Foreign Workers Allowed in Italy for 2026 – 2028!

Oct 22, 2025

PRE-FILLING APPLICATIONS OPENING UNDER 2026 DECRETO FLUSSI ON OCTOBER 23^rd

Italian government has announced a cap of 497.550 on the number of foreign workers from outside the EEA allowed in Italy for 2026 – 2028. The decree, dated 2 October 2025, has been  published on the Official Gazette of October 15^th, 2025.

The decree establishes different click days to submit the online applications depending on the country of origin and the type of work:

• 12 January for seasonal agricultural workers;
• 9 February for seasonal tourism workers;
• 16 February for non-seasonal subordinate workers in various sectors, self-employed workers of Italian origin, and refugee and stateless workers;
• 18 February for non-seasonal subordinate workers in the domestic and care sector.

A joint circular by The Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, and the Ministry of Tourism issued on 16^th October provides the operational guidelines for the 2026 Decreto Flussi. For the year 2026, 164.850 quotas are available.

On Thursday 23^rd October, the pre-filling procedure for applications for work authorization (nulla osta) aimed at recruiting foreign workers under the 2026 Decreto Flussi will be officially opened.

From 9:00 a.m. on 23 October 2025 until 7 December 2025, employers, employers’ associations, and authorized professionals intending to submit applications on the click days shall be able to pre-fill the forms through the ALI Services Portal of the Ministry of the Interior, using SPID digital identity or CIE (Electronic Identity Card). The same portal shall be used to submit the applications starting from the scheduled click days, depending on the category of workers, as listed above.

Quota categories

The 164.850 quotas are to be allocated amongst the following categories:

• 88.000 quotas for Subordinate Seasonal Work in the sector of agriculture; hospitality and tourism industry  reserved to certain nationalities;
• 76.200 for non-seasonal subordinate work – work as an employee;
• In the sectors of freight transportation on behalf of third parties, building, hospitality and tourism, mechanics, telecommunications, food, shipbuilding, transportation of passengers by bus, fishing, hairdressing, electricians, plumbers:
  • 25.000 for the following nationalities. Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Philippines, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Japan, Guatemala, India, Kirghizistan, Kosovo, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of North Macedonia, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan;
  • 18.000 for citizens of countries with which Italy will have cooperation agreements on migration matters.

• 300 quotas reserved to stateless persons and refugees;
• 13.600 quotas for workers in the family care and support services;
• 19.300 non-reserved quotas;
• 650 quotas for self-employment;

• 10 quotas Reserved to foreign nationals who have Italian ancestry and reside in Venezuela;
• 40 quotas Reserved to foreign nationals who have Italian ancestry and reside in Countries identified by the decree of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation referred to in Article 27, paragraph 1-octies, of the Consolidated Law on Immigration;
• 20 quotas stateless persons and refugees;

• 500 quotas reserved for:
  • entrepreneurs intending to implement an investment plan of interest for the Italian economy, involving an investment of at least € 500.000 and creating at least 3 new jobs in Italy;
  • freelancers/independent contractors who intend to practice: regulated or controlled professions (i.e. individuals belonging to a professional association or enrolled with an official/public register) OR professions that are not non-regulated but are considered representative at national level and included in the lists edited by the Public Administration;
  • Holders of corporate offices or administrative/controlling positions (any of the following: Chairman, CEO, Member of board of directors, Auditor) in an Italian company, active since at least 3 years (requirements set in Visa Decree May 11, 2011 n.850);
  • Foreign citizens who intend set up innovative start-up companies, under certain conditions and who will have a self-employment relationship with the start-up;
  • internationally well-known and highest repute artists, artists of recognised high professional qualification or artists who are hired by well-known Italian theatres, important public institutions, public television or well-known national private televisions (requirements set in Visa Decree May 11, 2011 n.850).

• 80 non-reserved quotas.

This article was written by Giuditta Petreni, Alessia Ballacchino and Laila Abd El Gawed

Web Content Manager

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