Issue · October 2026 · everything a nomad needs, city by city

Nomadzine

The visa · Italy

Italy

Italy has had a dedicated visa for digital nomads and remote workers since April 2024, sitting alongside the elective-residence visa for people living off non-work income, a quota-limited self-employment visa, working-holiday schemes for a handful of nationalities and an investor visa. The nomad route suits established professionals with a degree or five years of experience, foreign income above roughly the high twenty-thousands of euros a year and a registered Italian lease. The thing to know before applying is that consulates publish different income figures and that the registered rental contract must exist before the visa does.

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The routes

Researched 9 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice

  1. Nomad visa

    Digital Nomad and Remote Worker Visa

    Visto per nomadi digitali e lavoratori da remoto (Digital Nomad and Remote Worker Visa), article 6-quinquies of Decree-Law 4/2022, implementing decree of 29 February 2024

    Non-EU nationals doing highly qualified work remotely, either self-employed (nomadi digitali) or as employees or coordinated collaborators of a company that may be abroad or in Italy (lavoratori da remoto), who intend to stay longer than 90 days.

    Income floor
    Annual income from lawful sources of at least three times the minimum level for exemption from health-care cost-sharing. The published figure varies between consulates and reports: the Italian Embassy in Pristina states EUR 25,500 (three times EUR 8,500), while Italian press and most advisers cite about EUR 28,000 a year. The basis is the decree; the euro figure is disputed.
    Duration
    National visa valid up to 365 days; a one-year residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) applied for within eight working days of arrival, renewable annually while the requirements are still met. Advisers report renewals up to five years but no official cap was found.
    Cost
    Visa fee not stated on the consular page consulted. Residence permit: EUR 70.46 payment slip plus a EUR 16 revenue stamp, plus postal-kit charges (about EUR 30) where the kit is used.
    Processing
    No statutory time published for this visa on the pages consulted. Recent reporting gives 30 to 120 days after the consular appointment, with employees generally faster than freelancers and wide variation between consulates.
    Eligibility
    Non-EU nationals only; highly qualified work proven by a university degree, a recognised regulated-profession qualification or at least five years of relevant professional experience; at least six months' prior experience as a remote worker or digital nomad; health and hospitalisation insurance valid in Italy for the whole stay; accommodation proven by a lease registered with the Revenue Agency or a property deed; for employees, an employer declaration that the applicant has no convictions in the last five years.
    Work rights
    Remote work for a foreign employer or clients without a separate work authorisation; the consular page states the employer or client may be in Italy or abroad. Self-employed holders can obtain an Italian VAT number from the Revenue Agency on request. Taking up ordinary local employment would need a different permit.
    Dependants
    Family members receive a residence permit for family reasons of the same duration as the principal's permit, renewable on other grounds if needed; consulates process family visas alongside the main application.
    Leads to
    A standard residence permit: under general Italian rules, years of lawful residence count toward the EU long-term residence permit after five years and toward naturalisation, which for most non-EU nationals requires ten years of residence.
    Apply
    Italian embassy or consulate for the applicant's place of residence (appointment, in person); then the provincial immigration office of the Questura for the permit within eight working days of entry.

    Documents Passport valid at least three months beyond the stay, with copy · National (type D) visa application form and two ICAO photographs · Proof of income above the threshold (contracts, invoices, bank statements, tax returns) · Health and hospitalisation insurance covering Italy for the period of stay · Registered rental contract or property ownership document in Italy · Evidence of at least six months' experience working remotely · Degree, regulated-profession certificate or proof of five years' relevant experience, apostilled and translated into Italian · For employees: employment or collaboration contract or binding offer, plus the employer's declaration on convictions in the last five years

    Official page →

  2. Long stay

    Elective Residence Visa

    Visto per residenza elettiva (Elective Residence Visa)

    People who can live in Italy on income that does not come from work: pensions, annuities, property or investment income. Not usable by anyone who needs to work, including remotely.

    Income floor
    Consulates cite a minimum of EUR 31,000 a year for a single applicant, from sources other than employment or self-employment; the basis is a ministerial figure applied by each consulate, and several consulates ask for more.
    Duration
    National visa leading to a residence permit for elective residence, typically one year at first and renewable while the means and accommodation continue.
    Cost
    National visa fee at the consulate (figure not opened for this dossier); residence permit EUR 70.46 plus EUR 16 stamp and postal-kit costs.
    Processing
    Not published on the consular page consulted; applicants report months rather than weeks.
    Eligibility
    Non-EU nationals with stable non-work income, accommodation (owned property or a lease of at least one year), health insurance valid for the Schengen area with at least EUR 30,000 cover, and no intention to work in Italy.
    Work rights
    No work of any kind, including remote work; the resources must be independent of daily work activity.
    Dependants
    Spouse and dependent children can be included with proportionately higher income; the consular page consulted does not publish the increments.
    Leads to
    Counts toward the EU long-term residence permit after five years of lawful residence and toward naturalisation under the general rules.
    Apply
    Italian consulate for the applicant's place of residence; permit at the Questura within eight working days of entry.

    Documents Passport and visa application form · Proof of passive income: pension statements, annuity contracts, property income, bank statements · Lease of at least one year or property deed in Italy · Health insurance policy or, after arrival, enrolment in the national health service · Criminal-record certificate where the consulate requires it

    Official page →

  3. Freelance / self-employed

    Self-Employment Visa (Decreto Flussi quota)

    Visto per lavoro autonomo (Self-Employment Visa) under the Decreto Flussi 2026-2028, DPCM published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 15 October 2025

    Freelance professionals, company officers, well-known artists and entrepreneurs who want to work for Italian clients or run an Italian business, and who can secure one of the small annual quota places.

    Income floor
    Resources above the minimum level for exemption from health-care cost-sharing, proved by the consulate's requirements; entrepreneurs in the quota need an investment plan of at least EUR 500,000 creating at least three jobs.
    Duration
    National visa then a self-employment residence permit, normally up to two years and renewable.
    Cost
    Visa fee at the consulate; residence permit EUR 80.46 for a permit of one to two years plus EUR 16 stamp and postal-kit costs.
    Processing
    The nulla osta (clearance) is issued by the competent authority before the visa; overall timing depends on the annual quota and the consulate, and applicants report several months.
    Eligibility
    Non-EU nationals; 650 places a year for 2026, 2027 and 2028 across entrepreneurs, freelance professionals, renowned artists and corporate officers; recognised professional qualifications or authorisation from the relevant authority for regulated professions; accommodation; no convictions barring entry.
    Work rights
    Self-employment for Italian and foreign clients; local business activity allowed; employment for an Italian employer requires a different permit.
    Dependants
    Family reunification is available under the general rules once the permit holder meets the income and housing conditions.
    Leads to
    Counts toward the EU long-term residence permit after five years and naturalisation under general rules.
    Apply
    Nulla osta in Italy through the competent authority, then the Italian consulate abroad; permit at the Questura after entry.

    Documents Nulla osta from the competent Italian authority (police headquarters or Sportello Unico) for the activity · Proof of professional qualification or professional-body authorisation · Proof of financial resources and, for entrepreneurs, the investment plan · Accommodation proof and health insurance · Passport and national visa form

    Official page →

  4. Working holiday

    Working Holiday Visa

    Visto vacanze-lavoro (Working Holiday Visa), bilateral agreements

    Young nationals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan (the Japan agreement was ratified by Law 136 of 17 September 2025); Hong Kong is also reported as a partner by secondary sources.

    Income floor
    Proof of funds for the initial period and a return ticket, set by each agreement and consulate; no single published figure was verified.
    Duration
    Up to 12 months, not renewable.
    Cost
    National visa fee at the consulate; residence permit fees as for other permits.
    Processing
    Not published; applicants report a few weeks to two months.
    Eligibility
    Age limits of 18 to 30 or 35 depending on the agreement, health insurance, no dependants accompanying, first-time participation.
    Work rights
    Secondary sources report work for a maximum of six months in the year and no more than three months with the same employer; remote work for a foreign employer is not addressed in the published rules.
    Dependants
    Not permitted on this visa.
    Leads to
    no
    Apply
    Italian consulate in the partner country.

    Documents Passport and national visa form · Proof of funds and return travel · Health insurance covering the stay · Any agreement-specific letter or statement of purpose

  5. Investor

    Investor Visa

    Visto per investitori (Investor Visa for Italy)

    Wealthy individuals who want residence through a qualifying investment; rarely used by ordinary remote workers but relevant to founders and high earners.

    Income floor
    Investment of EUR 2 million in Italian government bonds, EUR 500,000 in an Italian limited company, EUR 250,000 in an innovative start-up, or a EUR 1 million philanthropic donation.
    Duration
    Two-year visa and permit; renewal is governed by the programme's policy guidance.
    Cost
    National visa fee; residence permit fees as for other permits; the investment itself is the cost.
    Processing
    Online nulla osta through the investor-visa portal before the consular application; the site consulted does not publish a timing.
    Eligibility
    Non-EU nationals with lawful funds; the programme is suspended for Russian and Belarusian nationals and dual nationals holding those passports since March 2024.
    Work rights
    Any lawful activity, including running the invested business.
    Dependants
    Family members can join under family-reunification rules.
    Leads to
    Counts toward the EU long-term residence permit after five years and naturalisation under general rules.
    Apply
    Online at investorvisa.mise.gov.it for the nulla osta, then the Italian consulate; permit at the Questura after entry.

    Documents Proof of the funds and their lawful origin · Declaration of commitment to the investment · Passport and national visa form · Nulla osta issued through the Investor Visa portal

    Official page →

Without a visa, by passport

The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated

  • EU / EEA / SwitzerlandFree movement; registration with the local comune required for stays beyond three monthsWorking remotely is lawful; tax residence and social-security questions arise with time spent, not with permission to work.
  • United Kingdom90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area, visa-free; EES biometric registration since 10 April 2026, ETIAS expected in the last quarter of 2026Remote work for a foreign employer on a short stay is not expressly regulated; the nomad-visa decree targets stays over 90 days, and reporting notes many nomads simply leave before day 90. Grey in practice. Work for Italian clients or employers is not permitted.
  • United States90 days in any 180, visa-free; EES applies, ETIAS expected late 2026Same position: remote work for an employer abroad is tolerated in practice but not published as permitted; local work is forbidden.
  • Canada90 days in any 180, visa-free; EES and, later, ETIAS applyGrey for remote work on a short stay; a working-holiday visa exists for young Canadians who want to work locally.
  • Australia90 days in any 180, visa-free; EES and, later, ETIAS applyGrey for remote work; a working-holiday visa is available for young Australians.
  • IndiaSchengen short-stay (type C) visa requiredRemote work on a tourist visa is not permitted as published; the nomad visa is the lawful route for longer stays.
  • Brazil90 days in any 180, visa-free; EES and, later, ETIAS applyGrey for remote work on a short stay; local work forbidden.
  • South AfricaSchengen short-stay (type C) visa requiredRemote work on a visitor visa is not permitted as published.
  • Japan90 days in any 180, visa-free; EES and, later, ETIAS applyGrey for remote work; a working-holiday agreement with Italy entered into force in September 2025.
  • TurkeySchengen short-stay (type C) visa requiredRemote work on a visitor visa is not permitted as published.

Tax

When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer

Residency trigger
Since the 2024 tax year, a person is tax resident if for the greater part of the year (more than 183 days, 184 in a leap year) they meet any one of: civil-law residence (habitual abode), domicile defined as the centre of personal and family relations, or physical presence in Italy counting fractions of days. Registration in the population register (anagrafe) is now a rebuttable presumption of residence. The Revenue Agency's Circular 20/E of 4 November 2024 sets out the operating rules.
Special regime
Two regimes matter. The impatriati regime (article 5 of Legislative Decree 209/2023) taxes only 50 per cent of Italian-source employment and self-employment income (40 per cent with a minor child) up to EUR 600,000 a year for five tax years, for workers who were non-resident for the three previous years, hold a high qualification and commit to staying at least four years. The neo-residenti flat tax (article 24-bis TUIR) charges a fixed substitute tax on all foreign income for up to 15 years for people non-resident in nine of the previous ten years: EUR 100,000 until 10 August 2024, EUR 200,000 from 11 August 2024, and EUR 300,000 (EUR 50,000 per family member) for those moving from 1 January 2026 under the 2026 Budget Law. Decree-Law 38 of 27 March 2026 bars combining the two regimes from the 2027 tax year. A proposed 50 per cent relief specifically for remote workers was not approved. Small freelancers may also use the flat-rate regime forfettario subject to its turnover limits.
Social security
Employees of a foreign employer normally stay under the employer's system where EU coordination rules or a bilateral totalisation agreement apply, with a certificate of coverage; INPS guidance says such workers do not enrol in the Gestione Separata. Without an agreement, an Italian-resident employee's employer can become liable in Italy. Self-employed residents register with the INPS Gestione Separata or the relevant professional fund; INPS publishes a vademecum on totalisation with EU and agreement countries.
Treaties
Italy has an extensive network of double-taxation treaties whose tie-breaker rules resolve dual residence; once resident, employment income for work physically done in Italy is generally taxable in Italy with a credit for foreign tax, and self-employment income is taxed in Italy unless the treaty allocates it elsewhere.

Practicalities

Tax number (codice fiscale)
Issued by the Revenue Agency or, for nomad-visa holders, generated by the immigration office when the permit is requested; needed for leases, banking, SIM contracts and health enrolment.
Residence permit costs
Electronic permit EUR 30.46, contribution EUR 40 for permits up to one year or EUR 50 for one to two years, EUR 16 revenue stamp, and about EUR 30 for the postal kit; renewals total roughly EUR 116 to EUR 176 depending on duration.
Health insurance
Nomad-visa holders must hold private health and hospitalisation cover valid in Italy for the whole stay; voluntary enrolment in the national health service, open to permit holders such as elective residents, has cost a minimum of EUR 2,000 a year since the 2024 Budget Law.
Address registration
Permit holders register their residence at the comune's anagrafe, which triggers the residency certificate used for health-service enrolment and banking; since 2024 that registration is a rebuttable presumption of tax residence.
Bank account
Banks require a passport, codice fiscale and usually proof of Italian address or a residence permit; online banks accept some non-residents but requirements vary by bank.
SIM registration
Operators register every SIM against an identity document and normally ask for a codice fiscale; passport-only activation is possible at some shops for visitors.
Overstay penalties
Unlawful stay under article 10-bis of the immigration act carries a fine of EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000 and expulsion with a re-entry ban; since 10 April 2026 the EES records overstays automatically.

Italy for remote workers: a nomad visa that works on paper, a bureaucracy that tests it

Where remote workers base and why

Rome and Milan remain the only Italian cities in the international rankings of nomad destinations, placed 38th and 40th in the report cited by Sky TG24 in January 2026, with the country as a whole ranked 64th for nomad-visa take-up. Beyond the two capitals, applicants cluster in Florence, Bologna, Turin and the southern cities where rents are lower, while the mountain and village schemes that pay newcomers to relocate attract retirees more than workers.

The visa's design pushes people toward long leases. A rental contract registered with the Revenue Agency must be in the file before the consulate decides, which in practice means signing a year-long lease from abroad. Reporting describes landlords who refuse to sign without a permit in hand, and many workers instead stay under 90 days on short lets and leave, which is why the government has no public count of visas issued.

What applicants report about the process

Timings vary by consulate. Recent guides collating applicant accounts describe decisions in 35 to 40 days at some posts and 60 to 120 days at others, with employees of a single company faster than freelancers who must prove income from several clients. Consulates are described as applying tighter scrutiny in 2026 on income stability and on the six months of remote-work history.

Refusals and delays are mostly documentary. Bank statements that do not match declared income, income that fluctuates without explanation, missing apostilles and uncertified translations are the usual causes. Passive income does not count: rental income, dividends and savings do not prove active remote work, and the decree's income test is read as earned income. The income figure itself is unsettled, with one embassy publishing EUR 25,500 and the wider consular network and press using about EUR 28,000.

Banking and daily money

Nothing works without the codice fiscale. For nomad-permit holders the immigration office generates it when the permit is requested; anyone else applies at a Revenue Agency office or through the consulate before leaving. Banks then want the code, a passport and either the permit or proof of address, and a fair number of high-street branches still decline customers without a permit. Self-employed nomads who want an Italian VAT number can request one from the Revenue Agency, which brings INPS Gestione Separata registration with it.

Health cover is a running cost. The visa requires private insurance for the whole stay, and the voluntary route into the national health service for permit holders who qualify has a EUR 2,000 a year floor since January 2024. Renewing the permit costs between roughly EUR 116 and EUR 176 in fees and stamps each year, plus a Questura appointment.

What is changing

The tax offer for wealthy newcomers is getting dearer while the offer for ordinary remote workers stalls. The neo-residenti flat tax has tripled since mid-2024 to EUR 300,000 for 2026 arrivals, and from 2027 it can no longer be combined with the impatriati relief. A proposal to give remote workers the same 50 per cent relief that impatriati employees enjoy was rejected during the 2026 budget.

At the border, the Entry/Exit System has been fully live since 10 April 2026, so the old habit of stretching a 90-day stay is now logged automatically, and the ETIAS pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals is expected in the final quarter of 2026. The self-employment quota for 2026 to 2028 stays at 650 places a year, which keeps the nomad visa as the realistic long-stay route for most remote workers.

Researched from gazzettaufficiale.it · ambpristina.esteri.it · consrecife.esteri.it · tg24.sky.it · agenziaentrate.gov.it · agenziaentrate.gov.it · fiscomania.com · lavoro.gov.it · prefettura.interno.gov.it · home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · the authority