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Digital Nomad Visa — highly qualified self-employed remote worker

ItalyRemote work and digital nomads

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Which remote workers qualify: foreign employees, freelancers, company owners or other remote professionals?

The law distinguishes two figures: the remote worker (lavoratore da remoto) is an employee with an employment contract, while the digital nomad (nomade digitale) is a self-employed worker. Both use technological tools to work remotely. The provisions apply to non-EU citizens performing highly qualified work as defined by art. 27-quater of Legislative Decree 286/1998, requiring a university degree or several years of experience (at least 5, or 3 in ICT).

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What income threshold applies, how must it be demonstrated, and how does family affect it where stated?

The minimum annual income from lawful sources is at least three times the minimum income for exemption from health-cost participation (currently 8,263.3), i.e. €24,789 for a worker without an accompanying spouse and children. It can be proven with documentation showing income in the country of residence for the previous year at least equal to the legal requirement (for remote workers, alternatively by the work/collaboration contract or binding job offer). The official source does not state the amount when family members accompany the worker.

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Where must the employer, company or clients be located? Is local work restricted?

The work must be highly qualified remote work, carried out on a self-employed basis or for a company based abroad or also in Italy.

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Limits of the record
  • The source does not state whether local (Italian) clients or local work are restricted for the self-employed digital nomad.

Can family accompany? How long is the status granted and can it be renewed?

Family can accompany: it is permitted to bring minor children and spouse or be joined by them under the same conditions as Article 29 of the Consolidated Immigration Act for family reunification. Family members receive a residence permit for family reasons that allows work and has the same duration as the remote worker's permit. The permit is granted for one year and is renewable annually if the conditions and requirements remain (minimum income, continuation of highly qualified work, health insurance renewed yearly).

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What immigration-relevant tax/residence information is officially stated, and what longer-term residence direction exists?

Under international agreements, a worker spending over 183 days in a country must follow its tax rules and pay taxes there. A digital nomad holding the permit must request a VAT number (partita IVA), which is not automatic, from the Revenue Agency or intermediaries to issue invoices and pay social security contributions and any income taxes. Breaching tax rules may lead to revocation of the permit. After five years of regular residence in Italy, holders may apply for the EU long-term residence permit; the Ministry of Interior considers these permits non-convertible into other permit types.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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