Finally a dream came true and it wil be possible to obtain a digital nomad visa in Italy!
After nearly two years of waiting, highly skilled workers will be able to obtain a residence permit and work remotely in Italy.
Relocating your workplace to Italy will now be possible. So-called “highly skilled” workers can apply for a special residence permit if they want to work remotely from Italy. This is an opportunity reserved for non-EU citizens, now often called “digital nomads,” who are mostly professionals, collaborators, or even employees, who combine their work with their passion for travel by moving their workplace to different countries. After nearly two years of waiting, Italy is also opening its doors to digital nomads with the approval of four ministries of the rules and requirements for obtaining the “Digital Nomads” visa to work remotely in Italy.
Who is a digital nomad?
The implementing decree signed by the Interior, Foreign, Tourism and Labour Ministries defines a digital nomad as a citizen of non-EU countries who carries out a highly qualified work activity using technological tools that allow them to work remotely, either as a self-employed worker or as a collaborator or employee of a company even not resident in Italy. To carry out the activity in our country, entry and stay for periods of more than ninety days are allowed outside the quotas set annually for non-EU workers. For entry and stay for periods of less than ninety days, it will still be necessary to issue an entry visa and a residence permit renamed, appunto, “Digital Nomads”. For entry as a digital nomad (professional or self-employed worker), no provisional nulla osta is required, as well as for entry as a remote worker (collaborator or employee of a company).
Requirements for the “special” visa
Entry and stay for digital nomads is allowed for workers who have an annual minimum income of not less than three times the minimum level required for exemption from participation in health care costs, which translated should amount to just under €28,000 per year. The digital nomad must still have health insurance for medical care and hospitalization valid for the national territory and for the entire period of stay. They must also demonstrate, with documents or otherwise, where they live and have gained at least six months of work experience as a digital nomad or remote worker.
Applying for the visa
The digital nomad must apply for the visa to the competent diplomatic-consular office, presenting a declaration signed by the employer, accompanied by a copy of the identity document. In the self-certification, the workers must also certify that they has no convictions, in the last 5 years, for crimes of aiding illegal immigration to Italy and illegal emigration from Italy to other States or for crimes aimed at recruiting people for prostitution or exploitation of prostitution or minors to be employed in illegal activities, or even for illegal intermediation and exploitation of labour. In any case, the diplomatic-consular offices will carry out random checks on the declarations, also by contacting the competent police headquarters.
Issuing the residence permit
The residence permit must be requested directly from the police headquarters of the province in which the foreigner is located (La Questura) within eight working days of entering Italy, and is issued, as stated in the decree, only with “advanced technology means”. And the words “digital nomad – remote worker” will be written on the permit. It will be valid for a period not exceeding one year and can be renewed annually if the conditions and requirements that have allowed its issuance continue to exist. The foreigner, in order to obtain the issue, must still show the documentation presented at the time of the visa application, stamped by the diplomatic-consular representation. The digital nomad is allowed family reunification and family members may be issued a residence permit for family reasons with a duration equal to that issued to the worker. It will then be the police headquarters that will communicate the issue of the residence permit, transmitting a copy of the employment or collaboration contract, even electronically, to the territorial labour inspectorate.
Social and welfare coverage
For foreigners who transfer their place of work and are subject to the social legislation of a third country, bilateral conventions on social security will apply, if signed between Italy and the country of origin. In the absence of these, the social and insurance cover provided for by Italian legislation will apply for the entire duration of the residence permit.
Issuing the tax code and VAT number
For digital nomads and remote workers, the tax code will be generated and communicated by the police headquarters when the residence permit is issued. Digital nomads can request the assignment of a VAT number to the Revenue Agency, which will have already received from the police headquarters the communication of the issue of the visa. The worker will always be subject to the rules in force today for ascertaining tax obligations, with the possibility for the Italian tax authorities to activate the exchange of information with other countries on the tax reliability of the digital nomad. In the event that violations of the tax provisions of the tax system are ascertained, the Agency will directly communicate electronically the worker
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