Business immigration in Italy – the routes to obtaining a working visa and residence permit

January 3, 2022

1 – Italian Working Visa and Residence Permit Under Entry Quotas

Non-EU citizens may obtain an Italian visa and residence permit upon meeting the conditions of the “Decreto Flussi”, a decree issued every year by the Italian government which sets out the specific and limited number (quotas) of extra EU citizens who may enter the Italian territory to work. (This decree is normally issued in in December each year).

In order to obtain an Italian working visa and residence permit for non-EU citizens under this quota system, the Italian employer must apply to  the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (Italian immigration office):

Considering the limited number of Italian working visas and residence permits made available by the Italian government and the high number of applications submitted every year, it may not be possible to obtain a visa in the first instance through this route, despite meeting the above-mentioned requirements.

2 – Italian Working Visa and Residence Permit for Highly Qualified Workers – EU Blue Card

It may be possible to enter the Italy in order to work, irrespective of the entry quotas set out by annual Decreto Flussi, where an individual is employed as a highly qualified worker.

“Highly qualified workers” are external EU citizens in possession of:

However, neither Italian law or official guidance indicates whether “istruzione superiore” refers only to university degrees, or if whether high school diplomas are also included.

In order to obtain the EU Blue Card:

The duration of the Italian working visa and residence permit for highly qualified workers (EU Blue Card) is :

The working visa and residence permit for highly qualified workers is also renewable.

3 – Intra-Company transfer visa and Residence Permit

It may also be possible to enter the Italy for work by being transferred by a foreign employer to work in its subsidiaries, branches or representative offices in Italy.

Non-EU citizens may apply for an intra-company transfer visa and residence permit if they:

In order to obtain an intra-company transfer visa and residence permit:

The maximum duration of the Italian VISA and residence permit under reference is  3 years.

4 – Italian Working Visa and Residence Permit For Posting of Managers Or Highly Qualified Workers

This is another Italian visa and residence permit, similar to the intra-company transfer visa and residence permit.

A non-EU citizen may enter the Italy in order to carry out working activities if they are transferred by  a foreign employer tow ork for its subsidiary, branch or representative office in provided that they:

The application procedure is similar to the procedure to obtain the intra-company transfer visa and residence permit.

However, while the maximum duration of the intra-company transfer visa and residence permit is 3 years, the maximum duration of the highly qualified   transfer route  is 5 years.

5 – Italian Working Visa and Residence Permit For Self Employment

It is also possible to obtain an Italian visa and residence permit for self-employed work in Italy.

To qualify, the individual must be in possession of:

The worker may obtain an Italian visa and residence permit for self-employment on the basis of the conditions set forth by the Decreto Flussi (See 1. above).

Applications for an Italian visa and residence permit for self-employment is expensive, time-consuming and requires additional applications (such as obtaining a VAT number).

Find out more

This article was produced by Tommaso Fonti – Head of International Taxation Dept and Chiara Marracino – Global Mobility Dept, at  Bacciardi Partners, Italy, a CELIA Alliance member firm.

For further information or if you have any queries relating to the content of this communication, please contact us.

CELIA Alliance
CELIA Alliance members are identified here. Members of the CELIA Alliance are each independent law firms and do not practice law jointly with any other member of the CELIA Alliance. “CELIA Alliance” and “CELIA” are not trading names. For more information about the CELIA Alliance click here.

Disclaimer
Content is for general information purposes only. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive and it does not constitute or contain legal or other advice. If you require assistance in relation to any issue please seek specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances. In particular, no responsibility shall be accepted by the authors or by Abbiss Cadres LLP for any losses occasioned by reliance on any content appearing on or accessible from this newsletter. For further legal information click here.

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CELIA Alliance
CELIA Alliance members are identified here. Members of the CELIA Alliance are each independent law firms and do not practice law jointly with any other member of the CELIA Alliance. “CELIA Alliance” and “CELIA” are not trading names. For more information about the CELIA Alliance click here.

Disclaimer
Content is for general information purposes only. The information provided is not intended to be comprehensive and it does not constitute or contain legal or other advice. If you require assistance in relation to any issue please seek specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances. In particular, no responsibility shall be accepted by the authors or by Abbiss Cadres LLP for any losses occasioned by reliance on any content appearing on or accessible from this newsletter. For further legal information click here.

Copying
If you would like to copy or otherwise reproduce this article then you may do so provided that: (1) any such copy or reproduction is for your own personal use or if it is made available to any third party it is done so on a free of charge basis; and (2) the article is reproduced in full together with the contact details, disclaimer and any logos as they appear on each article.

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