Decreto Flussi: How to Get a Work Visa as a Non-EU Citizen in Italy

In a nutshell

The Decreto Flussi (annual quota decree allocating non-EU work visas) is the Italian government's yearly measure that sets how many non-EU workers can enter Italy for employment. Without landing inside the quotas set by this decree, you cannot get a work visa. The single most important thing to know upfront: the employer files the application, not you.

At a glance

Cost for the worker	Visa ~€116 + residence-permit kit ~€117 (€16 revenue stamp + €30.46 + €70.46)
Cost for the employer	€16 revenue stamp + €16 SUI administrative fee + proof of adequate housing
Total timeline	4–8 months from application to arrival in Italy
Where in Rome	Sportello Unico Immigrazione (one-stop immigration desk at the Prefettura), Via Ostiense 131/L, Metro B Garbatella stop
Worker documents	Valid passport, 4 ID-size photos, criminal record from country of origin (if required)

How the quota system works

Each year the government publishes a decree (DPCM) setting the maximum number of entries by type of work. For the 2023–2025 period the total is 452,000 entries, of which approximately 165,000 in 2025 and approximately 164,000 in 2026.

Quotas are split by job type — seasonal (agriculture and tourism), non-seasonal (industry, construction, domestic work, care work) and self-employed — and also by country of origin, because some states have bilateral agreements with Italy that reserve them preferential slots.

The system runs on a click day: on a specific date published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale (Italy's official gazette), the ALI portal of the Ministry of the Interior opens at 9:00 AM and processes applications in strict chronological order of submission. Quotas run out within hours. Indicative 2026 dates: domestic work in January, seasonal in February, non-seasonal between February and March.

Who applies and what they need

The application is always filed by the Italian employer — a company, a family looking for a housekeeper or carer, an agricultural cooperative, a public body. The worker cannot apply independently.

The employer must demonstrate:

• Financial capacity: for families, a gross household income of at least €20,000 for one worker (€27,000 for two or more workers in a household with additional members); for companies, adequate accounts or tax returns
• No convictions for labour exploitation or irregular immigration offences
• DURC (certificate showing a business is up to date with social-security contributions) in good standing (for companies)
• Proof of adequate housing (idoneità alloggiativa) issued by the relevant Municipio (Rome city district): a certificate confirming the worker will have suitable accommodation

The employer registers on the ALI portal using SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card) and pre-fills the application with the worker's details (passport, job title, offered contract) in the weeks before click day. On the day itself, it's a matter of clicking "submit" at exactly the right moment.

The full procedure, step by step

Step 1 — Click day: the employer submits the application. If it falls within the quota, the Sportello Unico Immigrazione (SUI) at the Prefettura (regional state-government office representing the central state) in Rome opens the review.

Step 2 — Review period (up to 60–90 days): the SUI obtains opinions from the Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits, responsible for security checks) and the Ispettorato del Lavoro (Labour Inspectorate). If everything checks out, it issues the nulla osta al lavoro (work clearance), which is sent electronically to the Italian consulate in the worker's country.

Step 3 — Visa at the consulate (within 30 days): the worker presents themselves at the consulate with the nulla osta, passport, photos, and visa application form. The visa is valid for 180 days: you must enter Italy before it expires.

Step 4 — Arrival in Italy (within 8 days of entry): the worker and employer go together to the SUI in Rome (Via Ostiense 131/L) to sign the contratto di soggiorno (residence contract). They receive a postal kit for the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit for non-EU citizens) application, which is sent through a Poste Italiane Sportello Amico post-office branch. The Questura then summons the worker for photos, fingerprints, and permit collection within 60–120 days.

The Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything) is generated automatically by the ALI portal and already appears on the residence contract: you don't need to apply for it separately.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Paying for "guarantees" on click day. Nobody can guarantee the outcome: the process is fully automated and chronological. Anyone promising a "secured application" is trying to scam you.
2. Believing someone can get you in without a real employer. The Decreto Flussi requires a genuine employment contract. If someone abroad asks you for money to "put you on the quota list" without a verifiable employer, it's a scam — and may constitute a criminal offence.
3. Not showing up at the SUI within 8 days of arrival. If the employer doesn't attend with you within that deadline, the nulla osta lapses. You then have 60 days to find a new employer, after which you must leave Italy.

Special cases

Some categories fall outside the Decreto Flussi quota system: highly skilled workers (EU Blue Card), researchers, intra-company transfers, executives, family members of EU or Italian citizens, refugees with international protection. If you fall into one of these categories, the route is different and more direct.

Permit conversion: if you're already in Italy on a study permit or a seasonal work permit, you can in some cases convert it to a non-seasonal work permit through the SUI — without going through click day, using dedicated quotas. The procedure is done online through the ALI portal.

Nulla osta refused: if the SUI denies the nulla osta, you receive a written explanation. You have 60 days to appeal to the TAR Lazio (regional administrative court). It's advisable to consult a lawyer specialising in immigration law in this case.

Your employer signs a contract but then doesn't give you work: report this immediately to the Ispettorato del Lavoro (free helpline 800 196 196) and to the Questura. Employers who exploit the system to collect fees without providing real work commit a criminal offence under art. 12 of the Testo Unico Immigrazione (Italy's consolidated Immigration Law, DLgs 286/1998).

Official sources

• Ministry of the Interior — Decreto Flussi
• ALI portal — work clearance
• Ministry of Labour — Immigration
• Prefettura di Roma — Sportello Unico Immigrazione
• National Labour Inspectorate
• TUI DLgs 286/1998 on Normattiva

Legal references: DLgs 286/1998 (TUI) artt. 21, 22, 24; DPR 394/1999; DL 20/2023 conv. L. 50/2023; DPCM 27/09/2023; DPCM 2/10/2025; DL 145/2024 conv. L. 187/2024.