FACT CHECK: Has Italy finally introduced a digital nomad visa?
Italy first announced plans for a digital nomad visa in 2022, but the much-anticipated permit subsequently seemed to vanish into thin air. Are reports that the government is finally prepared to implement the scheme true?
There was widespread excitement in certain circles earlier this week at the news that Italy was bringing in a visa that would allow remote workers from outside the EU to move to the country.
Is it true that the Italian government has finally signed off on the country's long-awaited digital nomad visa?
The answer is yes: Italy has now introduced a digital nomad visa via an implementing decree published in the Official Gazette on April 4th.
The scheme was introduced via an initial decree in early 2022, but subsequently languished for many months in the absence of any implementing rules, and had seemed dead in the water.
It was revived last month, when Italian news outlets began reporting that four separate Italian ministries - interior, foreign, tourism and labour - had given the green light to the scheme.
According to the text of the now-published decree, those ministries have indeed signed off on a visa specifically geared at nomadi digitali from outside the EU.
READ ALSO: Q&A: Your questions answered about Italy's digital nomad visa
The law states that to be eligible for the scheme, workers must have an annual income of no less than three times the minimum amount that would exempt them from paying for healthcare - according to financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, that amounts to just under €28,000 per year.
Applicants must also have valid health insurance for the duration of their stay, and must provide evidence that they have performed the work they intend to carry out in Italy for at least six months prior to arriving in the country.
The applicant must provide either a contract from an employer or a 'collaboration contract', along with an identification document, and demonstrate that they have accommodation in Italy.
The visa is valid for one year in the first instance, and can be renewed on an annual basis.
The applicant must have an employer certify or must self-certify that they have not received any convictions in the past five years for crimes relating to migration, prostitution, exploitation of minors or labour exploitation; the visa can be revoked at any time if this is found to be untrue.
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There was widespread excitement in certain circles earlier this week at the news that Italy was bringing in a visa that would allow remote workers from outside the EU to move to the country.
Is it true that the Italian government has finally signed off on the country's long-awaited digital nomad visa?
The answer is yes: Italy has now introduced a digital nomad visa via an implementing decree published in the Official Gazette on April 4th.
The scheme was introduced via an initial decree in early 2022, but subsequently languished for many months in the absence of any implementing rules, and had seemed dead in the water.
It was revived last month, when Italian news outlets began reporting that four separate Italian ministries - interior, foreign, tourism and labour - had given the green light to the scheme.
According to the text of the now-published decree, those ministries have indeed signed off on a visa specifically geared at nomadi digitali from outside the EU.
READ ALSO: Q&A: Your questions answered about Italy's digital nomad visa
The law states that to be eligible for the scheme, workers must have an annual income of no less than three times the minimum amount that would exempt them from paying for healthcare - according to financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, that amounts to just under €28,000 per year.
Applicants must also have valid health insurance for the duration of their stay, and must provide evidence that they have performed the work they intend to carry out in Italy for at least six months prior to arriving in the country.
The applicant must provide either a contract from an employer or a 'collaboration contract', along with an identification document, and demonstrate that they have accommodation in Italy.
The visa is valid for one year in the first instance, and can be renewed on an annual basis.
The applicant must have an employer certify or must self-certify that they have not received any convictions in the past five years for crimes relating to migration, prostitution, exploitation of minors or labour exploitation; the visa can be revoked at any time if this is found to be untrue.
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