# Which health insurance to satisfy visa requirement for Italy



## amerisiciliano

Hello, I am new to the forum. I would like to try and reacquire my Italian citizenship. I was born in Italy in but became a US citizen in 1973 at the age of 11 automatically, when my parents became US citizens. I am know trying to get a visa from the Italian consulate in Boston MA to be able to live in Italy for 12 months and try and reacquire my Italian citizenship. I was told that I need to purchase private health insurance prior to applying for the visa. Can anyone recommend a reputable company I can contact to purchase this type of health insurance. Can I purchase with deductable or no deductable. Any information will be appreciated. Thank You.


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## Larry and Arlene

*Visa Requirements*

Hi- We just acquired our Elective Resident Visas from the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles. We will endorse the advice we got from this Website from others who went through the process before us: (i) Consulates have latitude in how they interpret the requirements. As in everything in the Italian Bureaucratic Structure, things go smoother once you understand how they want it done their way. (ii) Don't cut any comers on anything they want. In fact a degree of overkill in the number of copies and being well organized when you appear seems to smooth things out (Like most normal human beings, they value their time and don't want it wasted). In short not only be prepared, be over-prepared.

Two important sources; on the Italian Ministry of External Affairs direct website, there is a downloadable booklet (in English) on the entire Visa Process and in all the different flavors. I would start there. Next, under your local Italian Consulate website (Boston your case) go to their Visa (Visto) heading and download THEIR requirements list for a Visa!

You appear to need a confirmation of how to process once in Italy for citizenship by birth. It may be possible to initiate some of that from here in the States.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Until you actually receive Resident Status in a Province, Visa or no, you are essentially still a traveller and not entitled to buy into the Italian Health system. So in the interim, travel insurance was accepted for us. We got a 90 policy, renewable on a month-to-month basis medical insurance policy for up to two years. We got ours through IMG (International Medical Group). We got that through an on-line brokerage that worked smoothly - Travel Insurance ? Trip Insurance Comparison for Travelers.

As for us, we are scheduled to arrive in Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche on 28 June this year with Elective Resident Visas fresh in our passports and Codice Fiscali already in our pockets. Then we start all over again processing for our Permesso di Soggiorno. So it ain't over until the lady at the Commune sings. Oh- time to get the Visa. Our experience may or may not apply because of any number of variables but taking the approach outlined above, we had our Visa from the Consulate in Los Angeles in essentially three weeks. I don't know how we got Minerva to smile on us - but we will take all the luck we can get. They said, allow up to 90 days and that was no guarantee. Our guess is taking their word on that isn't a bad start.

Best of luck - Oh BTW, my wife's great grandparents came from Enna Province in Sicily. Won't do any good for us because it came down the female line before 1948 for dual citizenship purposes.


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## Larry and Arlene

*Info Amendment*

The very informative booklet referenced in our earlier post is actually titled: "Staying in Italy Legally" and is available in English on the official website of the Italian Ministry of Intenal Affairs. ( Ministero dell' INTERNO.)


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## BBCWatcher

Larry and Arlene said:


> Oh BTW, my wife's great grandparents came from Enna Province in Sicily. Won't do any good for us because it came down the female line before 1948 for dual citizenship purposes.


Unless you're willing to spend a few thousand euro on a court case in Italy. There are a couple attorneys that handle such cases, and they seem to win them regularly. I won't advertise them, but there are forums that discuss their services if you'd like to investigate that option. No personal appearance in Italy is required.


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