Tessera sanitaria expired and I only have the ricevuta: what now?

By law, for those registered on a mandatory basis (work, family and the other grounds of art. 34 c. 1 TU) the SSN registration lasts as long as the permesso and does not lapse during a renewal; art. 34 expressly covers people who have already applied to renew. It ends only if the renewal is refused or the permesso is revoked or annulled.

Chat experience says a new card does not arrive by itself: people go to, or write to, the ASL where they live with the ricevuta and the old permesso. The ASL extends the registration and issues a temporary paper card, and the plastic one follows by post. How long the extension runs depends on the region - from six months to the date on the ricevuta.

With a first permesso the temporary card is also issued on the ricevuta. When it expired and the card was still not ready, in one 2026 case the ASL asked for the ricevuta, the payment receipts and a questura letter saying the permesso was not ready yet, to issue a second temporary card; in another the system threw an error and it took visits to several offices.

If the registration is voluntary and paid (art. 34 c. 3 TU, for example on elective residence), it rests on the contribution paid - at least 2000 euros a year; ask your ASL how to extend it for the next period.