Time to turn that dream into reality. But first, check if you qualify for the visa; and from there, determine if you’re a “Remote Worker” or “Digital Nomad.” We can help you in either case, no worries. It’s just a matter of understanding what specific visa you’re applying to. They’re quite similar, but you need to specify which one is your case.
- Being a non-EU citizen (EU folks can simply move to Italy by being European).
- Your work is fully location-independent, meaning you can deliver everything online as long as you have a stable Internet connection.
- You earn at least €28,000 gross per year. (It doesn’t matter whether the monthly payments differ. What matters is the yearly sum).
- You have at least 6 months of experience doing the kind of work you plan to do as a digital nomad or remote worker.
- Pick JUST ONE of the following:
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option 1: Bachelor’s degree:
Italy welcomes people with a University degree obtained through a 3-year minimum education.
This is the most common option, but it needs to be proven properly. We will explain to you how in this guide. -
OR option 2: Professional qualification:
If you don't have a traditional university degree, Italy accepts post-secondary professional qualifications: as long as they're at least 3 years long and issued by a recognized tertiary institution (like a polytechnic, higher technical institute, or university of applied sciences). You’ll need to prove that this qualification is equivalent to a Bachelor's degree. We will also explain to you how to do so in this guide.
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OR option 3: Proven Work Experience:
No degree? No problem. You can also qualify by showing you've mastered your craft through actual work experience.
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For Tech Professionals (Developers & IT Specialists): If you are a software developer, web engineer, systems administrator, IT manager, or similar, you only need 3 years of relevant work experience gained within these last 7 years (in your industry, not necessarily in just one company).
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For Other Professions: You need at least 5 years of professional experience in your specific sector (this would be somewhat comparable to a “Bachelor’s” level).
Note: You’ll need solid proof like contracts, payslips, or reference letters. We’ll show you exactly what works later on in the guide.
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Do you meet those? Great! You’re technically eligible for either visa so far!
But which one?
The difference lies mostly in your contract. Italy splits the same “work remotely from Italy” pathway into two buckets because the legal responsibilities (and the documents that prove them) are different.
Digital Nomad = self-employed
You count as a “digital nomad” in Italy if you work for yourself: freelancer, consultant, or other independent professional with no employer payroll.
Remote Worker = employee
You count as a “remote worker” when you’re on a company payroll and that company officially lets you do your job 100% remotely.
This section applies to self-employed applicants: freelancers, consultants, or other independent professionals with no employer payroll.
You count as a “digital nomad” in Italy if you work for yourself: freelancer, consultant, or other independent professional with no employer payroll.
Example
Take Barbara, for instance. She’s a web designer with her own site, where clients book and pay her directly. She invoices them, has no single employer, and handles her own taxes every year. That makes Barbara a digital nomad—and she’ll apply for the Digital Nomad Visa at the Italian embassy with Nomadissimi’s help.
This section applies to employees whose company officially lets them do their job 100% remotely. You count as a “remote worker” when you’re on a company payroll and that company officially lets you do your job 100% remotely.
Example
For example John. He is a software developer at “Fancy Applications Company”. He has an employment contract, and the company takes care of withholding and paying his taxes. John is a remote worker, and he’ll apply for the Remote Worker Visa at the Italian consulate.
Why Italy separates them
Italy splits “Digital Nomad” and “Remote Worker” for one unsexy reason: taxes. Italy needs to know whether you will handle Italian tax/social-security obligations like a self-employed person, or whether an employer/relationship exists that may trigger employer-side duties and checks. That’s why the rules explicitly talk about verifying compliance with fiscal and contribution obligations, and why digital nomads are treated like “lavoratori autonomi” (autonomous workers). In this case, they will most likely open a Partita IVA once in Italy.
On the other hand, if you’re a remote worker (employee/collaborator), Italy also wants extra guarantees from the company behind your paycheck. For this reason, the process expects an employment contract/binding offer and an employer declaration (including a statement about no relevant convictions in the last 5 years).
What changes in the application
Digital nomad path
You prove you’re self-employed and actively working with clients (contracts/invoices/tax evidence).
Remote worker path
You prove employment, and you attach employer-specific items (company contract + employer declaration/letter; salary checks).
Which one are you?
Let’s play a quick quiz game to determine whether you are a Digital Nomad or a Remote Worker.
Instructions: For each question, pick A or B. Count your A’s and B’s at the end.
Who pays you?
What document best describes your work relationship?
When you “take a day off,” what happens?
If Italy asks: “Who is responsible for your work activity?”
If your company suddenly says, “No more remote from abroad,” then…
Your income proof will mostly look like…
- Mostly A’s: You’re the Digital Nomad type (self-employed).
- Mostly B’s: You’re the Remote Worker type (employee with a non-Italian employer who allows 100% remote work).
- It’s a tie: Choose based on what you can document accurately and thoroughly. Italy doesn’t approve ambiguous applications. It approves paperwork that matches one category clearly.