In short. Medical treatment in Italy follows two different routes. If you live abroad and plan treatment, you first obtain a medical-treatment visa and then a residence permit (article 36 of the Consolidated Immigration Act); if you are already in Italy with a particularly serious illness, a permit with its own rules applies (article 19(2)(d-bis)). The visa is requested from the Italian embassy or consulate, and if you enter with it you must apply for the permit at the questura within 8 working days of arrival. The outcome depends on the competent authorities.
This guide explains the difference between the two routes, the documents, duration, renewal, work and costs. The visa is the authorisation to enter, issued by the consulate; the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) is the document that lets you stay, issued by the questura (the provincial office of the State Police). To compare this permit with the others, see the types of Italian residence permit; for visas, the types of Italian visa.
Reviewed 26 October 2026. The guide describes the rules in general and does not assess your case: documents and practice may differ between consulates and between questure.
What is the residence permit for medical treatment, and when does it apply?
Italian law uses “medical treatment” (cure mediche) for different situations. Do not mix them, because duration and rights differ:
- Planned treatment (article 36). You live abroad and want to be treated in Italy: first the visa, then the permit. The route also covers a companion, if you have one.
- Particularly serious illness (article 19(2)(d-bis)). You are already in Italy and your illness cannot be adequately treated in your country of origin. The permit is issued by the questore (the head of the questura).
- Pregnancy or the parent of a child. Separate cases, covered briefly below.
| Point | Planned treatment (art. 36) | Serious illness, already in Italy (art. 19(2)(d-bis)) |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | The consulate on the visa, the questura on the permit | The questore |
| Duration | The presumed length of the treatment | The time stated in the medical certification, up to one year |
| Renewal | While the documented therapeutic needs last | While the certified conditions remain |
| Work | The permit allows it | The law does not say: ask for confirmation |
| Conversion into a work permit | Not among the permits listed in article 6(1-bis) | Since 2023 the law no longer provides for it |
How do you get a visa for medical treatment in Italy?
The visa is provided for by the interministerial decree of 11 May 2011 (Annex A, point 3), which refers to article 36 of the Consolidated Immigration Act (Testo unico, Legislative Decree 286/1998) and to article 44 of its regulation (Presidential Decree 394/1999). You apply to the Italian embassy or consulate covering the country where you live.
Which visa do you need: type C or type D?
The decree provides for a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) and a long-stay national visa (type D), always for a fixed period. Type C covers stays of up to 90 days, type D longer ones (91 to 365 days, according to Vistoperitalia); normally the length of the treatment decides.
Which documents are requested?
The lists differ between consular offices, and some describe them as indicative and reserve the right to ask for more. The recurring points in the consular sheets and in Ministry of Health circular no. 5/2000 are:
- a declaration from the Italian healthcare facility you have chosen (public, or private and accredited) giving the type of treatment, start date and expected duration;
- proof of a deposit paid to the facility of at least 30% of the expected cost of treatment;
- proof of sufficient resources in Italy for other medical costs, for food and lodging outside the facility and for the return journey of patient and companion (a guarantor may provide this);
- the medical certification of the illness, translated into Italian;
- the ordinary visa documents and, for type C, travel health insurance (at least €30,000 in the sheets we consulted).
For humanitarian programmes (article 36(2)), consulates instead ask for authorisation from the Ministry of Health or an attestation from the Region. Some offices also ask you to show that the treatment is not available in your country: check the page of the office that covers you.
How much does the visa cost, and what happens if it is refused?
As of 26 October 2026 the consular fee table lists €90 for the Schengen visa (type C) and €116 for the national long-stay visa (type D), as in the sheet of the Italian embassy in Ankara (in Italian); in local currency the amount follows the quarterly consular rate. As a rule the fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Refusal of a medical-treatment visa must give reasons, even where public order or security is invoked (article 4(2) of the Consolidated Act). The Consolidated Act does not admit to Italy anyone who cannot show the purpose and conditions of the stay and sufficient means of subsistence, or who is considered a threat to public order or security (article 4(3)); for the Schengen visa the Visa Code (article 32) also lists inadequate travel insurance and reasonable doubts about the intention to leave the territory. On how to react, see the guide on Italian visa refusals.
Which permit do you get in Italy after entering on a medical visa?
After entry you must apply for the residence permit for medical treatment within 8 working days, not calendar days (article 5(2) of the Consolidated Act). You apply directly to the immigration office of the questura, not with the postal kit, as the Immigration Portal and the Vistoperitalia sheet indicate (both in Italian). Documents may vary between questure: ask yours for its current list.
The permit lasts as long as the planned treatment, is renewable while the documented therapeutic needs continue and allows work (article 36(3), as worded by Decree-Law 130/2020). Paragraph 3 sets no maximum, although an Integrazione Migranti sheet speaks of a duration “generally not exceeding one year”. Stays for medical treatment are excluded from the EU long-term residence permit (article 9(3)), and the permit is not among those that article 6(1-bis) lists as convertible into work: to stay after the treatment, have your case checked.
A companion who has a visa applies for their own permit. They are not an “accompanying family member” of someone moving for work or study (see the guide): article 36 applies. The sources we consulted do not state a maximum number of companions.
For renewal, the general rule is a request at least 90 days before expiry (article 5(4), after Legislative Decree 83/2026): if your permit lasts only a few months, ask the questura when to file. The general rules are in the guide to renewing a residence permit; if the permit has already expired, a late application is assessed case by case (see expired residence permit). Before refusing, the questura may send a notice of intent to reject: see the guide on the notice of refusal under article 10-bis.
Except for humanitarian programmes, treatment costs are borne by the patient or whoever supports them. On enrolment in the National Health Service (SSN), circular no. 5/2000 does not allow voluntary enrolment for holders of the article 36 permit, but it dates from 2000 and may not reflect today’s rules: ask your local health authority (ASL).
What does the permit for people already in Italy with a serious illness provide?
Article 19(2)(d-bis) protects from expulsion people whose health conditions arise from particularly serious illnesses that cannot adequately be treated in their country of origin. The condition must be shown by documentation from a public healthcare facility or from a doctor affiliated with the National Health Service, and returning to the country of origin or provenance must cause significant harm to health.
In these cases the questore issues a residence permit for medical treatment for the time stated in the medical certification and in any case for no more than one year. It is renewable while the certified conditions remain, and it is valid only in Italy. You apply at the questura; documents and appointment arrangements may differ between questure.
A few points need checking against your own situation:
- Work. Article 19 does not expressly say whether you may work. One regional sheet rules it out because the illness is disabling; other pages do not mention it. Before accepting a job, ask the questura or the firm’s lawyers for confirmation.
- Conversion. From 2020 to 2023 the law described the permit as “convertible into a residence permit for work reasons”; Decree-Law 20/2023, converted by Law 50/2023, removed those words (see permits convertible into work). If your permit was issued earlier, have the case checked.
What about pregnancy or the parent of a child?
Women who are pregnant, and for six months after the birth, cannot as a rule be expelled (article 19(2)(d)) and may obtain a permit for medical treatment for the time stated in the medical certification (article 28 of Presidential Decree 394/1999). Constitutional Court judgment no. 376/2000 extends the protection to the cohabiting husband. The regulation also provides for a permit for medical treatment for the parent of a child in the conditions of article 31(3): read the guide on the article 31 permit for children.
What does the permit cost, and which deadlines apply?
The cost table of the Immigration Portal (page of 22 July 2024, in Italian) lists a €16 revenue stamp and €30.46 for the electronic permit, plus a €40 contribution for permits longer than 3 months and up to one year (€50 above one year and up to two). The table is general and does not mention medical treatment, but article 5(2-ter) of the Consolidated Act does not require the contribution for issuing or renewing a permit for medical treatment: ask the questura which amounts apply.
Legislative Decree 83/2026, which applies from 22 May 2026, raised to 90 days both the deadline to request renewal and the time within which the office issues, renews or converts the permit when the requirements are met (article 5(4) and (9)). Some information pages still show 60 days, but the law prevails. The 30-day term for the single work permit (article 5(8.1-bis)) belongs to a different procedure: paragraph 8.2 excludes these permits from paragraph 8.1.
What does this guide not cover?
Three cases fall outside it. Without a permit, urgent or essential care is provided for by article 35(3) of the Consolidated Act, and circular no. 5/2000 links it to the STP code (temporarily present foreigner). EU citizens insured in their own country may need the S2 form, which their insurer issues after prior authorisation (Your Europe). For a simple medical visit, some consulates point to a tourist visa (see the guide on the tourist visa). For insurance and enrolment in the National Health Service, see the guides on health insurance and the health card.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work with a residence permit for medical treatment?
With the article 36 permit the law allows it (paragraph 3). For the article 19(2)(d-bis) permit the text is silent: before working, ask the questura or the firm’s lawyers for confirmation.
Can I bring a companion for medical treatment in Italy?
Yes. Article 36 provides for a visa and a permit for the companion too, who must show adequate financial means and, for Schengen visas, health insurance. The sources we consulted give no maximum number of companions: ask the competent consulate before you apply.
How long does a residence permit for medical treatment last?
It depends on the type. The article 36 permit lasts as long as the planned treatment and is renewable while the documented therapeutic needs continue. The article 19(2)(d-bis) permit lasts for the time stated in the medical certification, up to one year, and is renewable while the certified conditions remain.
How soon after arriving on a visa must I apply for the permit?
Within 8 working days of entering Italy (article 5(2) of the Consolidated Act), not calendar days. Apply directly at the immigration office of the questura, not with the postal kit. If you have already missed the deadline, ask for an assessment of your case straight away.
Official sources
- Interministerial decree of 11 May 2011 on visas – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others (Italian text)
- Vistoperitalia sheet on the medical-treatment visa – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Circular no. 5 of 24 March 2000 – Ministry of Health (Italian text)
- Consolidated Immigration Act as at 12 December 2025 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Decree-Law 130/2020 – Official Gazette no. 261 of 21 October 2020 (Italian text)
- Law 50/2023 converting Decree-Law 20/2023 – Official Gazette no. 104/2023 (Italian text)
- Legislative Decree 83/2026 – Official Gazette no. 115/2026 (Italian text)
- Permit for medical treatment: who can apply – Integrazione Migranti, Ministry of Labour (Italian text)
The sources were consulted on 26 October 2026. Rules and amounts may change and older information pages may not be up to date: always check the latest instructions of the competent office.
How can SH Immigration Specialists help?
For medical treatment in Italy we offer administrative assistance: we check the consulate’s document list, prepare the entry visa file and follow the residence permit application. Legal advice, appeals and representation are handled by the lawyers of the SH Immigration Specialists law firm. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. For an assessment, contact us.
This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
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