Italy Work Visa for Indians

Indian residents and other non-European candidates must hold a valid work visa if they are planning their immigration to Italy from India. You can not work and live in Italy on a tourist visa.

The work permit only allows you to enter the country. To stay in Italy, you need to apply for a residence permit within 8 days of arrival at a local post office.

Here are some other basic guidelines you need to follow to be eligible for an Italian work permit:

• You must hold a valid Indian passport.

• You must not have a criminal record.

• You must have a valid job offer and proof of confirmed employment from an employer/company in Italy.

• Your Italian employer must also apply for a work permit on your behalf.

• The Decreto Flussi must be open. The quota for 2023 - 2025 is 452,000 permits.

• If your visa is approved, you will have 6 months to pick it up and enter Italy.

• The employer must apply for a Nulla Osta (work permit) at the immigration office in their respective Italian province.

• Upon approval, the employer must send the work visa to you and notify the Italian embassy/consulate where you must apply for an Italy work visa.

Decreto Flussi: The Italian government has a set limit of work permits they can issue to non-EU citizens/candidates. Applications will be accepted for only a few months every 1 - 2 years. The window and quota will depend on the state or immigration and the job market.

The quota for 2023 - 2025 is 452,000 permits. Only highly skilled candidates (EU Blue Card applicants) may be exempt from this quota limit.

• Your employer will apply for a work permit first, and on approval, you will need to apply for a work visa at the Embassy of Italy in India. The initial work visa is called the Nulla Osta or Certificate of no Impediment.

• The visa types can be broadly divided into employment and self-employment visas. In total, there are 9 types.

• You need both an Italy work visa and a residence permit if you are planning to immigrate to Italy from India.

• The work visa can be valid for up to 2 years, depending on the length of your employment contract and renewed for up to 5 years.

• You can apply for permanent residence in Italy after 5 years of continuous legal residence in Italy.

Salaried Employment Visa: Under this Italy work permit visa, you can live and work in Italy for up to a year. You must have a valid job offer and can renew this visa for another 5 years.

Self-Employment Visa: This is meant for freelancers and those who perform work through their own businesses. It allows you you live and work in Italy for 12 months and is renewable.

You must prove that you have a working and valid contact with an Italian client with a minimum annual income of EUR 8,500 - 9,000 (approx ₹7,73,866 - ₹8,19,338) in the upcoming year. Or you can provide proof that you made this amount in the previous year.

Digital Nomad Visa: Introduced in 2022 to reflect the growing trend of remote work, this Italy work permit visa is similar to the self-employment visa. It is available to highly skilled workers for 1 year who have working contracts with a company registered and based outside Italy.

As a Digital Nomad, you must have a minimum monthly income of EUR 2,500 (approx ₹2,27,501) and you do not need the Nulla Osta document to apply for a work permit. You will need to provide your current working contract instead.

EU Blue Card: This work permit allows you to live and work in any EU country – except Ireland and Denmark.

To qualify, you must possess a bachelor's degree (3 years) and professional qualifications in accordance with levels 1, 2 and 3 of the ISTAT classification of CP professions, 2011.

The annual minimum wage offered by your employer cannot be less than EUR 24,789 (approx ₹22,56,661). You must also possess a Declaration of Value issued by the competent Italian diplomatic representation.

Scientific Research Visa: As the name suggests, it is granted only to individuals brought to Italy to conduct research by an Italian Research Centre (e.g. University) registered with the Ministry of Universities and Research.

This visa's validity lasts for the duration of the research programme. Renewals will be done up to the duration of the extension under the programme.

Seasonal Work Visa: This permit falls under the Decreto Flussi quota and covers jobs under sectors like construction, tourism, and agriculture.

You must have a valid job offer and the employer will provide your accommodations. It is valid for up to 9 months.

Extra-Quota Employment Visa: This Italy job visa for Indians is not covered under the Decreto Flussi quota and is available for:

• Nurses

• Interpreters

• Artists

• Athletes

• Journalists

Startup Visa: This visa is offered under a government-sponsored startup visa program for qualified non-EU citizens. You can apply for this through an Italian embassy in India. The visa is valid for 1 year and can be renewed for up to 5 years.

New Investor Visa: To qualify for this Italy work permit visa, you need a minimum investment of:

EUR 500,000 (approx ₹4,54,92,750) for an incorporated Italian company

EUR 250,000 (approx ₹2,27,46,375 ) for a startup

EUR 1 million (approx ₹9,09,85,500 ) as a philanthropic donation in Italy.

You will need two sets of documents. One to submit to your employer for the initial work visa application on their end and the other to submit to the Italian Embassy when applying at the Embassy. The list of documents for both processes will be the same.

Here is the general list of documents required for an Italy job visa:

• A copy of your official signed employment contract.

• Nulla Osta (work visa) certificate from the employer (original and copy)

• Indian passport with a minimum of two blank pages and validity for at least 3 months after the visa's duration.

• Passport-sized photos per Italy visa photo requirements (no older than 6 months).

• Valid health insurance or international travel insurance with medical coverage.

• Completed Italian Long-Stay Visa Application form (to submit to the Embassy)

• Visa acknowledgement receipt to prove you paid for your visa.

• Resume and cover letter.

• Diplomas, certificates and other educational and professional qualifications.

• Accommodation proof in Italy, either provided by your employer or financed on your own (rental agreements, hotel booking, host invitation, etc.).

• Proof of Sufficient Financial Means: Bank statements, an insurance policy certificate, proof of sponsorship (if someone is sponsoring you), or travellers' cheques.

Additional Documents:

Scientific Research Visa: A formal letter of invitation from the research centre.

Digital Nomad Visa: Your current working contract with the company registered and based outside Italy.

Useful Links:

Requisite Documents as per Embassy of Italy, New Delhi

List of insurance companies approved for Schengen visa procedure

Your employer does the first part of the application process on your behalf. The second part should be done on your end. You can only proceed to this process after your employer's application has been approved after receiving the approved permit via email.

Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do after this:

• Visit the VFS Global website and click on 'Apply for a Visa'.

• Under Begin Your Application, click on and download Application form D Type (Long Term).

• Fill in your visa form and then book an appointment at your nearest Visa Application Centre. You can do this by clicking on Book and Appointment on the top tab.

• Click 'Book Now' and choose an appointment slot at your nearest Visa Application Centre (VAC).

• You will receive an Appointment Confirmation letter via email that you must download.

• Pay your visa fees. This can be done online through the website or in person at the VAC. For both processes, ensure you get the payment receipt as proof of payment.

• Appear for your scheduled VAC appointment with the visa application form and supporting documents.

• Upon submission at the VAC, the applications will be reviewed by the respective Italian Embassies in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, depending on where in India you are applying from.

• After verification, your documents will be couriered back to you via post or you can visit the VAC to collect them in person.

Useful Links:

National Visa Application Form (Visa D)

Appointment Verification

How to Pay?

• The fee must be paid in the form of a Demand Draft (DD) when applying directly at the Embassy of Italy, New Delhi, Kolkata or Mumbai. The DD must be drawn in favour of the "Italian Embassy". The Embassy of Italy will not entertain any other mode of payment.

• When applying at a VFS visa application centre, the payment can be made through cash, demand draft or NEFT. The DD must be drawn in favour of 'VFS Global Services Private Limited'.

You can track your application status through the VFS Global website using your application reference number. This can be found on your payment/acknowledgement receipt.

To ensure there are no delays, fill in your application form fully and submit any and all documents on time.

Embassy of Italy, New Delhi

Embassy of Italy, Mumbai

Embassy of Italy, Kolkata

Embassy of India, Rome, Italy

Consulate General of India, Milan, Italy

Collect your Residence Permit: Upon arrival, you need to sign the Contratto di Soggiorno (stay contract) at the immigration single desk (ISD) and apply for a residence permit within 8 days of arrival at a local post office. The residence permit (long-term) will cost EUR 100.

Sign the Integration Agreement: When you plan to immigrate to Italy from India or will stay in Italy for more than 1 year, you must sign an integration agreement.

Register with the Municipality: For long-term stays exceeding a year, you must register with the local municipality and add your name to the local registry's record (Ufficio Anagrafe).

Get your Codice Fiscale (Tax ID): This will allow you to pay your taxes, open a bank account, get a mobile number and access Italian healthcare. You can get your tax ID before you arrive at the Italian Embassy in India or at the local tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) after your arrival.

Open a Bank Account: Visit any bank you wish to register at and bring along your passport or national ID card, proof of address (in Italy), residence card, or proof of employment (in Italy) and tax ID (in Italy). This can also be done online on the bank's official website.

Apply for Health Insurance: It is mandatory for all non-EU citizens to register for the Italian healthcare system, regardless of whether they already have medical insurance. All employees in Italy get free access to state healthcare (Iscrizione Obbligatoria).

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At Tata AIG, we offer travel insurance online, so you can easily buy your international travel insurance policy on the go. This will allow you to focus on your Italy work permit visa process and mitigate the need to travel back and forth between multiple locations.

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Information last updated Jan 24. While this information is sourced reliably, visa requirements can change. For the most current visa details, visit the official Consulate/Embassy website.