Italy's digital nomad visa demands €28K income, with a catch

Italy's Visto per Nomadi Digitali e Lavoratori da Remoto has been accepting applications since April 2024 and it's, honestly, one of the more structured remote worker programs in Europe. It's a Type D national visa for non-EU/EEA citizens doing highly qualified remote work , either as freelancers or as employees of a foreign company. The visa lasts one year, it's renewable annually and after five years you can apply for permanent residency.

The program rests on Article 27-quater of Italy's immigration code, with implementing rules finalized in an April 13, 2026 decree. After two years on the visa you can switch to other permit types, and five years of continuous legal residence opens the door to EU long-term resident status.

Not everyone qualifies. You need a tertiary degree (or a CIMEA comparability assessment for foreign credentials), recognized professional qualifications or 3-5 years of relevant experience and no Italian income sources are allowed, which rules out local clients entirely.

Who it affects: Non-EU digital nomads and remote employees who've been burning through 90-day Schengen limits, this is the legal long-term path. Families aren't left out, spouses and dependent children can follow via reunification visas, though each dependent raises the income you must show , roughly €825 more per spouse and €412.50 per child. Tourists are unaffected unless they're actively working remotely and want to stay longer than three months.

The income floor is ~€28,000,€30,000 per year, proven with 3-6 months of bank statements or payslips, which sounds manageable until you also factor in the €30,000+ health insurance policy and a registered long-term lease , no Airbnbs, no hotels. Stricter consular checks on both income and accommodation are being flagged in 2026, so don't cut corners there.

To apply:

• Book a consulate appointment via Prenot@mi
• Submit your application form, photo, supporting documents and a €116 fee
• Submit at least 15 days before your planned entry
• Processing takes 30 days for employees, up to 90-120 days for freelancers

Once you're in Italy, you've got 8 working days to apply for your permesso di soggiorno at the Questura via a post office kit. There are, turns out, no annual quotas on this visa , applications are accepted year-round, which makes it genuinely accessible compared to lottery-style programs elsewhere.

One upside worth knowing: a 50% Impatriati tax reduction may apply to qualifying applicants and January 2026 rulings eased eligibility requirements for remote workers specifically.

Check the latest nomad news for policy shifts and read our full Italy guide for the complete picture.