Obtain Work Permit in Italy

There are several ways in which foreign citizens can immigrate to Italy. They can apply for residence permits, start businesses which enable them to relocate to Italy or by securing an employment permit.

The last option is available for foreign citizens outside the European Union, as the citizens of EU member states do not need to obtain work permits in order to relocate to Italy for this purpose. They only need to register with the police department in the city they relocate to.

Back to the work permit which needs to be obtained by other categories of foreign citizens, we invite you to read the article below. At the same time, we would like to let you know that we are a team of Italian immigration specialists who can help you apply for a work permit or obtain a golden visa in Italy.

Types of work permits in Italy

One of the best reasons for coming to Italy based on a work permit is the variety of visas for which a foreigner can apply. One can apply for one of the following types of employment visas:

• a seasonal work permit which quite easy to obtain and is granted to seasonal activities, as its name says;
• a long-term permit which is, in fact, the residence permit which enables a foreign person to work, but also to live in Italy;
• a subordinate work permit which must be obtained for non-EU citizens residing in other countries;
• the self-employment work permit which enables a foreign citizen to start a small business under the form of a sole proprietorship.

Our immigration lawyers in Italy can offer more information on the conditions attached to each type of work permit.

The seasonal work permit in Italy

The seasonal work permit is available in two domains of activities: agriculture and tourism. This means that an Italian company working in one of these two industries can hire foreign personnel based on a seasonal employment visa. In order to do that, the company must file an application with the Ministry of Interior based on which it will obtain the clearance for the foreign workers it wants to bring into Italy.

It is very important to know that the seasonal work permit has a validity period which ranges between 20 days and 3 months, which makes it one of the least employed types of permits.

The long-term employment or residence permit in Italy

Opposed to the seasonal work permit is the residence permit which grants an undefined period of staying, but also working in Italy. The residence permit is one of the most popular types of visas among non-EU citizens. Persons who have lived and worked in Italy based on temporary work permits can apply for the long-term permit after 5 years.

The greatest advantage of the long-term permit is that if the foreign citizen leaves Italy, he or she can re-enter the country without having to apply for a visa.

The subordinate work permit in Italy

The subordinate employment visa must be obtained by the employer on behalf of the foreign citizen it intends to bring to Italy. For this purpose, the company is required to obtain clearance (nulla osta) from the Immigration Department.

Even if the procedure is the same when applying for a seasonal work permit, in this case, the employer will need to comply with more requirements, among which we remind the following:

• the employer must secure a fixed-term or indefinite work contract for the employee;
• the employer must also secure accommodation for the foreign worker;
• the employer must cover the expenses of the foreign worker’s leave once the employment contract has ended;
• the validity of a subordinate employment permit is of maximum 2 years.

Our lawyers in Italy can offer more information on the subordinate employment permit which is very common in this country.

The self-employment visa in Italy

Foreign entrepreneurs who want to move to Italy can apply for a self-employment permit which will grant them the right to complete various types of works. The subordinate work permit can also allow the foreign citizen to be self-employed as long as the employment contract has been signed for an indefinite period of time.

This type of Italian work permit is issued for a maximum period of 2 years. We can also help you apply for Italian citizenship.

Steps to obtain a work permit in Italy

There are a few steps to complete in order to obtain a work permit in Italy:

1.      securing a job and an employment contract is mandatory when applying for such permit;
2.      the employer must obtain a clearance (nulla osta) on behalf of the foreign worker;
3.      once the visa is issued, the employer will send it to the foreign worker who must go to the Italian Embassy or Consulate and file for a work visa;
4.      the residence permit is issued 8 days prior to the arrival of the foreign worker in Italy.

For full information and assistance in applying for a work permit for Italy, please contact our experts in immigration matters in Italy.