Every year, the Italian government decides how many non-EU citizens can enter Italy for work. This annual planning tool is called Decreto Flussi, and it regulates the flow of foreign workers according to the needs of the country. Anyone who is thinking about going to Italy for a job should understand how it works, who can benefit from it, and what steps must be followed once a job offer is found.
Why the Decreto Flussi Exists
Italy uses the decree to set entry quotas, select priority economic sectors and identify the countries whose citizens may apply. Making it clear, the goal is simple: to allow employers to hire foreign workers when there are not enough workers already available in Italy.
Types of Work Allowed through Decreto Flussi
In general, overall following work sectors are allowed under seasonal and nonseasonal visas:
| Type of Work | Sectors Involved |
| Seasonal | Agriculture; Tourism–Hotel |
| Non-Seasonal | Road haulage for third parties; Passenger transport by bus; Construction; Mechanics; Shipbuilding; Food industry; Fishing; Tourism–Hotel; Telecommunications; Hairdressers; Electricians; Plumbers; Family and social-healthcare assistance |
A special experimental quota for 2025 and 2026, created by DL 145/2024, allows up to 10,000 additional workers to be hired exclusively to support very elderly people (over 80) or people with disabilities. This is separate from the seasonal quotas already available for general social-healthcare activities.
Countries Eligible Under the Quotas
Most quotas are reserved for citizens of countries that have cooperation agreements with Italy. These include long-standing partners as well as states expected to formalise agreements during 2025.
Eligible countries currently include Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Republic of Korea, Ivory Coast, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Philippines, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Japan, Jordan, Guatemala, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, North Macedonia, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia and Ukraine. This list is, however, subject to change every year.
Some places are also available for stateless people and for those recognised as refugees by a foreign country or UNHCR.
Future Changes: Decreto Flussi 2026–2028
On 30 June 2025, the Italian Council of Ministers approved the first draft of a new decree for the years 2026–2028, which will set multi-year quotas. When it becomes definitive, the details will replace the previous annual framework.
Understanding the Application Process
The Applicant Cannot Apply Alone
Anyone wishing to enter Italy under the Decreto Flussi must already have an employer. The employer — whether Italian or a foreign resident living legally in Italy — is the only one allowed to submit the online request for the nulla osta, the official work authorisation.
How Employers Submit the Request
The employer submits the application on the Ministry of Interior’s immigration portal (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione – SUI) using a SPID or CIE digital ID. The system allows applications to be prepared in advance, but they must be sent at a precise moment called the click day. The request must include:
- Certificate of housing suitability (idoneità alloggiativa),
- Certificato di asseverazione,
- A passport copy of the worker and,
- Additional employer documents, such as a tax return, a job contract draft, and the required labour-market availability check.
If something is missing, the employer may upload a statement promising to provide the missing documents during the investigation stage.
Because applications are processed in the order received, sending them exactly at 9:00 a.m. is very important (the time limit is subject to change, though every year).
What Happens After Submission
Authorities examine each application through the Territorial Labour Inspectorate and the Questura. If everything is correct, the SUI issues the nulla osta:
- Normally, within 60 days and
- Within 20 days for seasonal work,
The nulla osta is valid for 180 days. Workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are not eligible for automatic clearance. In these cases, the police and labour authorities must complete extra checks before a visa is issued.
A new rule introduced by DL 145/2024 requires the employer to confirm the nulla osta within 7 days after receiving the official notice. If this confirmation is not sent, the nulla osta is cancelled, and no visa can be issued for that year.
Visa and Arrival in Italy
If the Nulla Osta Is Rejected
The worker cannot obtain a visa that year but may try the following year, provided all requirements are met.
If the Nulla Osta Is Approved
The employer informs the worker, who must apply for a visa at the Italian consulate in their country of residence. The visa is issued within:
- 60 days (non-seasonal work)
- 20 days (seasonal work)
A type D visa (stays longer than 90 days) is issued, together with a temporary tax code when needed. Seasonal workers must register on the SIISL platform immediately after signing their seasonal residence contract.
Steps to Follow After Entering Italy
Signing the Residence Contract
Within 8 working days of arrival, the worker and the employer must sign the contratto di soggiorno, either digitally or on paper. The employer must send this contract by certified email (PEC) to the Sportello Unico without delay.
The SUI will:
- Check the visa and personal information
- Issue a permanent tax code
- Ensure the residence contract is complete
- Provide the postal kit to request the residence permit
- Forward documentation to the Questura
Documents that must be included in the PEC message include:
- Passport + copies
- Employer’s ID + copies
- Temporary tax code (if available)
- Proof of accommodation
- Original idoneità alloggiativa + copy
- UniLav form sent to INPS
- Certificato di asseverazione (if required)
- Two €16 revenue stamps (fee subject to change)
Workers may start employment immediately upon arrival, provided they already have a tax code.
After Visiting the Sportello Unico
The worker must go to a post office to send the residence-permit request (kit postale) to the Questura. The post office issues a receipt with login credentials to check the status online. The Questura then contacts the worker by email or text message to schedule:
- Photo and fingerprint appointment
- Collection of the final residence permit
If the Employer Changes Their Mind
If the employer withdraws after the worker has already entered Italy, the SUI may authorise a permesso per attesa occupazione (job-seeker permit), valid for one year. The worker can also sign a new contract if another employer is willing to hire them.
Seasonal Permits: Renewals and Conversions
Renewing a Seasonal Permit
A seasonal permit normally lasts up to 9 months. Under DL 145/2024:
- It can be renewed or extended without returning to the home country
- Renewal must occur within 60 days of the end of the previous contract
- Seasonal workers remain registered on the SIISL platform, which becomes active again when the prior contract ends
If not renewed or converted, the worker must leave Italy at the end of the permit.
Converting a Seasonal Permit
A seasonal residence permit can be converted into a standard work permit.
From December 2024 onward:
- Conversions are allowed all year round
- Conversions no longer depend on quota limits
- The same rule also applies to holders of EU long-term permits issued by other EU states
Rights of Workers Under a Regular Work Permit
Anyone who receives a work residence permit in Italy is entitled to:
- Work legally in Italy
- Travel abroad
- Access the national health system (SSN)
- Enrol in education
- Receive certain welfare benefits
- Apply for family reunification
- Register at the local registry office and obtain an identity card
- Apply for the EU long-term residence permit after 5 years of legal stay, if the requirements are met
How to find jobs in Italy?
Finding jobs online in Italy is not that easy due to language barriers. But still, currently, more and more employers are open to higher-skilled workers from non-EU countries. The following job portals will help you to find suitable jobs in Italy for the work visa:
Public sector jobs
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- European Personnel Selection Office
- United Nations (UN) Jobs
General job search sites
- ClicLavoro
- Ministry of labor and social policies
- Jooble.org
- Job by doo
- Torino Comune
- Informagiovani
- Bakeca
- Season Workers (In the search category, please write seasonal jobs in Italy.)
- Indeed (In the search category, please write seasonal jobs in Italy.)
- JustLanded (In the search category, please write seasonal jobs in Italy.)
- AnyworkAnywhere (In the search category, please write seasonal jobs in Italy.)
- Transitionsabroad (In the search category, please write seasonal jobs in Italy.)