Italy looking to attract ‘digital nomads’

Italy’s government intends to facilitate highly skilled non-EU workers looking to pursue their careers on Italian soil. A measure, which on 28 March was published in the Official Journal was introduced as part of Law 25/2022, which essentially includes new measures to support the post-pandemic economy, means that hosted workers, whether self-employed or employees of a company that is not resident in Italy, will be eligible for a specific one-year visa. These workers will not be counted as part of the annual new immigrant worker quotas, nor will they need to secure residence permits, or the ‘nulla osta’ (no impediment) work authorization document that is normally required for non-EU foreigners. However, these ‘digital nomads’ will have to take out their own health insurance ‘that covers all risks’ while in Italy, and comply with Italian tax and social security regulations. A ministerial decree will be needed to specify the categories of workers concerned, the minimum income threshold required, and the arrangements for verifying the activity that the worker intends to carry out.