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ItalyHumanitarian protection

Medical residence permit in Italy

Protection from removal for a foreign national whose serious illness makes return home impossible without risk to health and life. The ground is written into Italian immigration law: the police must refrain from expelling such a person. The applicant brings an opinion from a public doctor on the severity of the diagnosis and the impossibility of treatment at home; unlike asylum, there is no need to prove persecution. The decision is taken by the territorial questura where the applicant lives.

Visa term
Valid for the duration of treatment; renewable (one of the rules sets 1 year)
Threshold
No income threshold stated; duty stamp of EUR 16
Processing time
No fixed period; depends on the questura
Work
Disputed: sources conflict — check the type of permesso

Source: normattiva.it — art. 19 of the Testo unico immigrazione: residence permit on medical grounds

Who can obtain a residence permit on medical grounds

The law protects against removal in two similar but distinct situations: where a person is already in Italy and cannot return home for health reasons, and where they enter the country specifically for treatment.

Already in Italy

  • The current status has expired or a removal decision is being prepared, and return home is impossible for health reasons
  • The diagnosis is confirmed by an Italian public hospital or a doctor within the SSN system
  • The file is lodged directly with the immigration office of the questura where the applicant lives

Entering specifically for treatment

  • The Italian consulate in the country of residence issues a visa specifically for treatment in advance
  • An Italian public or accredited private healthcare institution confirms the treatment plan and its duration
  • After entry the file is lodged with the questura of the place of residence in Italy

When this programme will not suit you

I want to come to Italy and pay for treatment or surgery out of my own funds, with no threat of deportation at home

An ordinary entry visa for treatment under immigration law, with a contract with the clinic and proof of payment — a separate procedure, not a humanitarian one

I am persecuted at home on political, religious or other grounds, not because of illness

International protection / refugee status — examined by the protection commission, not by the questura

I work legally in Italy and simply want to renew an ordinary residence permit

A residence permit for work (lavoro subordinato or autonomo) — cure mediche gives no right to work

I want my family to move to me for the whole period of treatment

Ricongiungimento familiare normally requires a valid permit of another kind (for example, for work); cure mediche, as a temporary humanitarian status, was not designed for this

Documents to gather

The list differs depending on whether the person applies while already in Italy or enters on a visa obtained in advance at the consulate.

  • Treatment visa — for those entering from abroad specifically for therapy, issued by the Italian consulate in the country of residence
  • Application on form 209 at the immigration office of the questura
  • Valid passport (original for checking and a copy)
  • 4 passport-format photographs
  • Duty stamp with a face value of EUR 16
  • Medical opinion from a public hospital or a doctor working within the Italian national health service (SSN): the diagnosis, the reasoning that treatment is unavailable or inadequate at home, and the expected duration of therapy
  • Proof of accommodation in Italy (declaration of hospitality or tenancy agreement) — unless the applicant is in a shelter
  • Proof of funds and health insurance — required when entering on a treatment visa

How the process runs

The procedure is described by the regional administration of Tuscany for the permit under immigration law.

  1. 1

    Obtaining the medical opinion

    An Italian public hospital or a doctor working within the national health service (SSN) issues the opinion: the diagnosis, the reasoning that treatment is unavailable or inadequate at home, and the expected duration of therapy.

  2. 2

    Lodging the application with the questura

    The applicant lodges with the immigration office of the questura of their place of residence the application on form 209, the passport, 4 photographs, the EUR 16 duty stamp, the medical opinion and, unless they are in a shelter, proof of accommodation.

  3. 3

    Examination of the application

    60 days

    The immigration office of the questura (in this example the Florence Immigration Office) examines the documents and issues the applicant a receipt with the date on which the finished permit can be collected.

  4. 4

    Issue of the permesso di soggiorno per cure mediche

    The questura issues the residence permit for the period stated in the medical opinion, but for no more than one year. The document confirms the lawful right to be on Italian territory for that period and is renewable while the grounds persist.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

A territorial permit tied to the treatment

The permit is renewed while the serious health problems persist, confirmed by a fresh opinion from a public medical institution or an SSN doctor. Each time it is issued for the period stated in the opinion, but for no more than one year; open sources do not state a maximum number of renewals — the only limit is that the medical grounds must still hold.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

No direct route to permanent residence; only by switching to another permit

Route to citizenship

No direct route; under the general rules once a qualifying permit is held

Frequently asked questions about Medical residence permit

Who is entitled by law to a permesso di soggiorno per cure mediche?
A foreign national whose state of health is caused by serious pathologies that cannot be adequately treated in the country of origin. The diagnosis must be confirmed by a public doctor or a doctor working within the Italian SSN. In that case removal from Italy is not permitted, and the questura issues a residence permit for treatment.
How much does the application cost and how long does it take?
Officially only the EUR 16 duty stamp is required. The standard fee for issuing the permit and the residence contribution are not charged in this case. According to the Florence Immigration Office, the application takes 60 days from lodging.
Can you work, leave Italy or switch to another permesso while on cure mediche?
Work is not allowed: the clarification from the regional administration of Tuscany states expressly that the document is issued temporarily for the treatment of a serious illness and gives no right to work. Travel abroad on this permesso is not provided for either — it is valid only on Italian territory. You can switch to a family permit by conversion, if the conditions for family reunification are met.
What documents are needed if a person enters Italy specifically on a treatment visa?
The Arezzo questura lists: the application on the prescribed form, 4 photographs, the passport with the visa (original and copy), the EUR 16 duty stamp, a certificate from an Italian medical institution on the state of health and the duration of treatment, a document on accommodation in the province, proof of means of subsistence and health insurance. The permit is valid for a period equal to the expected duration of treatment.
How does cure mediche differ from an ordinary claim for international protection (asylum)?
The law lists several distinct grounds on which removal is not permitted: a risk of persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion and so on; a risk of torture or inhuman treatment; and precisely a serious, objectively confirmed state of health. These are different, self-standing grounds with different procedures and different decision-making bodies.

Other ways to move to Italy

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Italy.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.