In Italy, there isn’t an active digital nomad program, but foreigners can obtain various visas to be used as a way to gain the right to live in this country for a limited period of time while being a digital nomad. In this article, our immigration lawyer in Italy will present how you can migrate here as a digital nomad.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| What is a digital nomad in Italy? | A digital nomad is a foreigner who is not a tax resident of Italy and who carries out business activites related to his/her country through the usage of modern means of communication, while living in Italy. |
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Who can apply for the digital nomad program? |
The digital nomad in Italy is a program that will be launched soon and it is addressed to highly qualified persons and freelancers who are citizens/residents of countries outside EU. The decree referring to the digital nomad program was approved on 22 March 2022. |
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Applying for a residence permit (yes/no) |
Yes (for stays longer than 3 months). |
| Visa validity | 1 year |
| Renewal possible (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Family members allowed to migrate with the visa holder |
Close family members, such as the spouse/partner and children |
| Performing work activities taxed in Italy |
A digital nomad in Italy can carry out taxable activites in the home country. |
| Other visa options for digital nomads |
– the tourist visa, – the study visa, – other visas that are not specifically created for employment in Italy, – the self-employed visa, for those who are remote workers and want to move their tax residency in Italy |
| Reasons to apply for the self-employed visa |
– long validity, – tax advantages, – the possibility to renew the document, – the right to bring close family members in Italy |
| Validity of the self-employed visa | 2 years |
| Financial funds requirement |
Applicants must have minimum EUR 8,500 in order to be eligible. |
| Tax advantages of the self-employed visa |
Persons who will move their tax residency in Italy as remote workers will benefit from a tax deduction of 70% on their global income. |
| Processing time for the self-employed visa |
Approximately 2 months |
| Health insurance requirement (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Yearly quota for the self-employed visa | 500 visas per year |
Due to the development of technology, numerous foreigners who choose to travel many months in a year can also work while being away from home or from their place of work. This type of activity, where leisure is mixed with work, while traveling, is known as a work activity developed by a digital nomad.
A digital nomad in Italy can be any person who can develop his or her work activities away from the office and who uses the time spent in Italy to travel while working. Because of this, the immigration rules in numerous countries started to modify and to create a suitable visa for such persons.
It must be noted that the Italian authorities have passed a bill concerning creation of remote work in Italy for foreigners (digital nomads). We invite you to learn more about the few aspects that have been released concerning this visa type.
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What information is available on the digital nomad visa in Italy?
Remote work in Italy for foreigners can’t be done through a digital nomad visa, therefore, other options (presented below) must be followed. The good news is that foreigners are closer to getting this type of Italian visa, as the Italian Government enacted a bill on March 28, 2022 which has as a main purpose the creation of this visa program.
At the moment, the Italian authorities have not yet released all the conditions that will apply for this visa type, but some of them have been made available. As such, foreigners who are interested to work remotely from Italy as digital nomads should know the following up-to-date information:
- on March 28, 2022 the government enacted the bill proposing the creation of the digital nomad program and it was passed into law;
- this program is regulated under Article 27 of the Immigration Code, which stipulates that only highly skilled workers will be able to apply for the program;
- visa applicants must meet 3 basic criteria: be non-EU nationals, be highly skilled employees, and work for companies that are located outside Italy or work as self-employed;
- the visa will be issued for immigration to Italy for a period of 1 year.
It is also worth knowing that the authorities say that the visa can be renewed. Matters related to the cost of the visa, the minimum income required per applicant, the duration of the visa processing, the possibility to relocate with close family members and others are yet to be established.
Therefore, if you are interested in remote working in Italy under this program, it is best to request legal assistance from our lawyers, who can always offer up-to-date details on any changes that may appear for this visa program.
In general, persons who are working remotely in Italy work from home or from a co-working space. Please know that there are many such offices in Italy and the prices vary based on the types of services they offer, the location (prices can vary depending on the city).
If you want to work in a co-working space, please know that the average price is around EUR 200. We invite you to contact our immigration lawyers in Italy if you want to sign a rental contract. Alike, we can represent you in the process of renting a property.
Working remotely in Italy in the village of Ollolai, Sardinia
As we were talking about remote work in Italy, we present a project that was designed by the Ollolai municipality, which aims at attracting remote workers who can stay in Ollolai rent-free for a limited period of time.
Just like in the case of the immigration project where foreigners can buy houses in Italy for symbolic sums of money, Ollolai provides accommodation for EUR 1. Please know that this program is designed only for short stays, of maximum 3 months.
Therefore, it is suitable for those who want to immigrate to Italy for a short period of time, experience the Italian culture and provide something in return to the community, which is the main purpose of the program.
The program was created due to the shrinking of the local population and it was thought that following this route, the local community will benefit from an influx of knowledge and know-how. More importantly, it is designed so that local young persons learn more about digital work, therefore it can be the ideal program for those who can work remotely from Italy.
This program was launched in October 2023 and it will run for the following 2 years, therefore foreigners can move to Italy in this small community. As such, we invite you to request more details on your visa options. We can also help foreigners apply for the Golden visa in Italy (which offers permanent residency).
What is the main Italian digital nomad visa?
As said above, Italy does not have an active digital nomad program, through which foreigners can obtain a visa for this particular purpose. From the beginning, we mention that immigration in Italy is bound by the issuance of a visa only for persons who are citizens of countries outside the European Union (EU).
As a member state of the EU, Italy grants the right to EU citizens to free movement, which implies that such citizens do not have to apply for a digital nomad visa in Italy (or for any other type of visa) when arriving here. The necessity of having a visa is imposed to third country nationals, which refer to most of the states outside the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA).
Thus, persons who are from outside these regions will be required to apply for a suitable visa, depending on their duration of stay. Please mind that visas are separated between visas for short-term stays or for long-term stays (but not permanent).
A short-term stay is defined as any arrival in this country for a period of 90 days in 180 days and in most of the cases, foreigners will apply for a tourist visa, as this is a common way to arrive here for short-term periods of time.
This visa has very few implications for the holder, as this does not create the obligation to apply for a residence permit, nor to register with the local institutions for tax purposes and for other reasons. This is why it can be the ideal way to arrive as a digital nomad in Italy under this visa.
For those who want to relocate to Italy for a longer period of time, there is the possibility to apply for the self-employed visa, which grants the right to live here for a period of up to two years. However, different formalities have to be completed by the holder of the visa, and our immigration lawyer in Italy can present more details about it.
We invite you to address our lawyers to find out any useful updates concerning the conditions to apply for the digital nomad visa. The visa has not yet been officially launched, considering that the authorities are still ruling over certain aspects related to the manner in which this immigration document can be obtained and used by foreigners.
Meanwhile, our team can assist you with in-depth legal advice on any other visa that can be used for employment, self-employment or for business in Italy – you can also address if you want to relocate here for retirement. Please mind that the retirement visa does not request foreigners to actually be retired and senior citizens, they only need to comply with income requirements.
Below, you can watch a video that presents details about digital nomads in Italy and the procedures to follow:
Why apply for a self-employed visa in Italy as a digital nomad?
The self-employed visa can have numerous advantages – one can immigrate to Italy for a longer period of time compared to other visas, and there are also very generous tax advantages.
There were recent modifications of the law, in the context of the pandemic, and the advantages created under this visa were not specifically made for digital nomads, but for remote workers, but digital nomads are a category of remote workers and they can benefit from the advantages of this visa in certain situations.
The self-employed visa can be used as an Italian digital nomad visa in the situation in which a foreigner decides to move his or her tax residency in this country for the period for which the visa is granted or for a longer period (even permanently) if the foreigner decides to stay here for more time. The following apply:
- the applicants must make the proof of having sufficient financial funds in order to receive the visa, and the minimum amount is of EUR 8,500;
- the number of such visas can be capped – in 2020, the government issued only 500 visas (a number maintained in the following years as well, but which was increased to 700 in 2024);
- there is an important tax break obtained by self-employed remote workers, applicable starting with 1 January 2020;
- successful applicants can obtain a 70% tax exemption on their worldwide income if they register their residence in Italy;
- the tax exemption is granted for a period of 5 years.
If you need more details on how to apply for this visa in order to use it as a digital nomad visa in Italy, we invite you to contact our lawyer. Our immigration lawyer in Italy can present other tax advantages you can obtain and the main tax obligations you will have once you are relocated here.
Our lawyers can advise foreigners who apply for this program in other immigration matter after the relocation to Italy. Please mind that if you are interested in obtaining citizenship in Italy, the digital nomad program does not provide an advantage in this sense.
This is because the foreigner must first become a permanent resident and for this, other visa options have to be explored (those that allow permanent residency). Thus, foreigners who want to move to Italy for the purpose of becoming permanent residents and later on, citizens, will have to explore the legal pathways that can allow them this opportunity.
This can be achieved through work visas, family reunification visas and other programs, which can be presented by our team of immigration lawyers. In general, permanent residency can be obtained after 5 years of uninterrupted stay in the country.