An element for ventilation of a housing containing an electrical, electronic, mechanical, electromechanical or similar device such as a motor vehicle headlamp, including a rigid body having an outer cylindrical wall, closed off at a first extremity by a closing part, the cylindrical wall open at a second extremity attached to the housing, the body including an inner member of an at least partly yielding material having a first extremity close to the closing part of the rigid body and bearing a filtering membrane, and a second open extremity facing the housing; between the filtering membrane or the first extremity of the inner member and the closing part of the rigid body there is a distance of between 1 and 4 mm, securer for securing insertion of the inner member within the rigid body provided to allow the distance to be automatically maintained at time of insertion.