Digital nomad/remote worker

The digital nomad / remote worker visa is intended for individuals who are not EU citizens and who intend to work remotely while living in Italy.

The visa is only available to highly specialized workers whose careers require or exceed the requirements listed in article 27-quater of the Legislative Decree n. 286 of 25 July 1998, including careers that require post-secondary degrees or at least three years’ professional training or experience. Please click here for, “Qualifying Professions”.

The visa is subdivided into two categories: “digital nomads”, who are freelancers, consultants, or other independent specialists, and “remote workers”, who are employees of a company but can perform their work completely remotely.

At the appointment, applicants must submit the following documents:

• 1.Passport or travel document accepted by the Schengen countries valid for a period of at least 15 months past your intended date of travel to the Schengen Area (including Italy). The passport must have at least two blank pages. (plus: photocopy of the page with personal data and expiration date, and photocopy of the page with signature if the signature does not appear on the same page).
• 2. Proof of physical residence in our jurisdiction, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or utility bill. If submitting a driver’s license or state ID, please also provide a photocopy of the document.
• 3. Only for non-U.S. citizens: Proof of legal residence in the United States, such as U.S. Alien Registration Card or valid long-term U.S. visa.
  • U.S. B1/B2 visas are not acceptable for this purpose. B1/B2 visa holders must apply at a Consulate in their home country. (plus: photocopy of the card or the passport page with the long-term U.S. visa).
  • Non-U.S. citizen students must have a valid I-20 Form and exchange visitors a valid I-66.
• 4. One National Visa form (if you intend to stay in Italy more than 90 days) or Schengen visa form (if you intend to stay in Italy 90 days or less) completely and clearly filled out, and signed by the applicant.
• 5. One recent, ICAO standard photograph: 45mm (1.77 inch) tall and 35mm (1.37 inch) wide, full face, front view, color photograph of yourself. The photograph must be glued to the top of the form where indicated.
• 6. Letter or certificate of travel medical insurance showing coverage for medical expenses, hospitalization costs and repatriation for medical reasons, for the days you are outside the United States. Insurance coverage must not be less than 30,000 Euro (or $50,000). Inadequate medical expenses coverage is the number one reason for visa rejections.
  • You cannot present your insurance card alone as proof of insurance.
    Consular officers may request additional documents at their discretion. Please be aware that submitting the required documentation does not guarantee the issuance of a visa.
  • If you cannot obtain the above-mentioned declaration or do not have a health insurance policy, then you must show proof of purchase of an Italian health insurance or present an Affidavit of Health Insurance stating that you will purchase an Italian insurance policy upon your arrival in Italy, before registering with the provincial police headquarters (Questura).
• 7. Proof of qualifying profession
• 8. Lease, rental contract, or deed for property in Italy.
  • The lease, rental contract, or deed must be in the applicant’s name and must cover the entire duration of the visa.
  • If renting or leasing, the applicant must present an original copy of a “Contratto di Locazione ad Uso Abitativo”, complete with proof that the landlord has registered it with the Agenzia delle Entrate, the Italian Tax Authority.
  • A third party’s offer of hospitality or a hotel stay is unacceptable. If the applicant does not have a lease, rental contract, or deed in their name, the visa application will be denied.
  • In the event that the applicant must change residence, you should notify the Questura that issued your residency permit (see page 6 for “Permesso di Soggiorno”).
• 9. Proof of legal income of at least three times the minimum necessary to pay healthcare taxes in Italy.
  • At the time of this writing in 2024, the minimum legal income is no less than 24,789 euros (or the equivalent in USD) per year.
  •  Proof can be provided in a variety of ways, including paystubs, tax return, W-2, or three most recent bank statements.
  • The income must derive from the work the applicant will be performing in Italy. Other passive income, such as Social Security, rents, or stocks, will not be considered.
• 10. Proof of six or more months’ prior work experience in the field
  • For digital nomads: tax returns, client invoices, membership in professional or industrial associations can all provide evidence of employment

For remote workers: tax returns, pay slips or a letter from the employer can be used as proof of employment

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REMOTE WORKERS

• 1. Employment contract showing a salary that equals or exceeds that required by the collective contracts negotiated by the relevant Italian national union, and that in any case cannot be below the median annual salary as calculated by ISTAT (the Italian National Institute of Statistics), which can be viewed at
  http://dati.istat.it/viewhtml.aspx?il=blank&vh=0000&vf=0&vcq=1100&graph=0&view-metadata=1&lang=it&QueryId=12006
• 2. Letter from employer stating that the employer has not been convicted in the past five years of any crimes related to the facilitation of illegal immigration, the exploitation of minors for work purposes, the violation of labor laws, or other crimes listed under comma 5-bis of article 22 of the Testo Unico Sull’Immigrazione (Italian immigration code).
  • a. The letter must be signed by an executive, legal representative, or other appropriate agent of the employer, and the signature must be accompanied by a photocopy of the signer’s photo ID.