It only takes one holiday to fall in love with Italy. With its historical cities, beautiful countryside, amazing food and culture… it only makes sense. More and more ex-pats choose Italy as their new home and at one point they all face the same question: what do I need to be able to work in Italy?
EU citizens
If you’re a citizen of the EU, you won’t need a work permit in Italy since you have the right to work in any EU member state. However, to be able to stay in the country for more than 90 days, you need to apply for a residency permit from the local town hall (comune). You can obtain the residency with just your passport and by filling in the application.
The process for non-EU citizens
Citizens from outside of the EU will need a visa, a residence permit and work permit.
Before you can apply for a residence permit, your Italian employer must apply for clearance (nulla osta al lavoro) at their nearest one-stop immigration center (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione). The employer takes responsibility for most of the application process and you only need to sign a contract with your them before applying for a working residence permit.
Once your employer receives clearance to hire a foreign worker, you can apply for an Italian work visa at your local Italian diplomatic mission. When applying for a visa you need to present a completed visa application form, your passport, recent photographs and supporting documents.
Once you’re cleared to work in Italy, you’ll be issued an entry visa at your local Italian consulate, which contains a tax code that you’ll need for every other bureaucratic process.