On 30 June 2026 the specialist portal Immigrazione.biz reported the first practical effects of Legislative Decree 83/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 20 May, which overhauls Italy’s Permesso Unico di Lavoro (Single Work Permit). The decree, which transposed EU Directive 2024/1233, shortens the maximum processing time for permits from 90 to 60 days, lets non-EU applicants start work as soon as their file is deemed ‘complete’, and introduces a new anti-counterfeiting biometric card that explicitly states “perm. unico lavoro”.
![Italy speeds up “Single Work Permit” process under new legislative decree]()
For employers or individuals who need extra support navigating these updated procedures, VisaHQ’s Italy desk can step in with end-to-end assistance—from assembling the correct documentation to monitoring file completeness and scheduling biometric appointments. Their online platform (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) streamlines applications for work permits and accompanying family visas, giving HR teams real-time status updates while ensuring full compliance with the latest Italian and EU requirements.
Background: Until now, lengthy waits at police immigration desks (Questure) often forced employers to postpone start dates or hire on temporary contracts. By aligning Italian practice with the EU’s 30-day deadline “from the moment the file is complete”, Rome hopes to make the country more attractive for hard-to-fill roles in engineering, care, hospitality and IT. The decree also extends identical procedural safeguards to family members, ensuring they enjoy the same rights to equal treatment and access to the labour market. Practical implications for businesses: HR departments should review onboarding check-lists—especially the timing of ‘comunicazione obbligatoria’ to the labour authorities—because new hires may now begin work earlier than expected. Employers must also train staff to recognise the redesigned permit card, which carries more detailed information on contractual conditions and will gradually replace older formats as they come up for renewal. Looking ahead: the Interior Ministry has 90 days to issue an implementation circular clarifying how “completion of the application” will be certified and how Questure will handle requests for additional documents. Observers expect the new rules to reduce litigation over delayed permits and to ease compliance for companies hiring under the 2026-28 Flows Decree quotas.
For employers or individuals who need extra support navigating these updated procedures, VisaHQ’s Italy desk can step in with end-to-end assistance—from assembling the correct documentation to monitoring file completeness and scheduling biometric appointments. Their online platform (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) streamlines applications for work permits and accompanying family visas, giving HR teams real-time status updates while ensuring full compliance with the latest Italian and EU requirements.
Background: Until now, lengthy waits at police immigration desks (Questure) often forced employers to postpone start dates or hire on temporary contracts. By aligning Italian practice with the EU’s 30-day deadline “from the moment the file is complete”, Rome hopes to make the country more attractive for hard-to-fill roles in engineering, care, hospitality and IT. The decree also extends identical procedural safeguards to family members, ensuring they enjoy the same rights to equal treatment and access to the labour market. Practical implications for businesses: HR departments should review onboarding check-lists—especially the timing of ‘comunicazione obbligatoria’ to the labour authorities—because new hires may now begin work earlier than expected. Employers must also train staff to recognise the redesigned permit card, which carries more detailed information on contractual conditions and will gradually replace older formats as they come up for renewal. Looking ahead: the Interior Ministry has 90 days to issue an implementation circular clarifying how “completion of the application” will be certified and how Questure will handle requests for additional documents. Observers expect the new rules to reduce litigation over delayed permits and to ease compliance for companies hiring under the 2026-28 Flows Decree quotas.
