Vademecum
Guide for the transfer of the child
for treatment purposes
How to handle the case of a minor patient suffering from a serious illness that cannot be treated locally, who has to be transported by air to another geographical area or country.
A real solidarity network to guarantee the right to care for the minor.
Over time, the Foundation has started, through continuous work of relationship and trust, the construction of a permanent dialogue between private individuals and non-profit organizations, doctors, hospitals, donors, volunteers, ambassadors and other stakeholders, from which a value chain with a direct social impact was born.
Each reality of the solidarity network takes charge of a stage of the child's journey towards health.
Below is a short guide to illustrate, in chronological order, the main steps and procedures for transferring a minor for medical reasons.
Locate a healthcare facility
Identify a healthcare facility capable of treating the patient's pathology and ensure that the institution and department involved agree to admit the patient and have availability for hospitalization.
Cover expected medical expenses for hospitalization.
Check how to cover the expected medical expenses for hospitalization and for the treatment of the patient's pathology, first asking for a cost estimate from the healthcare facility identified for the hospitalization.
Some hospitals and some countries have specific funds that can be made available to cover this type of expense, so it is a good idea to check if there are funds available, what the capacities are and how to request funding.
Ensure coverage of food and accommodation.
Provide for the identification and coverage of the accommodation and food costs of the minor (in the period following hospital stay) and of the parent/guardian who will accompany him/her on the trip (during the period of care of the child/minor). Some large pediatric hospitals boast their own structures and/or collaborations with networks of associations that can help families find accommodation and receive support during their stay.
Check and carry out any procedures for expatriation and entry into a third country.
If the host hospital is located in a country other than the one of origin, it will be essential to check whether the minor and companion need the following documents to travel:
- valid passports;
- entry visas to the country/area (e.g., Schengen space) of the hospital;
- authorization with legal value signed by the parent who is not traveling with the minor.
If the patient has only one parent or a legal guardian other than the parents, a permission with legal value for expatriation will be required.
On the page of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation it is possible to check whether the country of origin of the minor patient and the companion requires an entry visa for Italy and what are the requirements necessary to submit any application to the relevant Italian diplomatic offices.
In the case of requests for visas for medical treatment for children arriving in Italy, the Flying Angels Foundation will be able - only for urgent cases - to support the procedures through the use of a circular of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (so-called Green Channel) in order to facilitate the timing of issuing visas, provided that the case must have already been formally accepted by the Foundation and that the documentation necessary for the visa application must be already complete, correct and available to the diplomatic headquarters
Make a visa request to enter Italy.
Organize the journey.
If all the previous points have been verified and completed and if the possible procedure for obtaining visas has been started/is being started, it is time to organize the trip: for air transport, a request can be submitted to the Flying Angels Foundation, as long as the case falls within the parameters indicated in the Foundation's Guidelines.The person requesting flight financing must then send the request to Flying Angels via the Application platform (following the instructions on page 2 of the Guidelines). The person in charge of managing the flight operations and the seven doctors of the Scientific Committee of the Foundation are active 7 days a week to evaluate each new request for air transport.
Define the flight plan.
If the case presented is deemed eligible by Flying Angels, it will organize and cover the costs of return air transport for the minor patient, for his companion (parent or legal guardian) and for any other provisions deemed necessary for the trip (e.g., oxygen on board the plane, medical and/or nursing accompaniment). Before issuing tickets, it will be necessary to give the Flying Angels Flight Operator (voli@flyingangels.it) confirmation of the itinerary and travel dates and send a copy of the visas obtained, where necessary for entry into the country of the receiving healthcare facility.
Organize any non-air transfers.
Check for any additional obligations upon arrival.
As regards arrival on Italian territory, for example, if the minor and companion come from a country from which it was necessary to request and obtain an entry visa, it will also be necessary to verify how to regularize their presence on Italian territory by following the procedures established by the competent offices.
With specific reference to arrivals in Italy, therefore, the steps to follow are:
- request for a residence permit for the companion and minor patient;
- communication of transfer of property use by the person or organization hosting the companion and minor patient during their stay in Italy.
Download the handbook in the language of your choice.
How to cooperate with us
In order to establish a highly effective collaborative relationship in moments where the time factor is crucial, you will also find the guidelines to request the coverage of costs for air transfer of children and teams for medical purposes, so that any private individual or non-profit organization that wants to access our service can view them even before contacting us.
However, we are always available to assist you in all procedures.
