Italy
Italy is an EU and Schengen member that uses the euro. The main routes for skilled non-EU workers are the EU Blue Card and the employer-sponsored Decreto Flussi quota route.
For information only. Visa rules, processing times, and eligibility criteria change frequently. All information on this page is sourced from official government websites and verified as of the date shown. Always confirm your specific situation with the relevant embassy or a licensed immigration lawyer before applying. Full disclaimer ↗
Visa & Immigration Guide for Italy
This guide covers all main visa routes for non-EU professionals moving to Italy, including eligibility requirements, processing times, fees, and step-by-step application instructions.
Applying from your home country:
Not a degree holder? You're still welcome.
Italy’s Employer-sponsored work (quota) route does not require a degree: an employer can hire you from abroad within the annual Decreto Flussi quotas. Expand that row below for the steps.
Visa Types at a Glance
| Visa type | Who it's for | Typical processing | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU Blue Card | Highly qualified non-EU employees with a job offer in Italy | ~4 weeks | €116 |
| Employer-sponsored work (quota) | Non-EU workers hired from abroad by an Italian employer within the annual Decreto Flussi quotas | ~9 weeks | €116 |
| Intra-company transfer | Managers, specialists and graduate trainees transferred from a non-EU group company | ~7 weeks | €116 |
| Family reunification | Spouse, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent parents of a legally resident non-EU national | ~22 weeks | €116 |
Times shown are the legal maximum for the Sportello Unico to issue the work or family authorisation (nulla osta), rounded to weeks. The consulate visa and the residence permit come on top: the Polizia di Stato says residence permits take about 60 days on average. On the quota route the clock starts only once your application is matched to a quota place.
Detailed visa guides
Min. salary
€36,279
Typical processing
~4 weeks
Typical fee
€116
Step-by-step process
- 1 Employer applies online to the Sportello Unico for the nulla osta
- 2 Worker applies for the visa at the Italian consulate
- 3 Within 8 working days of arrival, sign the residence contract at the SUI and send the permit kit from the post office
- 4 Questura issues the ‘Carta blu UE’ permit
Typical processing
~9 weeks
Typical fee
€116
Step-by-step process
- 1 Employer pre-fills the application on the Interior Ministry portal and submits it on the decree's set days
- 2 SUI issues the nulla osta (valid up to 6 months)
- 3 Employer confirms within 15 days; consulate issues the visa
- 4 Within 15 days of entry, employer and worker sign the residence contract
Typical processing
~7 weeks
Typical fee
€116
Step-by-step process
- 1 Host entity applies to the SUI for the ICT nulla osta
- 2 Documents filed within 10 days; SUI decides within 45 days
- 3 Within 8 working days of entry, declare presence at the SUI
Typical processing
~22 weeks
Typical fee
€116
Step-by-step process
- 1 Sponsor applies online to the SUI with proof of housing and income
- 2 Family member applies for the visa at the consulate with the nulla osta
- 3 After arrival, collect forms at the SUI and send the permit kit from the post office
General document requirements
- ✓ Employer applies online to the Sportello Unico for the nulla osta
- ✓ Worker applies for the visa at the Italian consulate
- ✓ Within 8 working days of arrival, sign the residence contract at the SUI and send the permit kit from the post office
- ✓ Questura issues the ‘Carta blu UE’ permit
- ✓ Employer pre-fills the application on the Interior Ministry portal and submits it on the decree's set days
- ✓ SUI issues the nulla osta (valid up to 6 months)
- ✓ Employer confirms within 15 days; consulate issues the visa
- ✓ Within 15 days of entry, employer and worker sign the residence contract
- ✓ Host entity applies to the SUI for the ICT nulla osta
- ✓ Documents filed within 10 days; SUI decides within 45 days
- ✓ Within 8 working days of entry, declare presence at the SUI
- ✓ Sponsor applies online to the SUI with proof of housing and income
- ✓ Family member applies for the visa at the consulate with the nulla osta
- ✓ After arrival, collect forms at the SUI and send the permit kit from the post office
EU Blue Card (Carta blu UE)
Italy’s route for highly qualified employees. It sits outside the annual quotas, the employer applies for the work authorisation, and the Sportello Unico must issue it within 30 days of the application.
- Degree (3+ years) or level-6 qualification, or 5 years' relevant experience (3 of the last 7 for ICT managers/specialists)
- Job contract or binding offer of at least 6 months
- Salary not below the national collective agreement and not below ISTAT's average gross annual salary: currently €36,279 a year
- Family members can join you, and the card can lead to the EU long-term residence permit
Blue Card salary floor: where the amount comes from
The law ties the floor to ISTAT’s average gross annual salary rather than a fixed euro amount. The latest published figure, €36,278.514 a year, is stated by the labour service of Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia (linked below). ISTAT published a slightly lower revision of the same average in September 2026, and the Sportello Unico decides which edition it applies, so an offer just above the floor is worth checking with your employer before you apply.
- Legal basis: TUI art. 27-quater (salary not below the collective agreement and not below the ISTAT average)
- Amount: €36,278.514 a year, as last published
Employer-sponsored work (quota)
The standard route for employees hired from abroad, including roles that need no degree. Each year’s places are set by the Decreto Flussi: 164,850 for 2026, 165,850 for 2027 and 166,850 for 2028, shared across seasonal work, non-seasonal work and self-employment.
- Employer first checks no suitable worker is available via the job centre (8-day test)
- A free place in the annual quota (Decreto Flussi)
- Suitable housing and a proposed residence contract (employer pays return travel)
- Nurses hired by health facilities are admitted outside the quotas
After you arrive: residence permit (permesso di soggiorno)
Every long-stay route ends with a residence permit. Apply for the permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days of arrival; the Polizia di Stato says permits take about 60 days on average.
- Permit valid for more than three months and up to one year: €40 contribution
- Permit valid for more than one and up to two years: €50 contribution
- EU long-term residence permit (and some manager and specialist permits): €100
- Integration agreement (accordo di integrazione): Accordo di integrazione for permits of 1+ year (age 16+)
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