Self-employed foreign nationals

You are considered self-employed if you carry on a trade or a business, you practise a profession or you are a craft worker, or you have established a company or a partnership or you hold any executive positions in them.

Italian embassies or consulates issue entry visas for self-employment purposes indicating your planned activity.

This type of visa is issued or denied within 120 days from the date when the application is submitted and has to be used within 180 days from its issue.

Within 8 days of your arrival in Italy, you will need to apply for a residence permit by submitting the following documents:

• application completed and signed in person;
• photocopy of all pages of your passport or equivalent travel document;
  
• evidence that you have sufficient funds to start your planned activity in Italy;
• certificate of enrolment in professional or trade registers, if required;
• certificate from the appropriate authority showing that there are no impediments to the issuing of an authorization or licence for your planned activity;
• evidence that you have appropriate accommodation;
• evidence of an annual income in excess of the minimum income required by law for exemption from health service payments. In alternative, you can submit a guarantee from an organization, an Italian citizen or a foreign national legally staying in Italy.