. It took over a year and about 10 visits to Commune & ASL & a 2 to a tabacchi to get my "Marco Bolli" but you wouldn't believe how many people I know now! Salve