Workplace Injuries in Italy: How to File an INAIL Claim and What You're Entitled To

In a nutshell

If you're injured while working, during your commute, or you develop an illness caused by your job, you're entitled to free medical care, a daily allowance replacing your salary, and — if permanent damage remains — a monthly pension or a lump-sum payment. Everything is managed by INAIL (Italy's workplace-injury insurance institute) and is free for the worker: the insurance premium is paid entirely by the employer.

At a glance

Cost	Free for the worker. The premium is the employer's responsibility.
Timeline	Employer's claim: within 2 days of receiving the medical certificate. Daily allowance: from the 4th day off work. Permanent-damage assessment: within 90 days of the final medical certificate.
Where in Rome	8 INAIL offices in the city. Helpline 803 164 (free from landlines), 06 164 164 (from mobile), Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 8am–2pm
Documents	Electronic medical certificate, employer's accident report, incident documentation

What INAIL covers

INAIL insurance covers:

• Workplace accidents: events caused suddenly during or as a direct result of work activities
• Occupational diseases: conditions that develop gradually through exposure to work-related risks (noise, vibrations, chemicals, repetitive strain)
• Commuting accidents (infortuni in itinere): accidents on the normal home-to-work, work-to-home or work-to-canteen route
• Student accidents during lab sessions, PCTO (school-work placements, formerly known as alternanza scuola-lavoro), and school trips
• Accidents involving homemakers (covered by mandatory insurance at €24 per year)

Coverage also extends to cycling accidents on the commute, even on routes served by public transport (L. 145/2018), and to remote-working accidents during working hours in the spaces designated for professional activity.

What to do immediately after an accident

1. Tell your employer

Notify your employer immediately — a text or email is fine — giving the date, time, location, and how the accident happened. Mention any witnesses. Do this even if the injury seems minor: some effects only show up days later.

2. See a doctor and say it's a workplace accident

Go to the Pronto Soccorso (Italian A&E / emergency room) or your GP and explicitly state that this is a workplace accident. The doctor will prepare the telematic INAIL medical certificate and send it automatically to INAIL, your employer, and you. Keep the paper copy and all documentation: A&E receipts, prescriptions, test results.

3. Your employer files the claim

For accidents with a prognosis of at least 4 days (beyond the day of the incident), your employer must send the accident report to INAIL within 2 days of receiving your medical certificate. For fatal accidents or those with an indeterminate prognosis, the report must reach INAIL within 24 hours and also be filed with law enforcement. The fine for a missing or late report is €1,290–€7,745, on top of any potential criminal liability.

4. INAIL pays the benefits

You don't need to do anything else: INAIL receives the medical certificate and the employer's report and activates your financial benefits automatically. Payment arrives by direct bank transfer, either monthly or fortnightly.

How much you receive during incapacity

Period	Who pays	Amount
Day of the accident	Employer	100% of salary
Days 1–3 after	Employer	60% (unless the applicable CCNL sets a higher rate)
Days 4–90	INAIL	60% of average daily wage (Retribuzione Media Giornaliera)
Day 91 to full recovery	INAIL	75% of average daily wage

If permanent damage remains

Once temporary incapacity ends, INAIL calls you for a medico-legal examination to assess the degree of permanent impairment:

• 1–5%: no compensation (below the threshold)
• 6–15%: one-off lump-sum payment (approximately €1,500–€24,000)
• 16–100%: lifetime monthly pension

If you disagree with the assessment, you can file an administrative objection within 60 days or take the matter to the Labour Court within 3 years.

Occupational diseases: how they work

If your illness developed gradually because of your job — noise-induced hearing loss, back problems from repetitive movements, respiratory disease from chemical exposure — you can file an occupational-disease claim. The DM 10/06/2014 lists diseases that are legally presumed to be work-related: for these, you don't need to prove the causal link. For diseases not on the list, you'll need medical documentation demonstrating the connection to your specific work activity.

The claim must be filed within 5 days of receiving your first medical certificate.

INAIL offices in Rome

Office	Address
Roma Centro	Via Lucio Volumnio 5, 00178
Roma Tuscolano	Via Lucio Volumnio 19, 00178
Roma Eur	Via Carlo Linneo 35, 00197
Roma Aurelio	Via Aurelia 825, 00165
Roma Nomentano	Via Roberto De Nobili 27, 00144
Roma Casilino	Viale Battista Bardanzellu 8, 00155
Roma Ostia	Via Capo Spartivento 1, 00122
Lazio Regional Directorate	Via dell'Amba Aradam 5, 00184 — tel. 06 77451

All offices require an appointment, bookable at INAIL — Offices and contacts. There are also provincial offices in Civitavecchia, Tivoli, Pomezia, Frascati, and Velletri.

Patronati (INCA-CGIL, ITAL-UIL, INAS-CISL, ACLI) — free union-run offices helping with social-security and immigration paperwork — can assist you for free with filing the claim, tracking your case, and appealing decisions.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Waiting before reporting. The statute of limitations is 3 years from the date of the event, but the longer you wait the harder it is to prove the causal link. Report immediately, even if you think it's minor.
2. Accepting "ordinary sick leave" instead. Some employers suggest recording the absence as standard INPS sick leave rather than a workplace accident. Ordinary sick leave gives you less protection: you pay for medication yourself, you have no right to a permanent-damage pension, and the limitation period is shorter. An employer who proposes this faces criminal penalties.
3. Signing statements describing the accident as non-work-related. Take the time to read every document before signing. You can ask a patronato or a trade union for assistance before you sign anything.

Special cases

Are you a foreign national without a residence permit? You're still entitled to INAIL benefits. Art. 4 of DPR 1124/1965 makes no distinction between regular and irregular workers: insurance applies regardless of the employment's legal status. Go to the A&E (free even if you only have the STP card — Straniero Temporaneamente Presente, issued to undocumented foreigners for urgent care), and the medical certificate will activate the process as normal.

Your employer refuses to file the report? If you work informally or your employer stonewalls you, you can file the claim yourself directly with INAIL, attaching the medical certificate, a description of your duties, and any documents proving your exposure to the risk. Contact a patronato or a trade union for support.

Are you self-employed (artisan or agricultural worker)? You're mandatorily insured through the relevant INAIL sector scheme. In the event of an accident, you file the claim yourself directly within 2 days of the incident (5 days for an occupational disease).

Are you working remotely (smart working)? You're covered during working hours in the spaces set aside for professional activity, including physiological breaks. You're not covered for accidents that clearly happen during personal activities (cooking, doing laundry, etc.).

Official sources

• INAIL — Home
• INAIL — What to do after a workplace accident
• INAIL — Offices and contacts
• INAIL — Forms and documents
• Ministry of Labour — Health and Safety
• National Labour Inspectorate
• Occupational Diseases Table (DM 10/06/2014)

Legal references: DPR 1124/1965 (Testo Unico INAIL), DLgs 38/2000 (biological damage), DLgs 81/2008 (Consolidated Workplace Safety Act), DLgs 151/2015, L. 145/2018, DM 10/06/2014.