Healthcare in Italy — Expat Guide

Prescription medications — bring a 3-month supply

European pharmacies do not stock Indian-brand medications and many Indian prescription drugs are unavailable by their generic name without a local doctor visit first. Bring at least 3 months of any ongoing prescription medication. Get a letter from your Indian doctor in English describing the condition and dosage — useful if you're stopped at customs or need to register with a GP quickly.

OTC medicines: buy European equivalents on arrival

Combiflam, Crocin, D-Cold — none of these brand names exist in European pharmacies. The active ingredients do: ibuprofen (Combiflam), paracetamol (Crocin), and antihistamine decongestant combinations for colds. European pharmacists are helpful — describe the symptom and they'll find the equivalent. Don't bring large quantities of OTC drugs as customs can flag them.

Dental and eye checkup — do it in India before you leave

Dental treatment is often not covered (or only partially covered) by public health insurance, and private costs add up quickly. Get a full dental checkup and any pending work done before departure. Similarly, get an up-to-date spectacles prescription and bring spare glasses — optical costs can be high without separate vision insurance.

Ayurvedic and homoeopathic products

Widely used home-country products — Chyawanprash, Ashwagandha supplements, and familiar Ayurvedic brands — are sometimes available in diaspora grocery stores in major European cities but often at a premium. Bring enough for 3–6 months if you use them regularly.

Medical records — bring originals and digital copies

Bring physical copies of any significant medical history: surgery records, allergy list, vaccination records, chronic condition documentation. Scan everything to a cloud drive before you leave. European GPs cannot access Indian hospital records and will treat you as a new patient from scratch — your records help them give you continuity of care.