Italy Launches Digital Nomad Visa— Which EU Countries Now Offer Them?

10.04.2024 - 12:41 / forbes.com

Italy became the latest EU country to launch a Digital Nomad visa, giving remote workers the perfect opportunity to combine work with more pleasure while traveling around the country. As of 4 April, a new law now allows people without an EU passport (or any other visa) to legally stay in the country and work long-term.

Italy's visa is definitely not one of the easiest EU Digital Nomad visas to obtain. To be clear, anyone looking to apply must be considered 'highly skilled' which the Italian government considers someone “who carries out a highly qualified work activity with the use of technological tools capable of allowing them to work remotely, both as a worker self-employed or as a collaborator or employee of a company even if not resident in Italy.” This law has been introduced under article 27 of the immigration code, reports Euronews.

There is also a financial barrier to holding this visa, related to the cost of Italian healthcare. Applicants must be a freelancer or on a company payroll and their annual salary must be at least €28,000 (just above $30,000) but crucially the law doesn't stipulate that the money has to come from the remote work (it could come from any source of income).

Applicants must also hold a college degree (minimum three years) or a professional license for their trade or be able to show documentation of notable experience. They must also be able to prove six months of working experience in the field they wish to work in remotely.

You would also need proof of possible lodging in Italy and proof of healthcare cover in the country, either privately or by signing up with the Italian National Health Service at a cost of €2,000 ($2,100) per year. Family members can potentially come too, but at the discretion of the local police, and anyone convicted of a criminal offence in the past five years will be automatically disqualified from the application process.

If you're interested, you would need to apply at your local Italian Consulate—before you arrive in Italy—and it would be valid for one year (although you can potentially renew it once in the country). Once you arrive in Italy you would have eight days to apply for a residence permit, also known as permesso di soggiorno. Self-employed people would also need to apply for an Italian tax VAT number and should seek advice on how best to pay local taxes.

Italy now joins Japan on the list of countries that offer Digital Nomad visas in a bid to boost economic development by enticing high-income foreign workers—Japan opened its doors to Digital Nomads earning more than $63,000 per year, plus proof of their own private health insurance for the duration of their one-year stay.

A recent TimeOut article ranked EU countries on the basis of