Employment of foreign nationals

Employers who wish to employ foreign nationals from abroad must submit the following documents to the Immigration Desk - 'Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione' at the 'Prefettura' in their own province:

• application to employ a foreign national with full details of the worker to be employed;
• photocopy of the worker's passport or equivalent travel document;
• copy of the employment contract signed by both employer and employee;
• statement in which the employer undertakes to pay for the worker's return trip home in case of repatriation;

Foreign workers must obtain the required visa from an Italian consulate in their country of origin or residence.

If a foreign worker becomes unemployed, he/she and his/her family members do not lose their residence permits.

No matter whether the foreigner's unemployment is due to dismissal or resignation, he/she can apply to be registered at the employment office for as long as his/her residence permit remains valid and, in any case, for a minimum of one year (except for seasonal workers).

Seasonal work permit

If you wish to apply for a seasonal work permit, you must submit the same documents and follow the same steps as outlined in the employment section.
Seasonal work permits can be valid for a minimum of 20 days and a maximum of 6 months.

In some sectors a work permit valid for 9 months can be issued for one single seasonal job or for several short-term seasonal jobs under different employers.

When specific requirements are met, you can convert your residence permit for seasonal work into a residence permit for fixed term or open-ended employment.

If you return to your country of origin upon expiry of your residence permit for seasonal work, you have priority for another work opportunity over your fellow nationals who have never been to Italy with a work permit.