Direct answer
Apply to the ASL for your residence or effective domicile. Registration is normally compulsory for work or family; a first-issue or renewal receipt can prove the application where accepted. Ask the ASL which temporary proof it issues while you wait and whether the file is based on residence or domicile. An EU citizen should first check home-country cover and the EHIC, which may change the ordinary registration route.
Who this applies to
This covers permit or receipt holders, asylum applicants and other eligible categories; EU and non-EU rules differ. Keep the protocol number and the registration start date given by the ASL: they help before the card arrives when a prescription or visit is needed.
Practical steps
- identify the ASL
- book the choice/revocation office
- bring permit or receipt, ID, tax code and self-certification
- request registration and temporary proof. If the ASL refuses the receipt, ask in writing which document is missing and compare your permit category with the Ministry page on compulsory registration.
Documents to keep
Give the ASL the permit or receipt matching the reason for stay, an identity document, tax code and proof of residence or domicile. Ask the assisted-persons registry which temporary proof it records while the card is pending.
Verifiable timing and costs
The ASL states the registration start date; ordinary health-card issuance is free, but there is no single national deadline for every delivery. Tickets and exemptions depend on the service and applicable rules.
Exceptions and special cases
An EU citizen with an EHIC, a short-stay visitor or a student using voluntary registration may follow a different route from compulsory registration: identify the category before filing.
If the procedure stalls
Ask for a protocol number and temporary certificate. If the receipt is refused, request the written reason and the category applied, then provide the missing document before reapplying.
Practical example
Example: with a work-renewal receipt, tax code and domicile, Karim applies at the ASL, obtains temporary proof and keeps it until the new card arrives.
Institutional sources consulted
Information last checked: .