In a significant step toward end-to-end digitalisation of its work-permit process, Italy has activated an online module for signing the ‘contratto di soggiorno’ (contract of stay) required after a non-EU professional enters the country on an EU Blue Card. Immigration firm Fragomen reported on 29 June that employers can now upload arrival details and apply qualified electronic signatures via the Ministry of the Interior’s portal, eliminating the in-person appointment that previously added weeks to permit timelines. Under Italy’s layered immigration regime, the Blue Card is issued abroad, but the residence-permit card cannot be requested until the worker and sponsor complete the post-arrival contract. The new portal generates the contract automatically once entry data are entered, and both employer and employee sign digitally before sending the file back by certified e-mail (PEC). For multinational companies the change promises faster onboarding: in many provinces, physical appointments were being scheduled 30–45 days out, with further delays when backlogs forced local Immigration One-Stop Shops (Sportelli Unici) to batch signatures.
![Italy moves Blue-Card ‘contract of stay’ to fully digital portal, cutting post-arrival paperwork]()
Businesses that are still getting to grips with Italy’s evolving visa and residence-permit procedures can also lean on VisaHQ for hands-on support: the platform offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and application management for a wide range of Italian entry categories, including the EU Blue Card, all in one dashboard (https://www.visahq.com/italy/).
Digital signing could shave two to three weeks off the path to a tax code and payroll registration, although Fragomen warns of teething problems as local offices interpret the guidance. Crucially, handwritten signatures remain valid for now, so employers can run a hybrid model while testing the new system. HR teams are advised to ensure authorised signatories possess a recognised SPID digital ID and to update internal workflows to capture the portal’s ‘protocol number’, which may be requested in Labour Inspectorate audits. The update dovetails with Italy’s broader push toward paperless immigration, foreshadowing the 2027 transition to fully digital work-permit filings and the EU’s upcoming digital Schengen visa. Companies that adapt early will be better positioned when electronic residence-permit renewals roll out nationwide.
Businesses that are still getting to grips with Italy’s evolving visa and residence-permit procedures can also lean on VisaHQ for hands-on support: the platform offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and application management for a wide range of Italian entry categories, including the EU Blue Card, all in one dashboard (https://www.visahq.com/italy/).
Digital signing could shave two to three weeks off the path to a tax code and payroll registration, although Fragomen warns of teething problems as local offices interpret the guidance. Crucially, handwritten signatures remain valid for now, so employers can run a hybrid model while testing the new system. HR teams are advised to ensure authorised signatories possess a recognised SPID digital ID and to update internal workflows to capture the portal’s ‘protocol number’, which may be requested in Labour Inspectorate audits. The update dovetails with Italy’s broader push toward paperless immigration, foreshadowing the 2027 transition to fully digital work-permit filings and the EU’s upcoming digital Schengen visa. Companies that adapt early will be better positioned when electronic residence-permit renewals roll out nationwide.
