Hiring a worker from outside the EU in Italy involves several administrative steps, including obtaining work authorisation, securing an entry visa and applying for a residence permit. Recent changes to Italian legislation have revised certain aspects of this process, with practical implications for employers planning international hires.
These updates were introduced by Legislative Decree No. 83 of 16 April 2026 (Official Gazette No. 115/2026), which entered into force on 22 May 2026. The decree implements EU Directive 2024/1233 and amends the provisions of the Italian Consolidated Immigration Act (Testo Unico Immigrazione) governing the single work permit. While it does not represent a structural reform, it changes several procedural rules with direct consequences for the management of foreign staff.
Procedural deadlines: what changes on paper
The decree amends Article 5 of the Consolidated Immigration Act on two points: the Single Immigration Desk (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione – SUI) now has 90 days, up from 60, to issue the work authorisation (nulla osta) (paragraph 4); the Questura (local police headquarters) now has 90 days, up from 60, to issue the residence permit from the completion of the application (paragraphs 9 and 9-bis). For the single work permit alone, however, the decree introduces a shorter, dedicated deadline: 30 days from the completed application, as an exception to the ordinary 90 days (new paragraph 8.1-bis).
| Stage | Legal deadline | Operational reality |
|---|---|---|
| SUI issues the nulla osta | 90 days | Usually met; can slip in high-volume offices. |
| Consulate issues the entry visa | No fixed deadline | From 2 weeks to several months, depending on the country. |
| Questura schedules biometric enrolment (photo + fingerprints) | No fixed deadline | The real bottleneck: in Rome, Milan and Naples, appointments alone can take 2–6 months. |
| Questura issues the permit, from completion of application | 30 days (single work permit) / 90 days (other permits) | The 30-day term is the new deadline under paragraph 8.1-bis; physical delivery of the document may take additional days. |
The real bottleneck is not regulated
Here is what companies need to know: the most critical stage, being called in for biometric enrolment at the Questura, has no legal deadline at all. In major cities, this alone can take two to six months. Between the nulla osta, the consular visa and biometric enrolment, the real timeline for bringing a worker into Italy from abroad often exceeds five to six months, regardless of the 30 or 90 days set out on paper.
A company starting a hiring procedure today should plan for at least three months before the nulla osta is issued, plus consular processing time and the wait for biometric enrolment on top of that. Hiring plans for workers coming from abroad should be built around real timelines, not statutory ones, especially in agriculture, hospitality and manufacturing, where needs are seasonal.
A new obligation for employers
Article 22, paragraph 5-quinquies of the Consolidated Immigration Act now requires employers to promptly inform the foreign worker of any communication received regarding the status of the nulla osta procedure. The obligation was already implicit in general principles of contractual good faith, but it is now explicitly codified.
This is no longer just good practice: it is a legal obligation, and it applies even while the worker is still abroad awaiting the visa. A simple message updating the worker on the status of the procedure is enough to comply, but companies managing large batches of workers, such as those in agriculture or hospitality with dozens of arrivals, would do well to structure this communication flow systematically.
Categories excluded from the single work permit
The decree also updates the list of categories excluded from the single work permit procedure (Article 5, paragraph 8.2 of the Consolidated Immigration Act): among others, elective residence, temporary and special protection, religious purposes, intra-company transfers (Articles 27-quinquies and 27-sexies) and self-employment (Article 26-bis).
“Excluded” does not mean the person cannot work in Italy: it means they are subject to a dedicated procedure, with its own timelines and competent authority. Codifying these exclusions in primary legislation reduces the administrative discretion that previously governed them through interpretation or ministerial circulars.
This article was prepared by Nexum Global Mobility for the ETL GLOBAL’s Global Mobility Group. Visit the group’s dedicated page to learn more and get in touch for further assistance.
