UK Citizens in Italy: Recent changes on the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website suggest that UK nationals may no longer be allowed to carry out paid work in Italy for up to 90 days without a visa (see here).
Until now, several Italian authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour, and the Italian Consulate in London had confirmed that British citizens could perform paid activities in Italy for short stays without a work visa and without a residence permit. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has removed from its website the statement that the visa‑free regime for UK nationals also applied to paid work. In addition, the official visa portal “Visto per l’Italia”, which previously indicated that no visa was required for short‑term paid work, now shows that a visa is needed when selecting “work” as the purpose of stay.
This update creates inconsistency between official sources. The Italian Consulate in London website still states that UK nationals may enter Italy without a visa for paid work of up to 90 days, subject to reciprocity for Italian citizens in the UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, however, now suggests a different interpretation, without any formal clarification or decree.
At the moment, the legal framework is unclear. The safest assumption is that the visa‑free regime for paid work may apply only if reciprocal arrangements for Italian citizens in the UK enter in force.
Further guidance from the Italian authorities will be necessary to understand the new rules. Until then, companies should review upcoming assignments individually, considering the current uncertainty.
