Government offices

ASL is the office that manages public health services in a defined geographic area. It is generally called ASL, but in some regions its name is different. 

It is called ASL in Abruzzo, Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Piemonte, Puglia, while it is called differently in these regions: 

• ASDAA in Alto Adige
• ASP and ASM in Basilicata
• ASP in Calabria and Sicilia
• AUSL in Emilia Romagna, Toscana and Umbria
• AAS in Friuli Venezia Giulia
• ASUR in Marche
• ATS in Lombardia
• ASREM in Molise
• ATS in Sardegna
• APSS in Trentino
• AUSL VDA in Valle D’Aosta
• ULSS in Veneto

Every city has one or more ASL offices.
At ASL people choose their medico di base (family doctor), get medical treatments, take medical examinations and get the needed medicines and medical equipment.

You need to register at ASL in order to use its services. Every non-European citizen with a valid residence permit can register and the registration is valid for the whole duration of the residence permit and its renewal.

To find information on the ASL offices in your city, you can search online: ASL (or other name based on the region) + name of your city (for example: ASL Napoli or ULSS Treviso).

The Centro per l’Impiego (Job Center) is the office to which people turn to to find a job, obtain documents on their professional situation or to receive specific financial aid. Some of the main services provided by the Centro per l’Impiego are:

• Job orientation, i.e. information on how to find work and in which sectors based on one’s skills and competences
• Helping people in their job search
• Support for people who want to start their business
• Issue of the scheda anagrafico-professionale (personal-professional card), that is a card that summarizes a person’s professional experiences 
• Issue of unemployment certificate, i.e. the certificate stating that the person no longer has a job
• Request for reddito di cittadinanza (citizenship income) (in addition to INPS)

If you need the services of the Centro per l’Impiego, you must go to the one closer to your residency address. Find here the Centro per l’Impiego closer to you.

The Comune is the office in charge of the administration of a specific geographic area. In big cities there are many Comune offices, and generally a person goes to the one in its neighborhood. You might need to go to the Comune for issues like residency, family status or documents to get a residency permit. Among the services of the Comune there are: 

• Issue of the carta di identità (ID), of the certificato di residenza (residency certificate) and of the family status at the Anagrafe office
• Support in compiling documents to obtain the residence permit
• Management of waste collection 
• Management of local schools
• Electoral service

For specific information on your Comune, like opening hours and services, you can search online:  Ufficio anagrafe + Comune di + name of your city + name of your neighborhood (for example: Ufficio anagrafe Comune di Firenze Isolotto).

INPS is the body that manages financial aid for low income people, maternity leave or sick leave benefits, and retirement or disability pension.
More specifically, INPS is in charge of the payment of: 

• Disoccupazione (Unemployment)
• Cassa Integrazione 
• Bonuses paid in times of particular difficulty for the country (such as the 600 euro bonus or reddito di emergenza (emergency relief during the Coronavirus emergency)
• Maternity leave
• Employee severance indemnity
• Retirement pension
• Disability pension

You can access almost all INPS services online through this website. You need a PIN which you can request on this page.
Or you can go to the INPS office in your city. To find the INPS office closest to you, you can search online: INPS + Name of your city (for example: INPS Bologna).

The patronato is an office that helps people in the bureaucratic procedures related to immigration, employment and in obtaining financial aid. The Italian government reimburses the patronato for the services offered to people, therefore its services are free. Among the many services offered by the  patronato there are

In the field of immigration:

• Issue and renewal of the permesso di soggiorno
• Ricongiungimento familiare (family reunification)
• Procedure for regularization
• Procedure for obtaining the Italian citizenship

In the field of employment:

• Consulting on the employment contract
• Help understanding the busta paga (paychecks)
• Maternity or paternity leave
• Challenge of an unlawful dismissal
• Taxes to be paid

In the field of financial aid:

• Child benefits, maternity or civil invalidity
• Cassa integrazione 
• Disoccupazione 

And many others.

For information on the patronato closest to you, you can search online: patronato + name of your city (for example: patronato Milano).

The Prefettura is the local office of the Ministry of the Interior. It deals with many activities like:

• Elections
• Climate and public health emergencies 
• Coordination of comuni (municipalities)
• Law enforcement and public security

The Prefettura includes the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (SUI), the office that issues the nulla osta (necessary to obtain a visto di lavoro (work visa) or di ricongiungimento familiare (family reunification)) and the conversion of a permesso di soggiorno in a  permesso di soggiorno per lavoro.

For information on the Prefettura of your area you can search online: Prefettura + name of your city (for example: Prefettura Firenze).

The Questura is the local headquarter of the state Police. It deals mainly with public security and law enforcement within a specific geographic area called provincia. The Questura organizes and manages the activities of the police, which intervenes when there are or could be crimes. The Questura, however, also deals with immigration, specifically with issuing and renewing residence permits.  

For information on the Questura of your provincia you can search online: Questura + name of your city (for example: Questura Napoli).

Post offices, that in Italy are managed by Poste Italiane, offer many services. At the post office, in addition to send and receive letters and parcels, you can also: 

• Pay your bollette (utilities)
• Send and receive money
• Open a bank account and get credit, debit and prepaid cards.
• Obtain loans

Some post offices are also responsible for the issue / renewal of documents such as the certificato anagrafico (registry certificate), passport and residence permit. However, these documents can only be requested in post offices that have the “Sportello Amico”.

To find your closest post office you can search online: Poste + name of your city (for example: Poste Napoli).