Italy to charge foreigners a €2,000 yearly fee to use public health service

Rome: The Italian government has announced that foreigners from outside the EU living in Italy will soon have to pay a €2,000 fee a year to use the national health service of the country.

As the government has explained, the charges will be adopted in the 2024 budget, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Despite the authorities announcing that the country will introduce such a fee, they emphasised that the fee structure will include undisclosed discounts for legal residents, international students, and au pairs.

On the other hand, differently from what the critics of the measure had worried, asylum seekers and migrant workers will be exempt from this fee.

Finance and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti emphasised that, as part of Italy’s efforts to achieve its objectives, one of the budget measures includes changing the health care system.

He said that in addition to the tariffs presented, the government plans to allocate an additional €3 billion per year to the health service in 2024, adding that this funding will complement the resources allocated to support the Sicilian region, the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience (PNRR) and an additional €4.2 billion starting in 2026.

According to InfoMigrants, although Italy offers free public health care and extends this not only to Italian citizens but also to foreign workers, job seekers, and asylum seekers, as well as unaccompanied minors, there are some categories of foreigners who already have to pay costs specifically.

For example, foreign diplomats and students can use the Italian health service at a variable fee, depending on their annual income. Meanwhile, student fees are capped at €150 per year, but for higher earners, fees can reach up to €2,800 per year.

Moreover, Italy’s right-wing government issued a decree last month stating that migrants would be required to pay an amount exceeding $5,200 to avoid detention. At the same time, their protection claims were being examined.

Despite the proposed reductions, the new costs could rise significantly for certain individuals, potentially increasing by 470 per cent.

International students residing in Italy, who currently pay €150 per year, could face a new fee of around €700 per year, as reported by the Italian financial news portal. Similarly, au pairs could see their annual costs rise to €1,200, compared to the current fee of €219, representing a whopping 547 per cent increase.

A study conducted last year by the Society of Medical Sciences (SISMED) pointed out that although Italy has provided free health services since 1982, Italians have borne the cost of some services through a ticketing system. While a visit to a general practitioner is free, specialist medical visits often require payment.