Choosing and Changing Your GP in Rome: A Practical Guide
Pick or switch your family doctor in 5 minutes online or at an ASL desk. Practical guide for adults, children, and foreigners.
In a nutshell
Your family doctor (in Italian: Medico di Medicina Generale, or MMG) is your free entry point into SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale — Italy's national health service): they see you in the clinic, prescribe medications, issue referrals for specialist appointments, and sign sick-leave certificates. Children up to age 14 have a paediatrician (Pediatra di Libera Scelta, PLS) instead. Registering with a GP and switching to a new one are both free and can be done at any time.
At a glance
| Cost | Free. No charge to register or switch. |
| Timeline | Online via FSE: 5–10 minutes. In person at a desk: 15–30 minutes. |
| Where in Rome | ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority) Roma 1–6 district offices; or online at fascicolosanitario.regione.lazio.it |
| Documents needed | Tessera Sanitaria (Italian health-insurance card) + valid ID |
What your family doctor actually does
Your GP is far more than the person who signs certificates. They see patients in the clinic — free of charge, by appointment or as a walk-in — and make home visits if you can't leave the house (call before 10:00 and they'll come the same day). They prescribe medications via electronic prescription and issue referrals (impegnative) for specialist visits, tests, and physiotherapy. Sick-leave certificates go directly to INPS (Italy's social-security agency) without you having to do anything.
They also manage chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, coordinate adult vaccinations, and help you navigate the health system — advising which specialist you need and how to book.
Outside office hours (evenings, nights, public holidays) your point of contact is the Continuità Assistenziale (out-of-hours GP service, formerly known as the guardia medica), reachable on the single number 116117, active throughout Lazio.
Who can register and what limits apply
Anyone enrolled in the SSN is entitled to a GP. Adults (over 14) choose an MMG; children aged 0–6 have a paediatrician, and between ages 6 and 14 the family can choose either a PLS or an MMG.
Each GP has a cap of 1,500 registered patients (up to 1,800 with an exemption); paediatricians can take up to 800. If a doctor has reached their cap they cannot take you on — it's a contractual limit, not a personal rejection. Just look for another available GP in the same local area.
Your choice is restricted to the district where you are resident or have your declared address (domicilio). Exceptions exist for people who work or study in a different district, or for family members already registered with the same doctor.
Three ways to switch GP
Option 1 — Online via the Lazio Electronic Health Record (FSE)
The fastest route. Go to fascicolosanitario.regione.lazio.it, log in with SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services), CIE (Italian electronic ID card), or TS-CNS with PIN, and find the "Cambio medico di famiglia" (change family doctor) service. Select your new GP from the list. The system deregisters the old doctor and registers the new one simultaneously. You get a confirmation by email or SMS with a PDF registration document. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.
Option 2 — Online via SaluteLazio
Go to salutelazio.it, under "Servizi al cittadino" → "Scelta e revoca del medico". Log in with SPID or CIE. The process mirrors the FSE route and also lets you check each doctor's office hours and availability before committing.
Option 3 — In person at an ASL desk
Bring your Tessera Sanitaria and a valid ID to the Medicina Generale desk in your district. You'll be shown the current list of available GPs, fill in a short form, and leave with your registration document the same day. Your previous doctor is automatically deregistered — you don't need to notify them.
ASL offices in Rome
| ASL | Districts served | Example office |
|---|---|---|
| ASL Roma 1 | I, II, III, XIII, XIV, XV | Lungotevere della Vittoria 3 (Dist. 1) |
| ASL Roma 2 | IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX | Via di Casal Bertone 144 (Dist. 4) |
| ASL Roma 3 | X, XI, XII + Fiumicino | Via Paolini 34 – Ostia |
For districts outside the ring road (ASL Roma 4, 5, 6) check your competent ASL's district desks.
Typical desk hours: Mon–Fri 8:30–12:30, Tuesday and Thursday also 14:30–16:30. For directions and availability call ReCUP 06 9939 (Mon–Fri 7:30–19:30, Sat 7:30–13:00): they don't process GP changes but can point you to the right office.
Special situations
You've just had a baby. Within 6 months of birth, go to the ASL with the baby's Codice Fiscale and birth certificate to register them with a paediatrician. In the meantime, the newborn is covered by the parent's paediatrician.
You've moved to a different district within the same ASL. You can keep your current GP or switch — it's your choice.
You've moved to a different ASL area. Once you've updated your residence at the Anagrafe (civil-registry office at the Comune, handles residency), you must register with the new ASL and choose a GP in that area. Your old doctor is automatically deregistered.
You're temporarily living away from your registered address for work or study. You can request a "temporary health domicile" registration (domicilio sanitario temporaneo, valid up to 12 months, renewable) at any Rome ASL desk. Students need proof of university enrolment.
You want a doctor who speaks your language. On salutelazio.it/ricerca-medici you can filter by area and check availability. Some doctors in ASL Roma 1 districts (Trastevere, San Lorenzo, Esquilino) speak English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Romanian, and Ukrainian. The SaMiFo centre at Via Luzzatti 8 offers free cultural mediation.
Mistakes to avoid
- Thinking appointments cost money. Clinic visits, prescriptions, specialist referrals, and sick-leave certificates are all free under the SSN. The only things that carry a private fee are certain non-SSN certificates (competitive sport clearance, firearms licence, insurance) — the cost is posted in the clinic.
- Waiting until you have a health problem to register. Without a GP you can't get referrals for specialist visits or SSN prescriptions for medication. Register as soon as you arrive in Rome or as soon as you gain SSN enrolment.
- Using third-party apps or websites to switch doctors. Changes must be made through FSE Lazio, SaluteLazio, or an ASL desk only. If an app asks you to pay to "change your doctor quickly," it's a scam. Patronato offices (free union-run offices helping with social-security and administrative paperwork) — including ACLI, INCA, ITAL, and CAF (free assistance offices for administrative paperwork) — can help you at no charge.
Official sources
- Salute Lazio — Find a doctor
- ASL Roma 1 — Choosing a GP or paediatrician
- ASL Roma 1 — General medicine desks
- ASL Roma 3 — Registration and GP choice
- ASL Roma 4 — Choosing a GP
- ASL Roma 6 — GP and paediatrician
- Lazio Electronic Health Record (FSE)
- Regione Lazio — Health
Legal references: Legge 23/12/1978 n. 833 art. 25, DPR 28/07/2000 n. 270, DPR 28/07/2000 n. 272, ACN Medicina Generale 21/06/2018, DCA Regione Lazio U00159/2018.