Yes. Nomadi digitali e lavoratori da remoto are a work-entry category of Art. 27(1)(q-bis) of the Consolidated Immigration Act (TUI), made operative by the Interior Minister's decree of 29 February 2024 and in force from 4 April 2024. It needs a national entry visa and then a residence permit of not more than one year, with no work clearance.
Contents
What is Italy's digital nomad visa under the statute?
The category is written in Art. 27(1)(q-bis) TUI as nomadi digitali e lavoratori da remoto, non appartenenti all'Unione europea: digital nomads and remote workers from outside the EU. Art. 27(1-sexies) covers third-country nationals who do highly qualified work through remote technology, either self-employed or for a business that may be based outside Italy.
The statute leaves the detail to an implementing decree of the Interior Minister, concerted with the Foreign, Tourism and Labour Ministers. It is dated 29 February 2024 and was published in Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 79 of 4 April 2024, code 24A01716, in seven articles. Its preamble names Decree-Law 4/2022, converted by Law 25/2022 (Art. 6-quinquies), as the basis of the route. Art. 27(1-sexies) had asked for the decree within thirty days, so it arrived about two years late, on our reading of that provision.
One consulate states that the route has been operative since 4 April 2024. A plan that includes company office or an investment falls under a separate route, set out in our page on residence in Italy by investment.
Is the digital nomad visa one document or two?
Two. The phrase "digital nomad visa" names an entry visa and the residence permit that follows it. This page says "digital nomad permit" for the permit and "route" for the category.
The national entry visa
The consulate or embassy for the applicant's area issues it before travel. The document checklist and the euro income figure are that consulate's own, so they differ between countries.
The residence permit
After entry the holder requests the permit from the questore, the head of the provincial questura, within 8 working days (Art. 5(2) TUI). The permit lasts not more than one year (Art. 27(1-sexies) TUI).
No quota, no work clearance
Every Art. 27(1) category sits outside the annual quotas of Art. 3(4) TUI for stays over 90 days. No nulla osta al lavoro, the work clearance, is required.
Under 90 days is not visa-free
The decree still requires the entry visa and the permit for stays under 90 days. A short stay on this route is not a visa-free stay.
Who does the decree cover: nomad or remote worker?
The decree defines two persons, not one. Both must be third-country nationals doing highly qualified work through remote technology.
- The digital nomad
A nomade digitale works self-employed through remote technology (decree Art. 2, Gazzetta Ufficiale). The nomad files no employment contract under the decree.
- The remote worker
A lavoratore da remoto works remotely as an employee, or as a collaborator under Art. 2(1) of Legislative Decree 81/2015, for an employer or principal whose legal seat may be outside Italy. The contract or binding offer, and the employer's declaration, are in the next section.
- What "highly qualified" means
The decree points to Art. 27-quater(1) TUI, which sets four alternative tests: a qualification of at least three years (or a level-6 professional qualification); the requirements of a regulated profession; at least five years of professional experience at a comparable level; or, for ICT managers and specialists, at least three years of relevant experience in the seven preceding years. Which test a person meets is a question for the consulate.
- Nationality: the UK and other third countries
The decree defines a third-country national as anyone who is not an EU citizen under Art. 20(1) TFEU. UK nationals are therefore within the decree. Which consulate serves a UK resident, and its figure and document list, are matters this page does not cover.
What are the requirements of the decree?
Decree Art. 3 sets the conditions, and the table pairs each with the document a non-resident produces. The decree is paraphrased here, never quoted; the consular columns are attributed to the consulate named. Each condition is a document the applicant holds before the consular appointment, so the table doubles as the order in which the file is assembled.
Decree Art. 3 of 29 February 2024, read on 8 October 2026; housing and pay-floor readings from the Seoul embassy checklist.
| Condition | What the decree says | Document the applicant produces | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Lawful annual income of at least three times the minimum level for exemption from health-cost sharing | Proof of income; the euro figure is the consulate's | Decree Art. 3; Seoul embassy checklist |
| Health insurance | Medical and hospital cover valid in Italy for the whole stay | Insurance policy covering the full period | Decree Art. 3 |
| Housing | Suitable documentation of the housing arrangement | Property deed or lease registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate (Seoul reading) | Decree Art. 3; Seoul embassy checklist |
| Experience | At least six months of previous experience in the work to be done | Evidence of that experience | Decree Art. 3 |
| Highly qualified | One of the four Art. 27-quater(1) tests | Degree, regulated-profession recognition or proof of five (ICT: three) years | Art. 27-quater(1) TUI |
| Remote workers: contract | Employment or collaboration contract, or binding offer, for work needing a highly qualified profile | The contract or offer; annual pay not below the collective agreements and the ISTAT gross average (Seoul reading) | Decree Art. 3; Seoul embassy checklist |
| Remote workers: employer | Employer's signed declaration with a copy of valid ID | The signed declaration | Decree Art. 3 |
Neither route needs a nulla osta: nomads need no provisional clearance (Art. 40(5) of the implementing regulation) and remote workers need no work clearance (Art. 31). The regulation is D.P.R. 394 of 31 August 1999; the decree itself prints the date as 31 August 1998. For remote workers the decree adds an employer check: the visa is refused or revoked if an employer or principal resident in Italy was convicted in the last five years of the offences in Art. 22(5-bis) TUI.
Whether degrees and experience letters need an apostille, a sworn translation or a dichiarazione di valore is not settled for this route. The competent consulate holds that list, as it does for what the Italian consulate asks for an elective residence visa.
What income does the decree set, in euros?
The decree sets no euro amount. It prints a formula: lawful annual income of at least three times the minimum level for exemption from health-cost sharing (decree Art. 3, Gazzetta Ufficiale).
Three consulates print three figures. The Seoul embassy checklist reads EUR 25,500 a year (8,500 x 3, per its checklist). The Buenos Aires consulate's April 2024 notice reads EUR 28,000. The Guatemala embassy's page reads EUR 28,500. None is the statute's figure; a consulate's own number governs applications in its area.
The statutory base amount of the exemption minimum is not given here, so this page does not state one euro figure as "the requirement". The figure is printed on the applicant's own consulate page, and it is the one to read before proof of income is collected.
How does the process run from consulate to permit card?
Eight steps, with the actor and the basis of each term: law, consulate statement or working estimate.
Check the route
Confirm non-EU nationality, one of the four highly qualified tests, six months' experience, and whether the work is self-employed (nomad) or for a business (remote worker). A company office in Italy or an investment points to another route. The founder. No term.
Assemble the file and book the consulate
Gather the documents in the table above. A remote worker also needs the employer's contract and signed declaration. The founder and, for a remote worker, the employer. Working estimate: weeks, set by document gathering.
Apply for the national entry visa
The consulate may spot-check the employer's declaration through the questura. The consulate. Up to 120 days for nomads and 30 for remote workers (one consulate's statement).
Enter Italy and request the permit
The request goes to the questore, by post-office kit or at the questura; which applies to this permit is not stated here. The founder. Within 8 working days of entry (law, Art. 5(2) TUI).
Pay the state charges and attend fingerprinting
The charges are in the table below; the appointment date is given on the receipt. The founder, Poste Italiane and the questura. At filing.
Permit issued
The questura issues within 90 days of the application; on the receipt the holder may stay lawfully and work temporarily. The questura. Law, Art. 5(9) and 5(9-bis) TUI.
Tax position settles
Tax residence is a separate test from the permit. The founder and an adviser; the Agenzia delle Entrate. Law, Art. 2(2) TUIR.
Renewal, if available for this permit
Request at least 90 days before expiry (Art. 5(4) TUI). The founder, to the questore. Law.
- Check the routeThe founderNo term
- Assemble file, book consulateThe founder; employer for a remote workerWeeks, set by document gathering
- Apply for the entry visaThe consulateUp to 120 days for nomads, 30 for remote workers: one consulate
- Enter Italy, request the permitThe founder, to the questoreWithin 8 working days of entry (Art. 5(2) TUI)
- State charges and fingerprintingThe founder, Poste Italiane, the questuraAt filing
- Permit issuedThe questuraWithin 90 days (Art. 5(9) TUI); permit not more than one year
- Tax position settlesThe founder and an adviser; the Agenzia delle EntrateArt. 2(2) TUIR
- Renewal, if availableThe founder, to the questoreAt least 90 days before expiry (Art. 5(4) TUI)
How long does each stage take?
The table gives each term with its basis, so a statute is never mixed with one consulate's statement or with a working estimate. The 90-day terms of Art. 5 TUI apply since 22 May 2026, under Legislative Decree 83/2026. Older guides may print shorter terms for the issue of the permit, and those no longer match the text in force. The longest wait before the permit request is the consular stage, and that figure belongs to one consulate.
Terms as read on 8 October 2026; the May 2026 terms of Art. 5 TUI come from Legislative Decree 83/2026.
| Stage | Term | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Documents gathered | Weeks, set by the applicant's own documents | Working estimate |
| Consular processing | Up to 120 days for nomads, up to 30 days for remote workers | Consulate statement (Paris) |
| Permit request | Within 8 working days of entry | Law, Art. 5(2) TUI |
| Decision | Within 90 days of the application | Law, Art. 5(9) TUI |
| Renewal request | At least 90 days before expiry | Law, Art. 5(4) TUI |
| Permit length | Not more than one year | Law, Art. 27(1-sexies) TUI |
Source: Art. 5 TUI; Art. 27 TUI; Paris consulate.
This is the position on 8 October 2026, including the May 2026 permit terms.
Is your plan more than remote work? A plan that includes a company office or an investment is a different conversation. Talk through the plan around the permit
What does the state charge?
The table lists the state charges on the permit. Each comes from a Polizia di Stato page, and the amounts are in euros. The EUR 40.00 contribution is set by the decree of 5 May 2017 and depends on the permit's length; the card, stamp and postal charges are paid at filing. Whether the post-office kit applies to this permit is not stated here, so the postal charge is listed as conditional.
Polizia di Stato pages, amounts as read on 8 October 2026.
| Charge | Amount | When it applies | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit contribution | EUR 40.00 | Permit of more than three months and up to one year, adults (decree of 5 May 2017, in force 9 June 2017) | Questura di Catanzaro page |
| Electronic permit card | EUR 30.46 | Permit of more than 90 days | Polizia di Stato |
| Revenue stamp | EUR 16.00 | Revenue stamp in electronic form | Polizia di Stato |
| Postal charge | EUR 30.00 | Only where the post-office kit is used | Polizia di Stato |
The visa fee for this category was not read, so the page states none. The four charges above are the permit's; they are not a total cost of the route.
How long does the permit last, and what about renewal?
The permit is issued after the entry visa for not more than one year (Art. 27(1-sexies) TUI). That cap is the only statement of length this page makes for the nomad permit. It is a ceiling set by statute, so a shorter permit is possible, and the length printed on a given permit is for the questura to decide.
For renewal, the general rule is Art. 5(4) TUI: the request goes to the questore at least 90 days before expiry, a rule that applies since 22 May 2026. A renewed permit runs for not longer than the initial one.
What the page does not assert is whether this permit is renewable under decree Arts. 4 to 7, which were not read. It says nothing about the wording on the permit card or about family members, and it does not describe the permit as renewable annually. The competent consulate and the questura answer those points.
Does a digital nomad pay tax in Italy?
The permit has no tax regime of its own. Its statutory condition in Art. 27(1-sexies) TUI is that Italian tax and social-security rules are respected.
Liability follows tax residence. Under Art. 2(2) TUIR a person is resident if, for most of the tax period, counting part-days, they have residence, domicile or presence in Italy. A resident is taxed on worldwide income. That text is in force to 31 December 2026 and moves to the consolidated code on 1 January 2027; this page prints no successor article.
The impatriati relief is a separate check. The Agenzia delle Entrate summarises it so: 50 percent of Italian-source employment and self-employment income, within EUR 600,000 a year, counts toward taxable income, for the year of transfer and four more, if the person was not tax-resident in Italy in the three previous tax periods. Whether a permit holder meets the other conditions is not settled here.
Two questions are also open: whether a self-employed nomad who becomes tax-resident must open a partita IVA and register with INPS, and whether a foreign employer of a remote worker has Italian withholding or contribution duties. A tax adviser answers those for the facts of each case, and the Agenzia delle Entrate publishes the rules on residence and on the relief. For a related relief, see the card below.
Card: Italy's Flat Tax for New Residents
Can the permit be used to run an Italian company?
The route covers work for a business that may be foreign. The table sets three routes side by side by statute, without ranking them.
Art. 27 and Art. 26-bis TUI; D.I. 850/2011 point 7.I.2 (Ministerial Interdepartmental Decree of 11 May 2011); read on 8 October 2026.
| Route | Where it is read | Condition in one line |
|---|---|---|
| Digital nomad permit | Art. 27(1)(q-bis) and (1-sexies) TUI | Highly qualified work through remote technology, for a business that may be foreign |
| Company-office self-employment | D.I. 850/2011, point 7.I.2 | The office of chairman, board member, managing director or auditor of an S.p.A., S.r.l. or S.a.p.a. trading for at least three years |
| Investor visa | Art. 26-bis TUI | An investment; see the pillar page |
Source: Art. 27 TUI; D.I. 850/2011, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Art. 26-bis TUI.
A director's office in an Italian S.r.l. is outside the wording of the digital nomad route. Our guides to the self-employment visa and the Italia Startup Visa set out the neighbouring routes. Where a company or an investment comes in, a conversation with us is the next step.
From our practice: what to settle before the consulate appointment
From our practice: we ask a founder which of the three routes the plan needs before any document is gathered, because the file differs. We read the consulate's own checklist and euro income figure before translations are paid for, and we keep the permit request inside the 8 working days after entry. The file is the founder's, cleared by the consulate and the questura; we do not obtain the visa and are not an immigration adviser.
Sources
- Art. 27 TUI: category, quotas, no clearance, one-year cap.
- Art. 27-quater TUI: the four highly qualified tests.
- Art. 5 TUI: 8 working days, 90-day terms, renewal.
- Decree of 29 February 2024, Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 79: ministers, preamble, Art. 1.
- Decree Art. 2: definitions of nomad and remote worker.
- Decree Art. 3: income formula, insurance, housing, employer check.
- Polizia di Stato, permit costs: card, stamp and postal charges.
- Questura di Catanzaro page: EUR 40.00 permit contribution.
- Art. 2 TUIR: tax residence, text in force to 31 December 2026.
- Agenzia delle Entrate, impatriati relief: 50 percent up to EUR 600,000.
- Paris consulate: consular processing times, one consulate.
- Seoul embassy checklist: EUR 25,500, housing reading, pay floor.
Related service
- Residence in Italy by investment: the route for a founder whose plan includes an investment or a company. Questions on the plan go through our contact page.
- Italy's Flat Tax for New Residents: a separate relief for new residents, read against its own conditions.