The entrance and the stay in Italy for business reasons of non-EU citizens are currently governed by the Legislative Decree of 25 July 1998, No 286, as amended and supplemented "Testo Unico delle Disposizioni concernenti la disciplina dell'immigrazione e rules on the condition of foreigners as subsequently amended' (Articles 22 et seq. ).

I citizens from non-EU countries can enter the Italian labour market in two different ways:

1. directly in Italyif they already hold a regular residence permit and meet certain legal requirements. For further information and operational details, please refer to the dedicated section of the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies - Migrants Portal, at the following address link.
2. from abroad: with the quota system annually established by the flow decrees, except for some particular cases of entry outside the quotas, see below.

The Italian government has defined the input flows of non-EU workers in the territory of the State for the three-year period 2026-2028 through the Prime Minister's Decree (D.P.C.M.) of 2 October 2025.

The implementing provisions of this decree were provided by a Joint Circular (Prot. No. 8047 of 16 October 2025)issued by the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry and the Ministry of Tourism.

For the three-year period 2026-2028, there are 497,550 quotas under the Flow Decree, divided as follows: 164,850 for the year 2026, 165,850 for 2027 and 166,850 for 2028.

Outside the quotas of the flow decree:

Entry outside the quotas established by the flows decree is regulated by Art. 27 et seq. of the Consolidated Text on Immigration. These provisions provide for a series of categories of workers for whom the work permit is not necessary or, when it is required, is issued outside the quotas periodically established by the flows decree. These are the so-called 'entries outside of the quotas', i.e. entries for work reasons possible throughout the year and for which there is no numerical ceiling (with some exceptions) and a simplified procedure for issuing the work authorisation is generally provided for.

Permits issued outside the quotas include: EU Blue Card, residence permit issued for sporting activity, residence permit for translators or interpreters, residence permit issued for artistic work, residence permit issued for scientific research, residence permit issued for working holidays, residence permit issued for traineeship, residence permit to work as a nurse.

For more information and operational details on this entry mode, please refer to the following links:

Recruitment of foreign workers resident abroad

Working in Italy