Working visa

An Italy Work Visa allows non-EU citizens to work in Italy. To obtain this visa, there are several key steps and requirements that you must meet:

Types of Work Visas

1. Seasonal Work Visa: For temporary jobs, typically in agriculture or tourism.
2. Long-Term Work Visa: For permanent employment or longer-term contracts.
3. Freelance Work Visa: For self-employed individuals or freelancers.
4. Highly Skilled Worker Visa (EU Blue Card): For individuals with high qualifications, typically in technical or academic fields.

General Requirements

1. Job Offer: You need a valid job offer from an Italian employer.
2. Nulla Osta: The employer in Italy must apply for this work permit on your behalf from the immigration office (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione).
3. Quota System: Italy operates a quota system for work permits, meaning only a limited number of permits are issued every year.
4. Valid Passport: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned stay.
5. Health Insurance: Proof of health insurance valid in Italy.
6. Proof of Accommodation: You must show where you will be living in Italy.
7. Financial Means: Evidence that you can financially support yourself.
8. Clean Criminal Record: No major legal offenses.

Application Process

1. Step 1: Employer submits a work permit (Nulla Osta) request to the immigration authorities in Italy.
2. Step 2: Once the permit is approved, you can apply for a work visa at the Italian consulate or embassy in your home country.
3. Step 3: Submit required documents and visa application form to the embassy or consulate.
4. Step 4: Attend a visa interview if required.
5. Step 5: After obtaining the visa, you must enter Italy within the validity period.
6. Step 6: Once in Italy, apply for a residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno) within 8 days.

Required Documents

• Application form for the work visa.
• Passport-size photographs.
• Nulla Osta (work permit) obtained by the employer.
• Proof of employment or job offer.
• Proof of accommodation in Italy.
• Financial documents showing you can support yourself.
• Health insurance.
• Criminal background check.

Duration

The validity of the work visa and residence permit is typically based on your employment contract but can be renewed or extended.

Let me know if you need further details on a specific type of visa!

Non-EU citizens willing to work in Italia must apply for a work visa, and once in Italy convert the visa in residence permit for work purposes. Please download here the National visa application form.

a) Salaried work

In order to apply for a salaried work visa (“lavoro subordinato”) it is mandatory to previously obtain from Italy a no-impediment (“nulla osta”) issued by the “Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione”. Few exceptions to no-impediment are regulated by law (see below).

Once you obtaines the no-impediment, please apply providing the following documents .

List of useful laws and norms:
Decreto Lgs 286/1998; DPR 394/1999; L. 103 del 24.05.2002; Decreto Interministeriale 850/2011 Allegato A, punto 8.

b) Self-employment work

Businessmen willing to invest in Italy, free lances, high level ranks of already registered companies, artists and performers can apply for a self-employment visa.

Requests among quotas of self-employment workers yearly established by Italian law (“Decreto flussi”):

The Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers 14.12.2015 (so called Decreto flussi) for the year 2016 allows a worldwide quota of 2.400 available self-employment work visas.

1) Businessmen willing to start a new company, by investing no less than 500.000 euros and creating at least 3 new jobs, please find here the checklist of documents.
2) For start-up companies, please provide the following documents.
3) In case you will be an executive figure in a company registered as active at least three years ago, please follow this checklist. Allowed executive figures are a) president; b) member of the board of directors; c) managing director; d) accounting auditor. Allowed company is types a) Limited company; or, b) Limited liability company; or, c) Limited partnership with share.
4) Free lances working under regulated professions (find here the list) or professions registered in a professional order (find here the list), or not regulated professions represented at national level by associations enlisted by an Italian Public administration (find here the list for the health sector), must provide the following documents.
5) High repute artists and performers, enrolled by Italian public authorities or private institutions, can apply providing the following documents, provided that the requirements of the Interministerial Decree 850 of 11.05.2011 are fulfilled.

Requests out of yearly established quotas:

Outside the yearly established quotas of self-employment visas, highly qualified and specialized workers, whose work contract has already been approved in Italy by a relevant certification issued by the “Direzione territoriale del lavoro”, can apply for a self-employment visa. Allowed categories are:
1) General managers, or highly specialized managers, of: i) a company registered in Italy or having a branch in Italy; or ii) of the representative office of a foreign company registered in a country member of the World Trade Organization; or, iii) of the main Italian branch of Italian or European Union companies;
2) Language lecturer at University, participating to an exchange programme or stably hired;
3) University professor going to teach in a University in Italy;
4) Interpreter or translator.

Visa applicants must follow this checklist.

Short stay (less than 90 days) self-employment for high repute artists and performers:

Visas for performers and artists who will stay less than 90 days are issued outside of the quotas established on yearly bases by the “Decreto flussi” law. During their stay, such performers are not allowed to perform under a producer or a client different than the one indicated in the contract provided for the visa application (see art. 40.15 of Decree of the President of the Republic n. 394/99).

Documents to be provided for the visa application are enlisted here.

Please, be informed that all non-high repute artists and performers must apply for the salaried work visa (see above).

List of useful laws and norms:

Decreto Lgs 286/1998; DPR 394/1999; L. 103 del 24.05.2002; Decreto Interministeriale 850/2011 Allegato A, punto 7; Decreti sui flussi per lavoro non stagionale pubblicati a cadenza annuale; L. 221/2012.

c) Salaried work – seamen

Work visa is required for all foreign seamen to be embarked on ships flying the Italian flag, as well as for foreigners recruited for complementary services onboard Italian cruise ships (Law. 856, 5.12.1986). For the list of documents to be submitted, please click here.

d) “Digital nomad” work visa – National Visa (maximum duration 365 days)

This type of visa can be requested by foreign citizens who intend to carry out a highly qualified work activity in Italy pursuant to art. 27 quater paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree 286/98. The “digital nomad” is the foreigner who will carry out self-employment activities through the use of technological tools that will allow him to work remotely. We recommend checking the checklist to see if you meet the requirements.

e) Visa for remote worker – National Visa (maximum duration 365 days)

This type of visa can be requested by foreign citizens who intend to carry out a highly qualified work activity in Italy pursuant to art. 27 quater paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree 286/98.

The “remote worker” is the foreigner who, through the use of technological tools that allow working remotely, will carry out subordinate work or collaboration activities in accordance with the methods set out in Article 2, paragraph 1, of Legislative Decree 15 June 2015, n. 81; the employer or client may have their registered office in Italy or abroad. We recommend checking the checklist to see if you meet the requirements.