Study abroad in Italy: the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers medically necessary treatment but not repatriation. German citizens need no visa, as a passport or ID card is enough. For living costs in Rome, Sapienza University cites a total budget of around 800 euros per month.
Study abroad in Italy at a glance
| Item | Details (as of October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The EHIC is valid in Italy, repatriation is not covered | German Federal Foreign Office, European Commission |
| Visa | Not required, registration may be requested after three months | German Federal Foreign Office, Your Europe |
| Tuition | For Erasmus+ students, fees for tuition, enrolment and examinations are waived at the host university | Erasmus+ |
| Living costs, Rome | Around 800 euros per month, rooms 350 to 550 euros | Sapienza Università di Roma |
| Auslands-BAföG (German study abroad grant) | Possible, responsible office: Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf of Berlin | German Student Services (DSW) |
All details are general information, not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative.
How are you insured in Italy?
EHIC and your statutory health insurer
Italy is an EU member, so the EHIC applies there. It is on the back of your German health insurance card. According to the German federal portal, it entitles you to medically necessary care, especially emergency care and ongoing treatment of chronic conditions, on the same terms as people insured in the host country. For Italy, the German Federal Foreign Office names entitlement to treatment by authorised doctors and hospitals and asks for the card or a replacement certificate as proof.
The card is tied to statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV). Whether your cover continues unchanged during your semester abroad depends on your enrolment in Germany and on your insurer. Get the arrangement confirmed in writing before you leave and check that the card is valid until the end of your stay. If you have private insurance, start with our guide Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German).
What does your German insurer pay?
With the card, treatment is billed under the rules of the host country. According to the Federal Government Commissioner for Patients, your insurer does not cover co-payments made abroad, although they count towards your co-payment limit. Keep all receipts. If you pay for treatment yourself first, the German federal portal says your insurer reimburses at most what comparable treatment would have cost in Germany, minus an administrative deduction. Inpatient treatment in the EU and planned treatment need prior approval.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The card does not replace travel health insurance. Treatment that can wait until you return and repatriation to Germany are not covered. The German Federal Foreign Office strongly advises travel health cover with repatriation insurance that also pays for air rescue to Germany. Without adequate cover, you bear treatment and repatriation costs yourself. The federal portal names higher co-payments abroad and repatriation costs as a residual risk that private travel health insurance can cover. What you need depends on your contract, your university and the length of your stay. For background, see Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and Work and Travel (in German).
Do you need a visa for Italy?
No. The German Federal Foreign Office lists no visa requirement for German citizens in Italy. A passport, a provisional passport, an ID card and a provisional ID card (if valid) are accepted. According to the Office, expired documents are accepted for up to one year, but it advises travelling only with a valid document.
For stays of more than three months, the European Commission names three conditions: enrolment at a recognised institution, comprehensive health insurance and sufficient resources. After three months, the host country may ask you to register. The Italian Ministry of the Interior describes how Italy handles this in its portal on residence registration for EU citizens (link in the sources). Keep these documents ready:
- A valid ID card or passport
- Proof of enrolment at the host university
- Proof of comprehensive health insurance, which for statutorily insured students is the EHIC
- Proof of sufficient resources, the European Commission names no fixed minimum amount
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning for Italy (page as of 25 October 2026). It points to demonstrations and protests against high living costs and to an increased terror threat. Read the current travel and safety advice before you leave.
What does a semester in Italy cost?
Tuition fees
As an Erasmus+ student you are exempt from fees for tuition, enrolment and examinations at the host university, according to the European Commission, although small charges, for example for insurance or the student union, may apply. As a free mover, the fees follow the fee schedule of the individual university. We name no single amount because no official body sets one for all universities. Ask your host university for the current rates.
Living costs
A department of Sapienza Università di Roma cites private rooms in Rome at 350 to 550 euros per month, a student monthly public transport pass at 35 euros and a recommended total budget of around 800 euros per month for accommodation, food, telephone, local travel and leisure. The page carries no date. Costs may differ in other cities, so ask your host university for its budget.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
Your university sets the monthly Erasmus+ grant, which depends on country groups. The National Agency at the DAAD names no amount, so ask your international office. For more, see Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).
Auslands-BAföG, the German study abroad grant, is available for part of a degree abroad. According to the German Student Services, the Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf of Berlin (foreign study office) is responsible for Italy. According to the leaflet (as of January 2026), you need a permanent residence in Germany, funding starts at the earliest in the month of application, and you should apply online about six months before you start. It includes a one-off travel allowance, a health insurance supplement and tuition fees of up to 5,600 euros for a maximum of one year. Details are in Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German).
Worked example: For a five-month Erasmus+ semester in Rome and a total budget of around 800 euros per month, the cost comes to 4,000 euros. Travel, travel health insurance and your home university semester fee are not included. The total is a guide, not a commitment.
Steps before you leave
- Check the validity of your EHIC and order a new card in good time if needed.
- Ask the host university whether and how you must register after three months.
- Keep your ID card or passport, proof of enrolment and proof of insurance ready.
- Ask your insurer to confirm in writing how you are insured during your semester abroad before you sign the learning agreement.
- Take out travel health and repatriation insurance if your cover does not include repatriation and treatment that can wait.
- If you receive funding, submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the responsible office (the Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf of Berlin (foreign study office)) about six months before you start.
- Ask your international office about funding and the host university fees.
Frequently asked questions
Does my EHIC work in Italy?
Yes, for medically necessary treatment by authorised doctors and hospitals. Treatment that can wait and repatriation are not covered.
Do I need a visa for Italy?
No. German citizens need only an ID card or passport. After three months, Italy may ask you to register.
Do I have to pay tuition fees in Italy?
Not as an Erasmus+ student for tuition, enrolment and examinations. Free movers follow the host university fee schedule.
How much does it cost to live in Italy per month?
For Rome, Sapienza University cites a total budget of around 800 euros per month. In other cities the amount may differ.
Does my insurer pay for repatriation?
The German federal portal describes no statutory benefit for repatriation and names repatriation costs as a residual risk that private travel health insurance can cover.
Who handles Auslands-BAföG for Italy?
The Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf of Berlin (foreign study office).
Sources
- German Federal Foreign Office, Italy: travel and safety advice (page of 25 October 2026)
- European Commission, Your Europe: Studying in another EU country (last changed 30 September 2026)
- Italian Ministry of the Interior, Single Digital Gateway: residence in another Member State
- Sapienza Università di Roma, Cost of Living (undated)
- European Commission, Erasmus+: studying abroad, fee waiver
- DAAD, National Agency for Erasmus+ higher education: studying abroad with Erasmus+ (undated, in German)
- European Commission, social security FAQ: European Health Insurance Card (undated)
- German federal portal, health insurance abroad (last updated 6 December 2022, in German)
- Federal Government Commissioner for Patients, leaflet on cover abroad (undated, in German)
- German Student Services, Auslands-BAföG leaflet (as of January 2026, in German)
Sources accessed on 25 October 2026 unless stated otherwise.
Related guides
- Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Semester abroad in France (in German)
- Semester abroad in Spain (in German)
- All countries for your semester abroad (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
