Italian SSN When Moving Abroad 2026: ASL Cancellation, TEAM Card and S1 Form for EU/EEA

How the SSN cancellation works in 2026

The Italian Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN) operates through regional ASLs (Aziende Sanitarie Locali) that maintain the assistito list. Moving abroad triggers the cancellazione anagrafica from the comune (linked to AIRE registration), which automatically flows to the ASL through ANPR (Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente). The 2026 update completes the full ANPR-NSIS (Nuovo Sistema Informativo Sanitario) integration, meaning AIRE registration triggers SSN deactivation within 7-15 business days — without needing a separate ASL visit.

Until SSN deactivation, the assistito retains the right to: medico di medicina generale (GP), prescription drug coverage at fascia A pricing, hospital admission, and the European Health Insurance Card (TEAM — Tessera Europea di Assicurazione Malattia) for travel within the EU/EEA and Switzerland. After deactivation, all these rights cease — though residual prescriptions remain valid for 6 months.

The TEAM card and emergency cover

The TEAM is the Italian implementation of the European Health Insurance Card under Regulation (EC) 883/2004. It provides necessary medical care during temporary stays in any EU/EEA country plus Switzerland and the UK (under the 2020 Withdrawal Agreement). The TEAM does not provide continuing cover for relocated residents — only for tourists, students under 6 months, and posted workers.

Once you become resident abroad and cancel from the SSN, your TEAM is automatically withdrawn. The new country issues its equivalent EHIC. Italians moving abroad can request a model S1 (formerly E106) from the local ASL before departure if they meet specific cross-border worker or pensioner conditions — see below.

Form S1: keeping Italian-funded healthcare abroad

Form S1 (Italian variant emessa da INPS or ASL) allows Italian-funded healthcare in another EU/EEA country. It applies to:

• Italian pensioners (titolari di pensione INPS) who relocate within the EU/EEA. INPS issues the S1 upon request, certifying that Italy remains responsible for healthcare costs. The pensioner registers with the foreign sickness fund (e.g., AOK in Germany, CPAM in France) and accesses local care at local rates with Italian funding behind the scenes.
• Posted workers (lavoratori distaccati) with form A1 from INPS, for the duration of the posting (max 24 months extendable to 60).
• Frontalieri who work in one EU country and reside in another, allowing healthcare in both.
• Family members of any of the above if they reside in the worker’s country of work.

Without an S1 entitlement, residents abroad must register with the host country’s national health system or buy private insurance. Italy does not pay for healthcare for AIRE-registered citizens with no continuing Italian-source pension or employment.

Step-by-step: deactivating SSN registration

1. Notify the ASL of move (optional but recommended). Visit your ASL of residence with passport, AIRE confirmation (or proof of foreign address) and the modulo cancellazione assistito. Some ASLs accept email submissions — Lombardia, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto have full digital workflows.

2. Return TEAM card. Hand back the TEAM at the ASL counter or destroy it after the deactivation date. Continued use after non-residency is fraud under L. 27/2012 art. 3 and exposes you to reimbursement claims.

3. Settle outstanding ticket sanitario. If you have unpaid co-payments (ticket) for past visits or labs, the ASL closes the file before deactivation. Outstanding amounts can be paid via PagoPA or pos at the ASL counter.

4. Request S1 if eligible. Pensioners file the S1 application via INPS website (servizi online > Convenzioni internazionali > Modulo S1). Posted workers obtain S1 via their employer’s INPS branch.

5. Confirm deactivation in 30-60 days. Check your tessera sanitaria status via Sistema Tessera Sanitaria (sistemats.it). The card retains validity for codice fiscale purposes (see our AIRE guide) but the SSN entitlement is removed.

Healthcare options in the new country

Returning to Italy: SSN reactivation

Reactivating the SSN upon return is straightforward: within 30 days of comune re-registration, visit the ASL with the certificato di residenza, codice fiscale, and choose a new medico di medicina generale. The ASL issues a new tessera sanitaria within 30 days. Pensioners returning with foreign-funded healthcare must coordinate with the foreign sickness fund to terminate the cross-border S1 cover before SSN reactivation, otherwise duplicate coverage triggers refund claims.

Children who never registered with the SSN (born abroad to AIRE-registered parents) are enrolled upon Italian return without retroactive contribution requirements.

Voluntary AIRE-only insurance and private alternatives

AIRE-registered Italians have no automatic right to SSN cover when visiting Italy. Some regions offer paid-access programmes (assistenza sanitaria a pagamento per non residenti) at flat annual fees of €1,500-3,500 covering most outpatient and hospital services. Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna and Toscana run such schemes. Alternatively, private travel/health insurance from Generali, Allianz Italia or Reale Mutua offers €30-80/month plans for AIRE residents during Italian stays.

For pensioners and high-net-worth retirees returning permanently, voluntary contribution under L. 833/1978 art. 41 (contributo volontario SSN) reactivates immediate cover at fees ranging from €388 to €2,788 annually depending on income — practically irrelevant since residency cancellation re-enrols you for free.

Cross-border medical records and prescriptions

Italian electronic health records (Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico — FSE) remain accessible via SPID/CIE even after AIRE registration. Cross-border prescription validity within the EU follows the e-prescription directive 2011/24/EU: Italian prescriptions are dispensable in EU pharmacies if marked ”transfrontaliera”. Plan refills before departure if you take chronic medication. Outside the EU, prescriptions are not transferable — request a medical letter from your GP listing diagnoses, doses and INN names of drugs.