Search
Contact
Login
When traveling to Italy, your nationality and the types of activities you will conduct during your trip, will determine whether you may travel lawfully as a business visitor or if a work permit will be required. Please seek advice from your immigration counsel if you are uncertain about the specific types of activities that constitute business or work.
As a business visitor to Italy, you may engage in the activities below. While this list is not exhaustive and other activities could qualify as business, you may:
Nationals of the European Union, the United States and many other select countries are eligible for a visa waiver and are not required to obtain a visa to enter and conduct business activities in Italy.
Italy is a member of the Schengen Area, a free-travel zone comprised of 29 European countries. If your nationality is not eligible for a visa waiver in the Schengen Area, you will be required to obtain a Schengen C Visa prior to travel. Visa-waivered nationals, as well as those who are required to obtain a visa, are authorized to travel to Italy and throughout the Schengen Area. Please note that travelers may not spend more than 90 days within any 180-day period inside the Schengen Area.
The activities below, whether paid or unpaid, generally constitute work under Italian law. This list is not exhaustive, and many other professional activities are considered work in Italy, even if conducted for a short duration.
In limited circumstances, foreign nationals may engage in specialized professional and technical activities without obtaining work authorization, though an after-sales agreement and additional eligibility criteria may apply. An individual assessment is required before deciding whether an exemption is applicable.
The requirements for a work permit depend on your qualifications, on the nature and duration of your work and on whether your employer has an entity in Italy. The most common Italian work permits are:
Nationals from the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland are not required to obtain a work permit to work in Italy. However, registrations or other formalities may be required prior to working or residing in Italy.
Additional work permit exemptions are available in Italy under Vander Elst rules. In this case, a legal assessment to determine the possibilities for a work permit exemption should be obtained prior to traveling.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which governs post-Brexit relations between the EU and the United Kingdom, has altered immigration regulations in the affected countries. Please contact your immigration representative for full details regarding the potential impact of the TCA on travel to, and work in, Italy.
Inevitably, the legal and strategic considerations impacting visa selection, as well as visa waiver and work authorization eligibility, entail the careful consideration of many factors. We recommend that you consult with your immigration counsel before taking any course of action.