Italian employers in tourism, hospitality and related service sectors have little more than a fortnight to finalise applications for non-EU seasonal workers under the new three-year Flow Decree. The decree, published in October 2025, earmarks 164,850 work-permit quotas for 2026, but demand typically exceeds supply within minutes once the online portal opens on so-called click-days. A detailed article in Calabria-based business daily Cosenza Channel reminds firms that the first 2026 window will open in mid-February and that preparatory work—collecting corporate documents, signing labour-market test declarations and securing passports for named recruits—must be completed now to avoid last-minute errors (cosenzachannel.it).
Beyond the imminent deadline, the piece notes that companies already planning for the summer 2027 season should start drafting head-count forecasts in July 2026, when the portal reopens for next-year hires. Early planning is critical because the decree limits each employer to three applications per calendar year and penalises incomplete files.
![Decreto Flussi 2026: companies urged to gear up for February “click-day”]()
For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: integrate Italian quota strategy into broader European workforce planning. Failure to win a slot in February could leave hotels and tour operators scrambling for staff in the peak season, inflating costs or forcing last-minute subcontracting. The article also highlights the importance of “deleghe digitali”—digital proxies that let immigration consultants file on behalf of smaller firms—reducing the risk of multiple log-ins being blocked by the SPID/CIE security system.
Practical tip: run simulated submissions on the Interior Ministry’s ALI portal, ensure electronic signatures are valid, and set up dual-internet connections as insurance against regional broadband glitches often reported during past click-days. Larger multinationals may wish to stagger filings across subsidiaries to maximise quota access while remaining within the three-application rule.
Beyond the imminent deadline, the piece notes that companies already planning for the summer 2027 season should start drafting head-count forecasts in July 2026, when the portal reopens for next-year hires. Early planning is critical because the decree limits each employer to three applications per calendar year and penalises incomplete files.
For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: integrate Italian quota strategy into broader European workforce planning. Failure to win a slot in February could leave hotels and tour operators scrambling for staff in the peak season, inflating costs or forcing last-minute subcontracting. The article also highlights the importance of “deleghe digitali”—digital proxies that let immigration consultants file on behalf of smaller firms—reducing the risk of multiple log-ins being blocked by the SPID/CIE security system.
Practical tip: run simulated submissions on the Interior Ministry’s ALI portal, ensure electronic signatures are valid, and set up dual-internet connections as insurance against regional broadband glitches often reported during past click-days. Larger multinationals may wish to stagger filings across subsidiaries to maximise quota access while remaining within the three-application rule.
Source: Cosenza Channel
