Italy digital nomad visa requirements 2025: Exact requirements, documents and timelines
Thinking about spending a year working remotely from Italy in 2025? The country’s digital-nomad / remote-worker route is fully live, with clear rules on who qualifies, which documents you need, and what happens once you land. This guide breaks down the Italy digital nomad visa requirements 2025 in plain English, so you can plan with confidence.
The legal basis sits in an Inter-ministerial Decree of 29 February 2024 (in force since 5 April 2024). That decree created two streams under the same umbrella: digital nomad (self-employed) and remote worker (employed or collaborator), both aimed at highly-qualified professionals working at a distance with tech tools. The status is quota-free (outside the Decreto Flussi) and does not require a work authorisation (nulla osta), which makes entry more straightforward than standard work visas.
Who qualifies as a digital nomad or a remote worker in Italy for 2025
Eligibility is open to non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who will perform highly-qualified work from Italy using technology, either as freelancers/contractors (digital nomad) or as employees/collaborators (remote worker). The decree requires that the activity is “highly-qualified”, by reference to the Blue Card standard (Article 27-quater of the Immigration Act). You must also show at least six months of prior experience in the same line of work you’ll carry out from Italy.
A few structural points worth noting:
The scheme is outside quotas and no nulla osta is required for either stream (a major simplifier versus most Italian work routes).
Definitions separate digital nomads (self-employed) and remote workers (employees or collaborators). For remote workers, the role must require the Blue Card-level qualification/experience outlined in Article 27-quater.
The exact financial, insurance and accommodation rules
The decree sets measurable baselines that apply in 2025:
Income threshold. You must have legal annual income at least three times the minimum level required for exemption from participation in healthcare costs. The decree uses this national benchmark rather than a fixed euro figure; in practice, consulates publish a number for their jurisdiction. Many checklists in 2024–2025 interpret this at roughly the mid-€20,000s to upper-€20,000s per year—follow the figure your consulate posts when you apply.
Health insurance. You need private health insurance covering medical treatment and hospitalisation, valid across Italy for the full period of stay. Consular pages commonly set a minimum cover of €30,000, and policies with weaker medical-expense limits are a frequent reason for refusals.
Accommodation. You must provide adequate documentation of accommodation in Italy. A lease or deed is the gold standard; check your consulate’s checklist to see if extended hotel bookings or hospitality declarations are acceptable in your case.
Proof of your remote work or freelance activity
Your file needs to prove you’ll actually be working remotely and that the work is highly-qualified:
Remote workers (employees/collaborators) present an employment or collaboration contract (or a binding offer) that requires Blue Card-level qualifications/experience. The consulate will also ask for an employer declaration stating the employer has no relevant convictions in the previous five years for offences listed in Article 22(5-bis) of the Immigration Act; the decree allows spot checks by the Questura.
Digital nomads (self-employed) show ongoing activity through client contracts, invoices, tax filings and—where applicable—professional registrations.
Both categories must document at least six months of prior experience in the field they’ll carry out from Italy.
Where and how to apply for your Italian remote work visa
Applications are filed in person at the Italian embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of legal residence. Bring originals plus copies, and follow the post’s checklist precisely (formatting, translations into Italian, and any apostilles/legalisations). Once the national visa is granted and you enter Italy, you must request the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within eight working days at the Questura for your place of stay (often via the Poste Italiane kit and subsequent biometrics appointment).
Your residence permit will state “nomade digitale – lavoratore da remoto”, be valid up to one year, and is renewable annually so long as you continue to meet the conditions.
Processing timelines you can realistically expect
Visa processing times vary by post and volume. Published guidance from consular sites indicates up to 90–120 days in some locations, while other posts quote shorter targets. Always check your consulate’s current notice and book early—some retain your passport for the duration.
What happens after you arrive in Italy
The eight-day rule is strict: request your permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days of entry, then attend biometrics and any follow-up the Questura schedules. Travel before you receive the postal receipt and appointment can be risky. The one-year permesso can be renewed if your remote work/freelance status, income, insurance, accommodation and compliance continue.
Renewal, long-term options and compliance checks
Renewals run year-to-year. The decree empowers authorities to refuse or revoke where requirements lapse, and highlights tax and social-security compliance as renewal factors. Over time, if you maintain lawful stay, you may build eligibility for EU long-term residence or citizenship under general rules; those are separate processes with additional conditions beyond the scope of this article.
Bringing your family
Family reunification is available for a spouse (not legally separated) and minor children under Article 29(1)(a)–(b) of the Immigration Act. Family members are granted a family-reasons permesso with the same validity as the main applicant’s permit. Check your consulate for sequencing: in many cases the principal applicant arrives first, then sponsors dependants.
Taxes, social security and the codice fiscale
Expect to receive an Italian tax code (codice fiscale) as part of the residence-permit process; Questure notify the tax agency when permits are issued. Tax residence in Italy depends on statutory criteria and can be triggered if you are registered as resident, have your main centre of life in Italy, or are physically present for most of the tax year (generally more than 183 days).
From a social-security perspective, an applicable bilateral agreement can keep you in your home system; otherwise, Italian contributions may apply for the duration of your stay. Get bespoke advice on your facts, especially if you are self-employed (VAT number, invoices) or your employer is exploring presence in Italy.
Documents checklist (what consulates typically ask for)
Completed national visa application, valid passport and biometric photo(s).
Proof you meet the income threshold from the specific remote activity (contracts, payslips, invoices, bank statements, tax returns).
Employment/collaboration contract or binding offer (remote workers) or freelance evidence (digital nomads) showing ongoing, highly-qualified activity.
Employer declaration confirming no relevant convictions in the last five years for offences listed in Article 22(5-bis) (remote workers).
Private health insurance valid across Italy for the full stay; many posts specify €30,000+ cover for medical expenses and hospitalisation.
Accommodation proof (lease, deed, or as your consulate allows).
Evidence of at least six months’ prior experience in the same field you’ll work in from Italy.
Clean criminal record certificate(s) where your consulate requires them.
Any translations/apostilles demanded by your consulate’s checklist.
The fine print on numbers and local differences
The decree intentionally ties the income requirement to a national benchmark rather than fixing a euro figure in law, so you will see slightly different numbers in circulation. That’s normal: consulates publish the exact figure they expect in their jurisdiction and adjust when the underlying benchmark changes. Always use your competent consulate’s current checklist and thresholds as the source of truth.
Quick step-by-step:
You’ll assemble your documents, book and attend your consulate appointment, and, if approved, travel to Italy and apply for your permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days. Keep copies of everything you submitted to the consulate; the Questura may ask to see visa-stamped copies at your appointment.
Useful to know before you apply
Remote employees should confirm with HR whether a home-country social-security certificate is available under a bilateral agreement; freelancers should plan for Italian VAT registration if trading from Italy. None of this changes visa eligibility, but it does affect day-to-day compliance and renewals.
Looking for a compliant role first? Check out all our resources here, including our Italy Country Hub (with daily jobs feed)
Sources
Key legal and official references used for this guide:
Inter-ministerial Decree of 29 February 2024 (G.U. 4 April 2024), setting eligibility, income, insurance, accommodation, experience and employer-declaration rules; one-year permit; renewals; family reunification; tax and social-security checks.
Integrazione Migranti (Ministry portal) summaries confirming out-of-quota status, one-year renewable permit, family reunification, and compliance checks.
Ministero dell’Interno guidance confirming the 8-working-day application rule for residence permits.
Consular guidance indicating €30,000 minimum health-insurance coverage and typical processing timelines.
KPMG Flash Alert summarising the decree’s effects (no nulla osta; one-year renewable).
Agenzia delle Entrate pages on tax residence criteria and tax-code assignment during residence-permit processing.