How to choose and get a pediatrician for your children

Who is a pediatrician?

A pediatrician is a doctor who specializes in the health of children and adolescents. They provide medical examinations, growth check-ups and vaccinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, and prescribe medicines and referrals for specialist visits and medical tests.

You can also ask your pediatrician for medical certificates when necessary.

How and where can you request a pediatrician?

If the parents have a valid permesso di soggiorno (or have applied for its renewal or issuance), the procedure is quite simple.

Documents required:

1. The parent’s identity document (passport or identity card).
2. The child’s Codice Fiscale (Tax Code) (and the parent’s Codice Fiscale).
3. The parent’s permesso di soggiorno (or the receipt confirming that an application has been submitted).
4. The child’s birth certificate or a self-certification of family status.

You need to go to the Sportello scelta e revoca (Choice and Withdrawal Desk) of the ASL (Local Health Authority) in your municipality of residence or domicile. There, you will be shown a list of pediatricians available in your area and you can choose one.

Once your child is registered, you will receive a tessera sanitaria (health insurance card ).

Visits with a pediatrician of free choice are free of charge.

If the child or the parents do not have regular immigration status, the ASL will issue a card with a special code called STP (Straniero Temporaneamente Presente, or Temporarily Present Foreigner). In some Regions, a specific code for minors may be used instead. You can go to the ASL desk or to a consultorio familiare (family counseling center) to request it.

Until what age does a pediatrician care for a child?

In Italy, a pediatrician of free choice normally provides healthcare to children until they turn 14. In some cases (for example, situations involving particular risks or chronic or serious illnesses), and where regional regulations allow it and the local health authority authorizes it, pediatric care may be extended until the age of 16 in some Regions.

Afterwards, the young person will choose a general practitioner (family doctor).

What to do if you cannot register your child with the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (National Health Service)

If your Region or ASL is unable to register your child with the SSN, this does not mean that your child has to go without healthcare. You can:

• Contact the Servizi di Salute Infanzia (Child Health Services) of the ASL, where children can still receive medical examinations and vaccinations;
• Contact an STP clinic (Stranieri Temporaneamente Presenti), intended for people who do not have a valid permesso di soggiorno;
• Contact one of the many associations and organizations that provide free or low-cost medical care to foreign children and families, including people without documents. These include Emergency, Médecins Sans Frontières, Centro Astalli, NAGA, Caritas and many others operating in different Italian cities;
• If your child’s right to healthcare is denied, you can contact organizations such as ASGI (Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration), which provide free legal advice on these issues.

Vaccinations are for all children

In Italy, mandatory vaccinations (such as vaccinations against measles, tetanus and polio) are provided free of charge to all children present in Italy, including foreign children and children without a residence permit.

To have your child vaccinated, contact the Vaccination Services (Servizi Vaccinali) of your local ASL.

The Pediatric Emergency Room is always open to everyone

In the event of an emergency or urgent medical situation, you can always take your child to the Emergency Room (Pronto Soccorso) at the nearest hospital.

Emergency care is guaranteed to all children, without the need for documents, a health insurance card or a residence permit, and without charge for those who cannot afford to pay.

Do not be afraid to go to the hospital if your child is unwell: no one will ask you for documents before providing emergency care to a child.

Some clinics and associations that help children

In addition to the ASL, there are associations and clinics that provide medical assistance to children, including foreign children and pediatric consultations. Here are some examples:

Lazio – Rome
Centro SaMiFo (Salute Migranti Forzati) – Via Luzzatti 8, Rome – Tel. 06 77307555 – samifo@aslroma1.it

Lombardy – Milan
NAGA – Medical Clinic, Via Zamenhof 7/A, 20136 Milan – Tel. 02 58102599 – info@naga.it
It also assists foreign children without documents. NAGA also provides information and support regarding the registration of minors with the Regional Health Service (naga.it).

Campania – Naples
EMERGENCY Clinic – Via Pacioli 95, 80147 Naples – Tel. 0811 9579909 – ambulatorio.napoli@emergency.it

Calabria – Reggio Calabria
Médecins du Monde – Medical and psychological support, including for minors, at landing points and first reception centers – info@medicidelmondo.it

Sicily – Palermo
Centro Astalli Palermo – Piazza SS. Quaranta Martiri al Casalotto 10 – Tel. 091 9760128 – astallipa@libero.it

Veneto – Vicenza
Centro Astalli Vicenza – Via Lussemburgo 63 – Tel. 0444 324272 – info@centroastallivicenza.it

For the complete list of associations operating in your Region, see our article Healthcare Assistance for Undocumented Foreigners: Italian Associations. Most of these associations also provide medical care to children, as well as adults.

IMPORTANT: The opening hours and services offered by these associations may change. We recommend always checking their website or contacting them by phone or email before going to a clinic, and asking whether an appointment is required.