Italy Digital Nomad visa guide

The basics

Official consular pages indicate that this visa is for non-EU nationals who intend to carry out highly qualified work in Italy using technology that lets them work remotely. It covers two groups: digital nomads (self-employed) and remote workers (employees or collaborators). Official sources describe it as a long-stay visa for stays of more than 90 days.

Validity

Not stated in the sources reviewed.

Stay per entry

Not stated in the sources reviewed. After arrival, a residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno) replaces the visa.

Where you apply

In person at the Italian embassy or consulate competent for your place of legal residence.

Fee

Varies by consulate. The Italian consulate in Paris lists 116 EUR in cash, exact amount. The Washington, DC embassy points to its Consular Fees page and the amount is not stated in the sources reviewed.

Who it's for

Based on official consular pages, the visa is aimed at foreign nationals who will perform highly qualified work under article 27-quater, paragraph 1, of Legislative Decree 286/98. The Dublin embassy page describes it as aimed at remote workers, including freelancers and hybrid-contract workers in highly specialized digital sectors. The Buenos Aires consulate notes that an interministerial implementing decree of 29 February 2024 took effect on 4 April 2024.

The Paris consulate page states that citizens of third countries listed in annex II of EU Regulation 2018/1806 must also apply for this visa.

• Digital nomads: people who carry out self-employed work using technology that lets them work remotely.
• Remote workers: people who carry out employed work or collaboration remotely, as described in article 2, paragraph 1, of Legislative Decree 15 June 2015, n. 81.

How to apply

Official guidance indicates applicants apply in person at the Italian embassy or consulate competent for their place of legal residence. Officials direct applicants to the Visa for Italy portal to find the competent office. Appointment availability and document requirements vary by consulate.

• Find the competent office through the Visa for Italy portal (vistoperitalia.esteri.it).
• Attend the appointment with the application form and the documents required by that office.
• Processing time: the Paris consulate states examination can take up to 30 days for remote workers and up to 120 days for digital nomads. An incomplete application may be refused or take longer.
• The consulate may ask for additional documents or an interview, and the Paris page indicates that submitting all required documents does not by itself guarantee issuance.
• After entering Italy, apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno at the Questura (provincial police headquarters) with jurisdiction over your home in Italy, within eight working days of arrival. The Paris page says this applies even if the visa is shorter than 90 days.

Documents

The lists below come from the Paris consulate (for residents of France) and the Washington, DC embassy (for its U.S. jurisdiction). Other consulates may differ, so confirm with the office that covers you.

• Application form, completed and signed, with a passport-size color photo on a white background.
• Valid passport with at least two blank pages. Paris requires validity of at least three months beyond the visa and issue within the last 10 years. Washington requires validity of at least 15 months past the intended travel date.
• Proof of being a highly qualified worker, by one of these routes: a tertiary degree of at least three years (non-EU degrees need a Declaration of Value or a comparability statement from the Centro di Informazione sulla Mobilità e le Equivalenze Accademiche, CIMEA); an attestation from the competent Italian authority for regulated professions under Legislative Decree 206 of 6 November 2007; or a higher professional qualification shown by at least five years of relevant experience.
• For managers and specialists in information and communication technology, the Paris and Washington pages state the experience requirement is reduced to three years within the previous seven.
• Documents issued outside the EU generally need to be certified copies, legalized or apostilled, with a certified Italian translation (Paris page).
• Proof of lawful annual income of at least three times the minimum level for exemption from healthcare cost-sharing. Washington states this income must come from the work to be performed in Italy and that passive income such as Social Security, rents or stocks is not counted.
• Health insurance valid in Italy for the period of stay. Washington requires coverage of at least 30,000 EUR (or 50,000 USD), including hospitalization and medical repatriation.
• Suitable accommodation in Italy, such as a registered lease or a property deed. Washington requires the lease or deed to be in the applicant's name and cover the whole duration of the visa.
• Proof of at least six months of prior experience in the type of work to be done.
• Confirmed travel booking (flight, train or bus), listed by Paris.
• Additional for remote workers: an employment or collaboration contract or binding offer, with annual pay not below the applicable collective agreement and not below the ISTAT average gross annual pay (Washington states not less than 33,000 EUR). Also a signed employer declaration of no convictions in the last five years for offences listed in article 22, paragraph 5-bis, of the Italian immigration code.

Fees and documents by embassy

Fees, income figures and document details differ between offices. The notes below reflect each page reviewed.

Fee, Paris

116 EUR, cash only, exact amount (page undated).

Fee, Washington D.C.

Non-refundable, payable by money order or cashier's check. Amount not stated in the sources reviewed.

Fee, Buenos Aires

Not stated in the sources reviewed.

• Paris: also asks for a copy of a valid French residence permit (Titre de Séjour), copies of previous Schengen or type D visas, and bank statements for the last three months from an account in France. Passport validity of three months beyond the visa. Page undated.
• Washington D.C.: requires proof of residence in its jurisdiction, passport validity of 15 months past intended travel, and cites a minimum legal income of 24,789 EUR at the time of writing in 2024. Document dated September 2024.
• Buenos Aires: a page dated April 2024 cites income of at least three times the healthcare exemption level, given as 28,000 EUR per year in the page excerpt, plus health insurance. Contact its visa office for the full list.

Stay and extensions

The maximum stay and visa validity are not stated in the sources reviewed. The Permesso di Soggiorno is a plastic card issued by the Questura that replaces the visa, and no new visa application is needed while it is valid.

The Washington, DC embassy document states that, at the time of writing in 2024, the permit for digital nomads was issued for one year and could be renewed locally at the Questura as long as the holder maintains employment, lodging and health insurance (and, for remote workers, the employer has no relevant convictions). Confirm current terms with the Questura.

The same document says a holder can sponsor a spouse and a child under 18 for a family visa once in Italy, with the process starting at the Questura. Sources do not state wider family terms.

Things to confirm

• Visa validity, permitted stay and current visa fee at the consulate that covers your residence.
• The current minimum annual income figure. Sources give different figures (24,789 EUR in a 2024 document, 28,000 EUR in an April 2024 excerpt), and consulates may update them.
• Whether a nulla osta (labor clearance) from the Questura is needed. The sources reviewed do not confirm this for this visa.
• Appointment availability, processing times and any extra documents at your consulate.
• Current permit duration and renewal terms at the Questura where you will live.

Sources

Every claim above comes from these pages. Higher tiers carry more authority. How we tier sources.