Italy Launches Digital Nomad Visa for International Remote Workers
Summary:
- Italy has formally initiated its Digital Nomad Visa scheme.
- This visa allows remote workers from non-EU nations to reside and work in Italy for a duration of up to one year.
- The visa is renewable on an annual basis and is tailored for highly skilled individuals who can perform remote work using technology.
Remote professionals can now relocate to Italy to work and reside there for companies or clients based outside the country, following the official launch of Italy's Digital Nomad Visa program. As of April 4, foreigners are eligible to stay in Italy legally for up to one year under this initiative, with the option to renew annually. According to the Italian government, a digital nomad is a non-EU citizen who engages in highly skilled work remotely using technological tools, whether as a self-employed worker or as an employee or collaborator for a company, even if not residing in Italy.
Italy's Digital Nomad Visa program, signed into law on March 28, 2022, operates under Article 27 of the immigration code, targeting highly skilled workers, as highlighted by global mobility expert Damien O’Farrell. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate an annual income of €28,000 (£23,992.50) or more, maintain health insurance and accommodation for their intended stay in Italy, and have a clean criminal record for the past five years. Applicants must also provide evidence of at least six months of prior experience working as digital nomads or remote workers elsewhere and ensure tax compliance in Italy before applying for the visa.
Foreign nationals interested in the program must schedule an in-person appointment at an Italian consulate in their country of residence and provide various documents, including a valid passport, proof of employment and income, health insurance, accommodation details in Italy, and a criminal record certificate. Upon visa approval, applicants have eight days from their arrival in Italy to apply for a residence permit.
Currently, several European countries, including Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Malta, Romania, the Netherlands, and Norway, offer Digital Nomad visa programs, each with varying monthly income requirements. For instance, in Hungary, the monthly income threshold is €2,000, while it is €3,700 in Romania. Portugal emerges as the preferred destination for digital nomads, followed by Spain, Madeira, Germany, and Romania, according to a survey conducted by the platform for housing digital nomads, Flatio, which interviewed over 1,200 digital nomads worldwide last year.