Italy Digital Nomad Visa: Too good to be true?

Apr 09, 2024

The other side of the Italy’s Digital Nomad Visa?

Theoretically speaking, the Italy digital nomad visa offers great opportunities to many, however, the difficult part can be actually obtaining it. Let’s find out.

A “digital nomad” is defined as a non-EU citizen who performs highly skilled remote work in Italy, either as a freelancer (digital nomad) or as an employee/collaborator of a company (remote worker), which can also be based outside Italy. The visa is exempt from the “quota” limits, and it is not necessary to obtain any work permits (nulla osta) in Italy before applying for the visa.

About Main requirements (𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀):

• HIGHLY SKILLED WORK: Education/professional experience to be qualified as a highly skilled worker (SAME REQUIREMENTS AS PER THE EU Blue card):
  • 3 years University-level degree (DoV or CIMEA attestation of comparability required) or
  • Post-secondary professional qualification of at least 3 years or equivalent to level 6 of the Italian Qualifications Framework (DoV or CIMEA attestation of comparability required) or
  • 5 years of professional experience in the sector relevant to the job offer (previous employment contract(s) and/or payslips, along with an optional letter of experience from the foreign employer, legalised and translated)
  • 3 years of professional experience (acquired in the previous 7 years) for managers and specialists working in the field of information and communication technologies ((previous employment contract(s) and/or payslips, along with an optional letter of experience from the foreign employer, legalised and translated)

In the case of Digital Nomads, i.e. Freelance workers: How to qualify as Highly skilled worker in case no diploma is available?

• the applicant must show to have an annual income of not less than around €28,000: 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁? 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 (𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗮) 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁?
• must have health insurance for medical care and hospitalization valid throughout Italy and for the entire period of stay.
• Proof of having secured accommodation in Italy 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 — 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗮? 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗯𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗮
• At least 6 months of work experience 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? as a digital nomad or remote worker 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 “𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗱𝘀” 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄?
• For the visa application, it is necessary to submit a declaration signed by the employer along with a copy of a valid identity document attesting to the absence of criminal convictions in the past 5 years (related to facilitating illegal immigration or exploitation of individuals, engaging in illegal labor intermediation and exploitation, employing foreign workers without the required permits or with expired permits).

Once the visa is issued, the holder shall travel to Italy and apply for the residence permit within eight working days of entry. To apply for the permit, the applicant must submit the same documents used for the visa application, duly stamped by the consulate/embassy.

The worker will be issued a permit as a “digital nomad — remote worker” valid for one year, renewable each year if the conditions and requirements are met (𝗡𝗕 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀)

Digital nomad/remote workers will be entitled to bring core family members (spouses and children under 18). (no parents or children over 18)

Tax obligations and Social Security coverage: where bilateral agreements on social security between Italy and the country of origin exist, these agreements will apply. In the absence of such agreements, Italian social security and insurance coverage regulations will apply. Digital nomads and remote workers will be provided with a tax code upon residence permit issuance. Digital nomads can request a VAT number from the Revenue Agency, which is informed about the visa issuance from police authorities.

Refusal of the visa: The visa may be refused/revoked if the employer/client residing in Italy has been convicted in the last five years. The residence permit already issued may be revoked when the worker or the company fails to comply with tax and contributory obligations.

Italy Digital Nomad Visa : What will happen now?

I hope to be proved wrong but, in the absence of clear guidance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which I doubt shall be ever issued) Consulates shall be loaded with visa applications with the result that:

1. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙖: applicants cannot apply while in Italy but need to return to their country of residency. in most Consulates it is very difficult to book an appointment for filing the visa application appointments are most likely to be fixed after some months;
2. 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚: the processing time for the visa is by law up to 90 days – 120 DAYS FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT  (and the Consulate will keep the passport while the application is pending) and if the Consulates request more documents the time can be extended
3. 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: Applicants who do not own a property in Italy, will most likely need to sign a 1-year lease agreement before knowing whether they will be granted the visa
4. 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡/𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡: visa issuance/denial is discretionary on each Consulate, the law set forth, in fact, that no prior clearance is required in Italy. While this is apparently positive, in reality, it leaves total discretion to each Consulate to decide upon the visa issuance with the consequence that the outcome of the application will become extremely unpredictable. I expect that Consulates will receive many applications and there will be many denials.
5. 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆: the law set forth the visa is extended to the applicant’s family, but 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘆 (𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗮) 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁.

You may be also interested in:

• Italy’s Digital Nomad Visa : Eligibility, Requirements, Application and more
• Moving to Italy: Which Italian visa is BEST for me?
• Residency Registration of foreigners living in Italy: About the Iscrizione Anagrafica and Residenza
• External Link: Italy Digital Nomad implementing decree

Marco Mazzeschi

Attorney at law.
One of the leading corporate immigration lawyers in Italy. Admitted to the Milan Bar Association (1988) and to the Taipei Bar Association (2016), a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and an accredited partner of Invest in Tuscany.

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