As The Local has reported, getting vaccinated in Italy without a tessera sanitaria (health card) has proved a considerable challenge for many foreign residents. 

Now people who managed to pass that hurdle are worried they face another due to not having the card: obtaining the digital Covid certificate that will allow them to travel quarantine-free throughout the EU, as well as visiting museums, attending concerts and eating indoors at restaurants in Italy. 

EXPLAINED: When, where and why will you need a Covid health passport in Italy?

The good news is that the Italian government has provided options for people without a health card, at least when it comes to downloading your certificate.

While people who are part of the public health service have several ways to claim their pass, including asking their doctor to access it for them, people outside the system will need to go through the online platform run by the Italian health ministry.

Note that the Italian version of the health pass is only available to people who were vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid-19 in Italy.

Certificates from any other country in the EU or Schengen Zone, as well as from these five countries outside the bloc, will also be accepted in Italy.

If you are eligible under Italy’s system but don’t have an Italian health card, here’s a guide to getting your certificazione verde without it.

How to get your certificate without a health card if you were vaccinated in Italy

If you’ve had one or both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in Italy, you have four ways to get your certificate.

• Using your codice fiscale

From July 30th, the Italian government has simplified the procedure for downloading a Covid-19 vaccination certificate from its official Digital Green Card website without a tessera sanitaria.

READ ALSO: How Italy just made it easier to download a Covid-19 health pass

People who are not enrolled in the public health system can now request their pass using nothing more than their codice fiscale and the date they got their shot: go to this page and select the option Utente non iscritto al SSN vaccinato in Italia (‘User not enrolled in the National Health Service vaccinated in Italy’). 

Entering your details will bring up your digital vaccination certificate, which you can either download as a printable PDF or save as a QR code directly to your phone.

• With a SPID or ID card

Alternatively, you can login to the Digital Green Card website using either a verified digital ID known as a SPID or your electronic ID card (CIE), both of which are available to all registered residents of Italy regardless of whether they’re part of the national health system.

To get a SPID, you’ll need to apply via an authorised provider who will verify your identity before issuing your credentials (beware that some may ask you to show a tessera sanitaria as proof of your codice fiscale, or tax code: ask customer services if they will accept another official document instead). Find a guide here.

Alternatively, if you have a microchipped Italian ID card you can download an authentication app to your smartphone and use it to login in securely to government websites. Find instructions here.

Use either method to access the green card website here.

• Via the IO app

You can also use your SPID or ID card to log into IO, the Italian government’s public administration app. 

Once you’ve downloaded the app to your smartphone and used your official credentials to log in, your vaccination QR code will appear there automatically. You can show it directly in the app or save it as an image to your phone.

• With an authorisation code

Once the green pass website went live in mid-June, Italy said it would automatically send an authorisation code to everyone who had been vaccinated as soon as their certificate was available. 

You should receive your so-called AUTHCODE to the mobile phone number or email address you gave the vaccination centre when you got your jab. 

Enter the code on the government’s website here, selecting the option Utente senza tessera sanitaria (‘User without a health card’), and it will load your certificate without the need for any other details.

If you were vaccinated before Italy launched its digital certificate in June, you were supposed to receive your AUTHCODE by June 28th – though by early August many people continued to report that they had not.

If that’s the case for you, either try one of the alternatives above, or ask for assistance by calling the official helplines on 1500 or 800 91 24 91. 

You can also email for assistance at [email protected] or [email protected].

How to get your certificate without a health card if you get tested for Covid-19 in Italy

Anyone who gets a Covid test in Italy from now on should be issued with a unique code depending on the type of swab. 

• Molecular test: CUN (codice univoco nazionale, ‘unique national code’)
• Rapid antigen test: NRFE (numero di referto elettronico, ‘electronic reference number’) 

Ask for the code when you get your test, or have it sent to you by SMS or email. 

Go to the government’s website here and select the option Utente senza tessera sanitaria (‘User without a health card’). You will be prompted to enter the type and number of the ID you showed when you got your test, e.g. passport or ID card, as well as the type of code you have.

Click Ricupera certificazione (‘Get certificate’) and you should be able to download your digital test result. It remains valid for 48 hours after your swab.

EXPLAINED: How tourists and visitors can get a coronavirus test in Italy

How to get your certificate without a health card if you recovered from Covid-19 in Italy

People who are certified to have recovered from Covid-19 in Italy will receive an identifying code called an NUCG (numero univoco certificato guarigione, ‘unique recovery certificate number’). 

Go to the government’s website here and select the option Utente senza tessera sanitaria (‘User without a health card’). You will be prompted to enter the type and number of the ID you showed when you were treated and confirmed healthy, e.g. passport or ID card, as well as the type of code you have.

Click Ricupera certificazione (‘Get certificate’) and you should be able to download your digital test result. It is valid for six months after your official recovery date, provided you don’t contract coronavirus again during this period.

Find further details on the official website (currently only available in Italian).

For more information about the current coronavirus situation and health measures in Italy please see the Health Ministry’s website (in English).