Italy
Work permit in Italy.
To work in Italy without EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship you need a residence and work permit from Questura (Polizia di Stato) (Italian provincial police headquarters). The main routes are Work authorisation (nulla osta) and residence permit for employment (nulla osta al lavoro subordinato e permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato), EU Blue Card, ICT permit, Seasonal work permit. EU long-term residence is possible after 5 years on most routes.
Permit types
The permits Italy issues
- Work authorisation (nulla osta) and residence permit for employment (nulla osta al lavoro subordinato e permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato)
- EU Blue Card
- ICT permit
- Seasonal work permit
- Self-employment permit
- Family member permit
- Residence permit
- Visa
- Residence card
- Social-security certificate (A1 or similar)
Staying longer
Faster routes and settling
EU long-term residence: after 5 years
- Stable and regular resources
- Sickness insurance
- Integration conditions where national law sets them
Citizenship: after 10 years
- At least ten years of legal residence in Italy (Law 91/1992 art. 9)
- Italian at B1 level of the CEFR (Law 91/1992 art. 9.1)
Authorities
Who does what in Italy
Questura (Polizia di Stato) (Italian provincial police headquarters)
Issues and renews the permesso di soggiorno for the province where the person stays, after fingerprints
Official websiteAgenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)
Assigns the codice fiscale and administers income tax
Official websiteIstituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS) (Italian National Social Security Institute)
Social insurance and pensions; keeps the archive of non-EU workers the Questure report to it
Official websiteSportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (Prefettura, Ufficio territoriale del Governo) (Italian One-Stop Shop for Immigration at the prefecture)
Grants the employer's nulla osta al lavoro within the decreto flussi quotas (and outside them for the Blue Card), and the nulla osta for family reunification
Official websiteOther countries
- Sweden
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Spain
- Belgium
- Norway
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Finland
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Luxembourg
- Liechtenstein
- Switzerland
- United Arab Emirates
Official sources
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998 (Testo Unico Immigrazione), art. 5: permesso di soggiorno requested within 8 working days of entry; renewal at least 90 days before expiry (from 22 May 2026, D.Lgs. 83/2026); work allowed with the receipt while pending
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 6(7): a lawfully staying foreigner registers with the anagrafe on the same terms as Italian citizens
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 21: entry for subordinate and seasonal work within the quotas of the decreti flussi
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 22: the employer's request for the nulla osta to the Sportello Unico, the centro per l'impiego check (8 days), the visa, the contratto di soggiorno, job loss
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 24: seasonal work up to nine months in any twelve
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 27-quater: the EU Blue Card outside the quotas; long-term mobility (the employer applies within one month of entry)
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 29: family reunification (spouse, minor children under 18, dependent parents)
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 30/2007, art. 9: an EU citizen staying more than three months registers with the anagrafe once three months have passed
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 30/2007, art. 10: the non-EU family member requests the Carta di soggiorno from the Questura once three months have passed
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 136/2016, art. 10: the posting is declared to the Ministero del lavoro at the latest when it starts, changes within five days, documents kept and a contact person in Italy
- Normattiva: Law 91/1992, art. 9.1: Italian at B1 for citizenship by residence
- Ministero dell'Interno: cittadinanza (by residence after at least ten years)
- Ministero dell'Interno: visto e permesso di soggiorno (8 working days, excluding Sundays and holidays; the nulla osta from the Sportello Unico first)
- Ministero dell'Interno: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (nulla osta for work and family reunification, online)
- EU Immigration Portal: employed worker in Italy (appeal to the TAR within 60 days of notification)
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Who issues work permits in Italy?
Questura (Polizia di Stato) (Italian provincial police headquarters): Issues and renews the permesso di soggiorno for the province where the person stays, after fingerprints.
When can someone get eu long-term residence in Italy?
After 5 years on most routes. Stable and regular resources. Sickness insurance. Integration conditions where national law sets them.
When can someone get citizenship in Italy?
After 10 years on most routes. At least ten years of legal residence in Italy (Law 91/1992 art. 9). Italian at B1 level of the CEFR (Law 91/1992 art. 9.1).
Which software can an agency or HR team use to manage work permits in Italy?
Settio is relocation management and work permit software with a plan for Italy: the main route (Work authorisation (nulla osta) and residence permit for employment (nulla osta al lavoro subordinato e permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato)), the steps with the Italian provincial police headquarters, the documents, the deadlines and the registrations after arrival, with client and employee portals, quotes and milestone invoices. It runs every EU country in the same workspace, and each case shows only Italy's own rules and sources.
How does Settio help with work permits in Italy?
Settio builds the step-by-step plan for each person moving to Italy, checks documents before filing, tracks deadlines and gives the person a portal in their own language.
More
- Relocating to Italy: the first weeks
- Relocation and immigration across Europe
- AI immigration compliance
Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Reviewed by the Settio team. Facts checked 3 October 2026. About this information