The digital nomad visa is the only legal way to live in Italy while continuing to work remotely. It has been in force since 2024 and is aimed at highly qualified non-EU professionals: freelancers and employees of foreign companies. The key point that used to cause many refusals: the popular residenza elettiva expressly bans any work, including remote work, whereas the digital nomad visa was created precisely for it. To obtain it you need a stable income of around €24.789–28.000 per year, a degree or five years of experience, and health insurance. This is a full residence permit that after five years leads to permanent residence and after ten years to citizenship. Below we break down the requirements, amounts, taxes and the application procedure.
What the Italy digital nomad visa is and its two subtypes
The visa was introduced by an interministerial decree that came into force in April 2024. It is intended for citizens of non-EU countries who perform highly qualified work remotely, using digital technologies.
Under a single residence permit marked "nomade digitale – lavoratore da remoto" there are two subtypes, and it is important to tell them apart:
- Nomade digitale is a self-employed person, freelancer or consultant working for foreign clients. They are issued a visa under the self-employment route (lavoro autonomo).
- Lavoratore da remoto is an employee or contractor working for a foreign employer. They are issued a visa under the employed-work route (lavoro subordinato).
The difference lies mainly in the type of visa and the document package: an employee provides an employment contract and a letter from the employer, while a freelancer provides proof of activity and of relationships with clients. The common thread is one: the visa is designed for those who actively work remotely, not simply live off savings.
Requirements for the digital nomad visa
To qualify for the visa, several conditions must be met:
- Income no lower than the set minimum (amounts in the next section).
- High qualification: a university degree from a programme of at least three years, or a licence in a regulated profession, or at least five years of professional experience (for IT specialists three years within the last seven is enough).
- Remote work experience of at least six months, documented.
- Health insurance for the entire period, covering treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation, with minimum coverage of €30.000.
- Housing in Italy: a registered rental agreement or property in the applicant's name.
- Criminal record certificate with apostille and a sworn translation into Italian.
There are two traps that people trip over most often. The first: as housing, neither a hotel booking nor an invitation from friends is accepted — you need precisely a registered rental agreement or a property document. The second: consulates often verify the degree through the special recognition service CIMEA, and that takes extra time. All education and criminal-record documents should be prepared in advance, with apostille and translation.
How much you need to earn
This is the most confusing figure in the whole topic, so let's be honest about it. The decree does not name a fixed euro amount but ties it to a formula: income must be no lower than three times the minimum level for exemption from healthcare contributions. Legally this is around €24.789 per year. In practice, however, consulates often go by a rounded €28.000 as a safe threshold, and there is no single number between the two. So always check the exact amount with your own consulate.
For a family the requirements are higher. On top of the base threshold, 50% is added for a spouse and 25% for each child.
What the income should look like also matters. It must be stable and come precisely from the remote work you will continue to do in Italy. Savings in an account or one-off large deposits are not enough on their own — consulates check the sustainability of the income and are treating this ever more strictly.
Digital nomad visa or residenza elettiva
This is the main question that almost everyone gets confused about, and the difference here is fundamental.
Residenza elettiva expressly bans any work, including remote work for a foreign employer. It is designed for financially independent people living on passive income: pensions, rent, dividends, usually from €31.000 per year. The digital nomad visa is the opposite: it is for those who actively work remotely, and its income is active income.
It was precisely because of this difference that, before 2024, remote workers applied for residenza elettiva to cover their work and received refusals or problems at renewal. The digital nomad visa closed that gap. If you work remotely, this is the visa for you, not residenza elettiva. All the other grounds for a residence permit are covered in a separate article on how to get an Italian residence permit.
How to get the digital nomad visa step by step
The procedure is as follows.
- Visa D at the consulate. The application is filed at the Italian consulate in your place of residence, by appointment. The passport must be valid for at least 15 months. Education and criminal-record documents are attached with apostille and sworn translation.
- Entry into Italy on the national visa D.
- Residence permit. Within the first eight working days after entry, the application for the permesso di soggiorno is filed via the postal kit (kit giallo), and then biometrics are taken at the questura.
- Codice fiscale. The tax code is issued — indispensable for renting, banking and taxes.
The processing time for the visa itself is usually one to three months and depends on the workload of the specific consulate.
How much it costs and how long it takes
Government fees are modest. The consular fee for the visa D is around €116. Then in Italy the residence permit costs roughly €126–136: the revenue stamp €16, the state contribution €40–50, production of the card €30,46 and the kit posting service €30.
But the real budget is noticeably higher because of preparation. Apostilles and sworn translations of documents, degree verification and health insurance add up to a significant sum, and at the start costs often reach €800–1500 and more.
As for timing, everything depends on the consulate. In less busy ones the visa is issued in 30–45 days; in large and overloaded ones the wait is 60–90 days.
Digital nomad taxes in Italy
As soon as you spend more than 183 days a year in Italy, you become its tax resident and are obliged to declare your worldwide income here. To work, a freelancer will need to open a partita IVA, the Italian equivalent of sole-trader status.
For smaller incomes there is the favourable forfettario regime: a substitute tax of 5% in the first five years and 15% thereafter, with an annual turnover of up to €85.000. The ordinary progressive IRPEF tax is noticeably higher, from 23% to 43%.
A couple of important nuances. The popular impatriati regime for "returnees", which exempts half of income from tax, does not suit most digital nomads: it requires working mainly on Italian territory. A separate tax regime specifically for holders of this visa is being discussed in the 2026 budget but has not yet been adopted. And finally, double-taxation treaties are in force between Italy and many countries, so it is worth calculating your situation with a tax adviser in advance.
Can you bring your family
Yes. The holder of the residence permit may bring their spouse and minor children through family reunification. Family members receive their own residence permit for family reasons and at the same time have the right to work and study, including remotely.
There are two limitations. The income threshold rises when moving with a family, as described above. And adult children over 18 cannot be brought under this route.
Renewal, permanent residence and citizenship
The first residence permit is issued for one year, and it is renewed as long as the conditions are maintained. This is not a temporary visa for a short trip but a full residence permit, from which the path to permanent status begins.
After five years of continuous legal residence, the right to permanent residence opens up; this status is examined in detail in the article on how to get permanent residence in Italy. And after more time, following ten years of residence, naturalisation and citizenship become available, as explained in the article on how to get Italian citizenship. The key at every stage is not to interrupt legal residence.
What next
The digital nomad visa suits those who already work remotely for foreign clients and want to move to Italy legally, rather than "disguising" remote work as another basis. Start with a sober check of two things: whether your qualification can be confirmed and whether your income is stable enough. Law Honor's lawyers will help assess your situation, choose a suitable basis for relocation and arrange an Italian residence permit turnkey, and then guide you all the way to permanent residence and citizenship. The first consultation is free.
Frequently asked questions
Can a freelancer without a degree get the digital nomad visa? Yes, a degree is not the only option. Qualification can be confirmed with a licence in a regulated profession or with professional experience: at least five years, or three years within the last seven for IT specialists. Where a degree exists, consulates often verify it through the CIMEA recognition service.
What income do you need for the digital nomad visa and how do you prove it? The legal minimum is around €24.789 per year, but in practice consulates often go by €28.000, so you should check the exact amount with your own consulate. Income is proven with tax returns, invoices and bank statements. It must be stable and come from the remote work you will continue in Italy.
Does income from your own sole proprietorship or company count? Yes, income of a self-employed person or freelancer from foreign clients is suitable for the nomade digitale subtype. The main thing is to prove that the activity is real and sustainable, and that the inflows are regular rather than one-off.
Do you need to open a partita IVA and what taxes do you pay? A freelancer carrying out activity from Italy will need a partita IVA. For smaller incomes the favourable forfettario regime is available: 5% in the first five years and 15% thereafter, with turnover up to €85.000 per year. The ordinary progressive IRPEF tax is from 23% to 43%.
How does the digital nomad visa differ from residenza elettiva? Fundamentally. Residenza elettiva bans any work, including remote work for a foreign company, and is designed for passive income. The digital nomad visa, on the contrary, was created for those who actively work remotely. For a remote worker it is precisely the right one.
Can you bring your family and can the spouse work? Yes. A spouse and minor children can be brought through family reunification; they receive their own residence permit and have the right to work and study. When moving with a family the income threshold rises: plus 50% for a spouse and 25% for each child.
How long does the digital nomad visa take and are there many refusals? Processing time is usually one to three months depending on the consulate. The visa is new and practice varies between consulates, so the key to approval is a carefully assembled package: confirmed qualification, stable income specifically from remote work and properly arranged housing.
Does the digital nomad visa lead to permanent residence and citizenship? Yes. It is a full residence permit: after five years of continuous residence the right to permanent residence opens up, and after ten years the right to citizenship opens up. The main thing is not to interrupt legal residence.
Will I become an Italian tax resident? Yes, if you spend more than 183 days a year in the country. In that case you declare your worldwide income in Italy. At the same time double-taxation treaties are in force, and for smaller incomes the favourable forfettario regime is available, so the final burden is best calculated with an adviser.