Italy Work Visa from India
Italy admits most non-EU workers through annual quotas set by a government decree, known as the decreto flussi. Employers apply online on fixed dates, called click days, and quotas are often used up within minutes. If your employer’s application succeeds, they receive a work authorisation called a nulla osta, and you apply for a visa at the Italian consulate in India. India is one of the countries with which Italy has a migration agreement, so Indian workers are eligible under the quotas.
How the quota system works
The government publishes the quotas,
split between seasonal work, non-seasonal work in listed sectors, and self-employment. Italy now sets them for three years at a time.
Employers pre-fill applications
on the Interior Ministry’s portal.
Click day.
Applications are submitted at the opening time, and are processed in the order received.
Nulla osta.
The immigration desk in the employer’s province issues the authorisation after checks.
Visa.
You apply at the consulate in India.
Arrival.
Within eight days you and the employer sign the residence contract and you apply for your residence permit.
Types of work
| Type | Sectors | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal | Agriculture, tourism and hospitality | Up to 9 months |
| Non-seasonal | Construction, road haulage, tourism, mechanics, telecommunications, food, shipbuilding, care work and others listed in the decree | 1 to 2 years, renewable |
| Self-employment | A small quota for entrepreneurs, professionals and artists | Varies |
Seasonal workers who return home on time get priority in later years and can convert to a longer permit in some cases.
Routes outside the quotas
- EU Blue Card, for graduates with a job offer above a salary threshold
- Intra-company transfers
- Highly specialised workers, researchers and some nurses, who can be hired at any time
- Workers who completed approved training programmes in India linked to Italian employers
Scams around the quotas
The quota system has been widely abused. Italian authorities found large numbers of applications lodged by employers who never intended to hire, in exchange for payment from workers abroad. If someone offers you an Italian “quota” or nulla osta for a fee:
- Ask for the employer’s name and tax code and verify the business exists
- Ask to speak to the employer
- Understand that a nulla osta without a real job leaves you in Italy with no contract and no legal status
- Do not pay for a place in the quota. Employers do not sell them
Language and pay
Italian is needed for almost all jobs. Wages vary widely between the industrial north and the agricultural south. Agricultural work is physically hard and seasonal.
Questions people ask us most
When is the next click day?
Dates are set in each decree. Check the current decree for the year.
Can I apply myself?
No. The employer in Italy applies.
Can a seasonal visa become permanent?
It can be converted to a non-seasonal work permit in some circumstances, within the quotas.
Do I need Italian?
Not for the visa. In practice yes, for the job.
Verify before you pay
Send us the employer’s details and any nulla osta. We will check them.