Italy's digital nomad visa: working remotely from Rome as a Brit
Italy took its time, but it now has a proper visa for people who can do their job from a laptop. It isn't a free pass for anyone with Wi-Fi, though: you have to count as highly skilled.
The short version
- Italy has two versions: a digital nomad visa for the self-employed and a remote worker visa for employees, both handled by the consulate in London [1][2].
- You must be a "highly qualified" professional, usually through a degree or long experience, with at least six months' experience in your field [1].
- You need an income of at least three times EUR 8,500, which works out at EUR 25,500 a year (about £21,200) [1].
- Health insurance covering all medical and hospital costs, and a registered lease or deed, are required [1].
- Once you arrive, you apply for a one-year permesso di soggiorno, which can be renewed [3].
Where it comes from
The visa was created in 2022 by adding a new category to Italy's immigration law, but it only became usable once a ministerial decree of 29 February 2024 set the rules; the decree was published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 4 April 2024 [3]. Unlike most Italian work visas, it sits outside the annual quota system, so you don't need a nulla osta (work authorisation) before you apply [3].
The London consulate splits it in two [1][2]:
- Digital nomad visa (self-employed only): freelancers, contractors and sole traders working for clients outside Italy.
- Remote worker visa (subordinate workers only): employees of a company, including a UK employer, who keep their job while living in Italy.
If you were living in Italy before 1 January 2021, you're under the Withdrawal Agreement and don't need either; your carta di soggiorno already lets you work [4].
Who counts as highly qualified
This is the test that knocks most people out. London asks you to meet one of these routes [1][2]:
- A degree: a bachelor's degree or a recognised post-secondary professional qualification of at least three years. UK qualifications need a Declaration of Value and/or a CIMEA statement.
- A regulated profession: an attestation of competence from the relevant Italian regulated body, dated before you apply.
- Long experience: at least five years of professional experience at a level equivalent to a degree in your field.
- IT and senior management: for ICT professionals and senior managers only, at least three years of relevant experience in the last seven.
On top of that, you need at least six months of documented work experience in the field you'll be working in [1]. The London pages differ slightly on which experience route is limited to ICT and senior management, so check the page for your visa type.
The money and the paperwork
| Requirement | What London asks for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Income | At least three times EUR 8,500 a year [1] | EUR 25,500, about £21,200 |
| Salary level (employees) | Not below the average net salary for the sector, checked against ISTAT data [2] | Depends on your job |
| Health insurance | Covers all hospital and medical costs for the whole stay [1] | Private policy |
| Accommodation | Lease or deed registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate [1] | Hotel bookings don't count |
| Experience | At least six months in your field [1] | Documented |
| Employer declaration (employees) | Written declaration of no convictions in the last five years, for employers resident in Italy [2] | Doesn't apply to most UK employers |
Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002).
The EUR 8,500 base is the income level national rules use for exemption from health charges, so the threshold can move when that figure changes. Some Italian lawyers quote a figure closer to EUR 28,000 (about £23,300) [3], which is a good reason to aim comfortably above the minimum rather than scrape it.
Proving your income
For the self-employed, London wants steady self-employment income declared in the UK: full tax returns (SA100, SA302 tax calculations and so on) with the HMRC IRmark receipts, plus invoices or statements [1]. Employees use a contract, an employer letter, payslips and a P60 [2]. UK documents generally need an apostille and a certified Italian translation [1].
Applying from the UK
Appointments for the London consulate are made through VFS Global in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, and fees are paid in pounds, with an extra VFS service fee [5]. You'll also need a recent ICAO-standard photo, a passport with two blank pages and three months' validity left, and a printed one-way ticket for stays over 90 days [1].
- Check you meet one of the highly qualified routes and get your Declaration of Value or CIMEA statement under way early.
- Secure a home and have the lease registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate.
- Buy health insurance that covers all medical and hospital costs.
- Pull together income evidence and get UK documents apostilled and translated.
- Attend the appointment in person. London says processing for the self-employed version can take up to 120 days, and the consulate keeps your passport meanwhile [1]; the employee version can take up to 30 days [2].
Once you're in Rome
Within eight working days of arriving, you apply for your permesso di soggiorno for digital nomads or remote workers [3]. The permit lasts one year and can be renewed each year if you still meet the conditions [3]. You can bring family members through family reunification under the usual rules [3]. The questura assigns your codice fiscale when it handles the permesso [6], and once you have the permit or its receipt you register your residence at the anagrafe. Our guide to codice fiscale, residenza and the permesso di soggiorno has the details.
Then the less glamorous bit: tax and National Insurance. Living in Italy for most of the year usually makes you an Italian tax resident, taxed on your worldwide income, whoever pays you. The UK and Italy have a double taxation agreement [4], and residents also declare foreign assets on the Quadro RW [4].
If you're employed by a UK company, your employer may have new payroll and social security duties, and you may need a certificate to stay in UK National Insurance for a time. Our guide to working abroad for a UK employer explains the options, and a tax adviser who knows both countries can check your case. At the UK end, tell HMRC you've left, usually on form P85 or the SA109 pages [7].
Is it worth it?
For a designer, developer or consultant with a degree and steady UK clients, it's a genuine route to living in Rome legally while keeping your work. The faff is front-loaded: qualifications, a registered lease and translations before you even get an appointment. The big catch is the timing, because you need a Roman flat sorted before you know you've got the visa. If you're retired and not working at all, elective residence is the better fit.
Want to compare notes with other remote workers in Trastevere and Monti? Our community group for Brits in Italy is a good place to start.
Sources
- Consolato Generale d'Italia Londra: Digital nomad visa (self-employed only) (checked 7 November 2026)
- Consolato Generale d'Italia Londra: Remote worker visa (subordinate workers only) (checked 7 November 2026)
- Infoimmigrazione: Visto e permesso di soggiorno per nomadi digitali (updated 5 July 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Italy (last updated 28 October 2026)
- Consolato Generale d'Italia Londra: Visas (checked 7 November 2026)
- Agenzia delle Entrate: Il codice fiscale – che cos'è e come si ottiene (updated 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK (HMRC): Tax if you leave the UK to live abroad