Before you start

Residence registered with the comune, or a valid permesso and an address
Codice fiscale
Permesso di soggiorno or its receipt, for non-EU nationals
Proof of income, for voluntary registration

Step-by-step

1
Work out whether your registration is free or paid
Employees, the self-employed, their families and several permit categories register at no cost. Students, elective residents and others outside those categories pay the annual voluntary contribution.
In personWho: YouWeek 2–4
2
Register at the ASL 3 district office for your address
Take your documents to the distretto socio-sanitario counter covering the address on your lease and choose a medico di medicina generale from the local list. In the hill districts, check that the practice you pick is actually reachable by the lift or funicular you use.
In personWho: You
3
Pay the voluntary contribution if it applies
Since the 2024 budget law it is calculated on the previous year's worldwide income at 7.5% on a first band and 4% above it, with minimums of €700 for students, €1,200 for au pairs and €2,000 for most adults. It expires on 31 December whenever you pay it.
In personWho: You
4
Collect the tessera sanitaria
The health card carries your codice fiscale and doubles as the European Health Insurance Card. It is posted to your registered address.
OnlineWho: You
5
Learn the regional booking system
The Ligurian CUP takes the prescription code from your GP by phone, online or at pharmacy counters. Waits vary by facility, and asking for the earliest slot anywhere reachable rather than the nearest is worth doing every time.
OnlineWho: You
6
Know the paediatric route if you have children
The Istituto Giannina Gaslini is a paediatric institute with a national referral role and is one of the strongest reasons to be relaxed about raising children here. Register the children with a paediatra di libera scelta at ASL 3, which is a separate step from your own GP registration.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Codice fiscale
Permesso di soggiorno or filing receipt
Certificate of residence or self-declared address
Employment contract or proof of self-employment
Proof of previous year's income, for the voluntary contribution

Things most newcomers don’t know

Liguria has the oldest population in Italy, and the health service is shaped accordingly.

Istat puts Liguria's median age at around 49.6 years — the highest of any Italian region — with roughly 283 people over 65 for every 100 under 15 in 2025, against a national figure near 200. A service built around that demand profile is strong in geriatrics, cardiology, oncology and rehabilitation, and correspondingly stretched on the services a young family uses most. The counterweight is real: the Gaslini is one of Europe's leading paediatric institutes and it is here, in the same city.

Source: Istat; Regione Liguria

Getting to the appointment is a Genoese problem in a way it is not elsewhere.

A GP practice or clinic two kilometres away on the map can be two hundred vertical metres up a hillside, reachable only by a specific lift, funicular or bus that runs at particular hours. When you choose a medico di medicina generale or accept a CUP slot at a given facility, check the actual route and the last service back, not the distance. Residents do this instinctively; newcomers book by address and discover the geography afterwards.

Source: community-reported

Liguria numbers its ASLs, and Genoa is number three.

Regione Liguria divides the region into five Aziende Sanitarie Locali numbered from Imperia in the west to La Spezia in the east; Genoa is ASL 3, usually written 'ASL 3 Genovese'. The regional health agency A.Li.Sa. sits above them for planning and procurement, which means official documents sometimes name it rather than the ASL. Search for 'ASL 3' rather than 'ASL Genova' and you will find the right counter first time.

Source: Regione Liguria

The voluntary SSN contribution stopped being a flat €387.34 on 1 January 2024.

The 2024 budget law replaced the flat fee with an income-based charge — 7.5% on a first band, 4% above — with minimums of €2,000 for most adults, €700 for students and €1,200 for au pairs. Genoa attracts elective residents on modest budgets, drawn by low rents and the coast, and that group routinely budgets from pre-2024 pages that are still online.

Source: Ministry of Health; 2024 budget law

Common mistakes to avoid

Choosing a GP by map distance rather than by which lift or funicular actually reaches them.
Searching for 'ASL Genova' rather than ASL 3 and landing on the wrong pages.
Assuming a service configured for the oldest population in Italy will be quickest at the things a young family needs.
Budgeting the pre-2024 flat contribution of €387.34.
Forgetting that children need a separate paediatra registration from your own GP.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.