ITALIAN HEALTH CARE CARD
The Consulate does not issue nor renew Italian health care cards. Should your card be lost, damaged or stolen, please contact the ASL office closest to your municipality in Italy.
TEMPORARY HEALTH CARE IN ITALY
By registering with AIRE (Registry of Italians Living Abroad) you will lose eligibility to receive health care in Italy, thus you will no longer be able to seek renewal or a duplicate of that card. It will still be possible to access temporary health care, should your stay in Italy not exceed 90 days by signing a self-declaration at the ASL offices in Italy (art. 46 del DPR 445/2000)
In order to be entitled to temporary helath care cover in Italy, you must satisfy at least one of these conditions:
- Be an Italian citizen born in Italy
- Receive an Italian pension
- Be an Italian citizen born overseas who resided in Italy in the past
HEALTH CARE IN AUSTRALIA – MEDICARE
There is an agreement between Italy and Australia that guarantees access to the Australian health service for a period of 6 months to all Italian citizens who have a visa to stay temporarily in Australia, without payment of any expense in case of hospitalization. Specialist visits and visits to a GP as well as any ambulance services are subject to payment. To access the Australian health care service, you must prove that you are resident in Italy and be registered with the Italian health service, by showing your passport and the Italian national health card at any Medicare office (www.medicareaustralia.gov.au). The entitlement to six-month coverage resets in case of a second re-entry into Australian territory.
It is anyway strongly advised to visit Viaggiare Sicuri website and obtain private health insurance for the entire duration of your stay in Australia. For a list of companies that provide insurance cover click here.
You can click here for more information on the Australian Medicare system.