After more than two years of anticipation, Italy has formally inserted the “Digital Nomad and Remote Worker” category into its Immigration Act. Article 6-quinquies, published on 26 June in the specialist bulletin Legislazione Tecnica, amends Article 27 of Legislative Decree 286/1998 to add sub-category “q-bis”, covering highly skilled third-country nationals who work remotely via digital tools. Key points include: no labour-market test or nulla osta; a national-entry visa followed by a one-year residence permit, renewable if tax and social-security obligations are met; mandatory comprehensive health insurance; and income thresholds to be set in a joint decree by the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Labour and Tourism ministries within 30 days.
![Italy Publishes Legal Framework for Long-Awaited Digital Nomad Visa]()
For professionals keen to take advantage of the new route, VisaHQ can simplify every step—from clarifying eligibility to booking consular appointments. Its dedicated Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) consolidates up-to-date requirements, document checklists and real-time application tracking, allowing digital nomads to focus on their move while specialists handle the bureaucracy.
The decree will also spell out how authorities will verify that applicants genuinely perform remote work. Unlike traditional self-employment visas, the new route allows holders to work for an overseas employer, provided activities are conducted mainly online and do not compete unfairly with the Italian labour market. Family reunification will be possible under standard rules, but visa quotas in the annual “decreto flussi” will not apply, giving companies a year-round option to relocate key staff. Tax advisers note that staying more than 183 days will create Italian tax residency; however, remote workers may access the “impatriate workers” regime offering a 50-per-cent income-tax exemption for five years if they relocate to the South or bring minor children. Employers are therefore modelling cost scenarios before green-lighting long-term work-from-Italy arrangements. Italian regions with slow depopulation, such as Calabria and Molise, have already announced co-working grants and reduced rent schemes to attract digital nomads once consular processing opens—expected as early as September, assuming the inter-ministerial decree meets its 30-day deadline.
For professionals keen to take advantage of the new route, VisaHQ can simplify every step—from clarifying eligibility to booking consular appointments. Its dedicated Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) consolidates up-to-date requirements, document checklists and real-time application tracking, allowing digital nomads to focus on their move while specialists handle the bureaucracy.
The decree will also spell out how authorities will verify that applicants genuinely perform remote work. Unlike traditional self-employment visas, the new route allows holders to work for an overseas employer, provided activities are conducted mainly online and do not compete unfairly with the Italian labour market. Family reunification will be possible under standard rules, but visa quotas in the annual “decreto flussi” will not apply, giving companies a year-round option to relocate key staff. Tax advisers note that staying more than 183 days will create Italian tax residency; however, remote workers may access the “impatriate workers” regime offering a 50-per-cent income-tax exemption for five years if they relocate to the South or bring minor children. Employers are therefore modelling cost scenarios before green-lighting long-term work-from-Italy arrangements. Italian regions with slow depopulation, such as Calabria and Molise, have already announced co-working grants and reduced rent schemes to attract digital nomads once consular processing opens—expected as early as September, assuming the inter-ministerial decree meets its 30-day deadline.
