Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WORKING IN ITALY

Italy sees high demand for non-EU work permits as applications open

As applications for non-EU work permits opened on Saturday, Italy had already received over 600,000 pre-applications – four times the quota available.

Published: 1 December 2023 18:04 CET
Italy, wine field
A worker carries a crate of grapes in a vineyard in the village of Manarola, La Spezia, in September 2013. Photo by OLIVIER MORIN / AFP

The Italian interior ministry said on Friday it had received some 608,000 pre-applications for non-EU work permits between October 30th and November 26th – a figure outstripping the set government quota for 2023 (136,000) by four times.  

The announcement came less than 24 hours before the ministry was due to open online applications for non-seasonal workers under its yearly decreto flussi, a decree governing immigration to the country for employment reasons.

Italy offers a limited number of non-EU work permits on a changing annual quota, with permits being allocated on a first-come-first-served basis after the electronic window for submission opens.

READ ALSO: Italian work permits: Who needs one and how do you get it?

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged in September to gradually raise the number of annual work visas for non-EU workers after irregular migration to Italy spiked in 2023, resulting in deadly shipwrecks including one off the coast of Calabria in late February.

The move also followed heavy pressure from industry leaders who say more workers are needed in many sectors.

The quota for 2023 was already higher than in recent years, and the number of permits available was set to increase further to 151,000 in 2024 and 165,000 in 2025.

Italy’s interior ministry said that among the pre-applications received so far for next year, around 253,000 were relative to non-seasonal work, some 261,000 were relative to seasonal work, and approximately 86,000 related to jobs in the social and healthcare sectors.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

MOVING TO ITALY

Can you work in Italy on an elective residency visa?

The elective residency visa is one of the most popular routes to Italian residency, but what exactly are the rules on working in the country once you arrive?

Published: 8 May 2024 12:28 CEST
Can you work in Italy on an elective residency visa?

If you’re looking to relocate to Italy as a non-EU national without close family ties or a job offer from an Italian employer, you’ll likely have come across the elective residency visa, or ERV.

The ERV is the Italian visa best suited to many applicants, with a relatively low minimum income threshold and few other strict barriers to entry. But does it allow you to work and receive a salary once you arrive in Italy?

The short answer is no: Italy’s elective residency visa is specifically designed for people who want to move to Italy without working.

Applicants for the ERV must meet a passive income requirement of at least €31,000 per person per year or €38,000 for married couples, plus five percent per dependent minor. 

READ ALSO: Five expert tips for getting your Italian elective residency visa approved

The key is in that word ‘passive’ – while annuities, pensions and rental income all count, you can’t receive an active income from work while on the visa.

Italy’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in Europe, so the government is very careful to protect the domestic jobs market (which is why many were surprised when parliament last month approved a digital nomad visa that does allow foreigners to work from Italy, in theory for Italian employers).

READ ALSO: How easy is it to get Italy’s new digital nomad visa?

That means the vast majority of the people who move to Italy on the ERV are retirees in their 60’s or older.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be some people who try to get around the rules by working under the table or remotely.

But if caught, you’d be found to be in breach of the terms of your visa and face being kicked out of the country – so it’s safest to follow the rules. 

Read more about the ERV and other visa options in The Local’s Italian visa section.

SHOW COMMENTS