The Italian Digital Nomad Visa Is Finally Available!

The Italian Digital Nomad Visa is finally available for foreign remote workers who want to move to Italy and here is everything that you will need to know!

Italian Digital Nomad Visa - Laptop — Have Laptop, Will travel

Let me begin by stating the obvious, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. I am trying to share some new information with you if you are interested in working remotely from Italy. I am an Italian citizen and went through a very different process to live and work here, but I know about this new visa and I wanted to see if I could help.

What Is A Digital Nomad Visa?

The idea of a Digital Nomad Visa is giving a digital worker the ability to work in a remote location where you typically are not a citizen for a longer period than with a more common tourist visa. Generally, tourist visas last 90 days (depending on the country) and if you want to and are able to work remotely, you might be interested in working from one of more than 50 countries that offer remote work visas.

The popularity of the Digital Nomad Visas grew during and after the pandemic when remote work was more acceptable. People thought that working from Chiang Mai, Thailand or Costa Rica was a better option than working from their home office, so they grabbed their laptops and headed out.

Italian Digital Nomad Visa - Coffee, Maps and Passports

What Is The Income Requirement For A Digital Nomad Visa?

One of the reasons that Digital Nomad Visas are popular is because they frequently have income requirements that are lower than retirement visas where you are expected NOT to be working. Remote working visas seem surprisingly low by US standards where you can expect Technology workers to earn quite a bit more than these requirements.

In Italy, the Digital Nomad visa requires a minimum annual salary of approximately $30,000 to apply, with additional requirements on top of that, like purchasing health insurance, application fees and more.

How Long Can You Live In Italy With A Digital Nomad Visa?

The Italian Digital Nomad Visa allows someone to work from Italy for up to a year, and it would be renewable every year the program is available. This is different from a Tourist Visa that allows travelers to stay in the country for 90 days and you are technically not allowed to work. I say “technically” because I can’t imagine how you could be discovered working from a laptop in your rental unit unless you overstay the 90 days allowed.

Italian Digital Nomad Visa - coffee, laptop and work — Working With Coffee

Can An American Work Remotely In Italy?

Yes, this Digital Nomad Visa lets anyone, Americans included, be able to apply to work from Italy for up to 1 year, as long as they meet all the requirements for the applications. It is illegal to work while you are in Italy on a Tourist Visa, technically, but I would think it would be difficult to be discovered and again, I’m not a lawyer.

What Are The Other Requirements For An Italian Digital Nomad Visa?

A “Digital Nomad” is defined as someone who is self-employed, are “remote workers” or work for a company not based in Italy but which allows you to work from anywhere. The qualifications include:

A university degree or professional license.
6 Months work experience for college graduates or 5 years work experience for those without a college degree.
You need to already be employed. They indicate an employment contract is required, but since these aren’t as common in the US, I would expect your offer letter and a few paystubs would meet this requirement, but check with a lawyer.
A Criminal Background check is required, which was the same when I was applying for my citizenship.
Proof of annual income exceeding €28,000.
Proof that you already have lined up housing before applying for this visa. This can be handled while you are visiting on a tourist visa.
Proof of Italian health insurance coverage, again, something that can be lined up on a tourist visa and online.

Interestingly, if the visa application is approved, your family can come with you as well, but it requires separate government approval.

How Long Can You Live In Italy Without A Visa?

Italy is one of the countries that allow American (and I presume most other) tourists to stay in the country on a tourist visa for up to 90 days. If you only wanted to try working from Italy for a month or two, this might be the best approach because you wouldn’t need to set up residency in Italy and can see what it would be like. I don’t think you are allowed to work on a tourist visa, but I doubt you will get in trouble if you don’t overstay the 90 days.

Is A Digital Nomad Visa Worth It?

It depends on what your future plans are. If you don’t know what the future holds, this might be a good way to get a feel for the Italian culture and bureaucracy and see if you can handle it. If you know you want to live in Italy and you have the ability to apply for Italian citizenship, then I would recommend that method. It is more work and cost to get your Italian citizenship, but it has made our lives so much easier than having to deal with a Visa and Permesso di Soggiorno.

Italian Digital Nomad Visa - Wiring And Bad Cable Management

What Is The Official Website For The Italian Digital Nomad Visa?

When decrees are made official, their text is posted online so that all citizens can review them, and this decree from February 29th, 2024 is no exception. The official document is posted on the Gazzetta Uff i ciale website.

You would be better served by speaking to a lawyer because like in the US, bills and laws are written in a style that makes them hard to understand by anyone other than a politician or lawyer. For example, the title of the decree is:

“Methods and requirements for the entry and residence of citizens of states not belonging to the European Union who carry out a highly qualified work activity through the use of technological tools that allow working remotely. (24A01716) (GU General Series n.79 of 04-04-2024)”

Who Should I Contact About Getting An Italian Digital Nomad Visa

As I have mentioned repeatedly throughout this article, I am not a lawyer and if this is interesting to you, I highly recommend that you get legal assistance. Studio Legale Metta is a law firm that I am very familiar with. They do great work and have offices in multiple countries, including in Pennsylvania. They have more information on this Italian Digital Nomad Visa and you you reach them on their contact page.