On 27 June 2026 the Gazzetta Ufficiale published Law 111/2026, an amendment to article 19 of the historic 1978 National Health Service Act. The new text entitles all Italian citizens registered with AIRE (the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad) and living in non-EU and non-EFTA countries to emergency and continuing care whenever they return temporarily to Italy. Until now, those expatriates had to take out private insurance or pay out-of-pocket for treatment unless they lived in a country that had a bilateral health agreement with Rome. The measure is both symbolic and practical. Roughly 6 million Italians live abroad—many on long-term corporate assignments—and they represent a growing constituency of mobile professionals whose family members still travel back and forth for business, study and holidays. The lack of automatic coverage was a common pain-point highlighted by relocation managers, because an unplanned medical expense during a short home trip could undermine the cost predictability of an assignment package. From a policy perspective, the law closes an embarrassing gap with other EU countries that already guarantee treatment to their expatriates.
![Italy Extends State-Backed Healthcare to Citizens Residing Outside the EU]()
Whether you are an Italian expatriate heading home or an HR coordinator arranging international assignments, VisaHQ can help you secure the right entry clearances quickly and affordably. Their dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers up-to-date guidance on visas, residence permits and ancillary paperwork, letting travelers focus on their health coverage and employers on compliance.
It also aligns national rules with the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which stresses portability of social rights inside and outside the Union. The Ministry of Health now has 30 days to issue an implementing circular detailing how local health authorities will verify AIRE status and charge costs back to the central budget. For multinational employers the impact is immediate: any Italian employee on a non-EU secondment regains National Health Service coverage during business trips to Italy, reducing the need for duplicate insurance. Mobility teams should, however, remind assignees that the benefit applies only on Italian soil; comprehensive private cover is still required in the host country. HR should also update assignment letters to reflect the potential cost savings and advise family members to carry proof of AIRE registration when travelling. Looking ahead, lawmakers are discussing whether to make the benefit reciprocal, extending it to foreign long-term residents who have contributed to the Italian system for at least five years and then relocate abroad. That debate is expected to surface during the 2027 budget cycle, but for now the 2026 reform is a clear win for Italy’s globally mobile citizens.
Whether you are an Italian expatriate heading home or an HR coordinator arranging international assignments, VisaHQ can help you secure the right entry clearances quickly and affordably. Their dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers up-to-date guidance on visas, residence permits and ancillary paperwork, letting travelers focus on their health coverage and employers on compliance.
It also aligns national rules with the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which stresses portability of social rights inside and outside the Union. The Ministry of Health now has 30 days to issue an implementing circular detailing how local health authorities will verify AIRE status and charge costs back to the central budget. For multinational employers the impact is immediate: any Italian employee on a non-EU secondment regains National Health Service coverage during business trips to Italy, reducing the need for duplicate insurance. Mobility teams should, however, remind assignees that the benefit applies only on Italian soil; comprehensive private cover is still required in the host country. HR should also update assignment letters to reflect the potential cost savings and advise family members to carry proof of AIRE registration when travelling. Looking ahead, lawmakers are discussing whether to make the benefit reciprocal, extending it to foreign long-term residents who have contributed to the Italian system for at least five years and then relocate abroad. That debate is expected to surface during the 2027 budget cycle, but for now the 2026 reform is a clear win for Italy’s globally mobile citizens.
