Focus On Stranieri in Italia

Foreigners in Italy is a section aimed at foreign workers who are already in Italy or who intend to enter Italy from abroad and wish to find employment or become self-employed in Italy.

Among foreign workers, a distinction is made between EU nationals from one of the 27 EU Member States and non-EU nationals. However, following Brexit (i.e. the exit of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the EU) specific agreements concerning the position of British citizens should be taken into account.

This applies to both the recruitment process of British workers and to transnational postings .

EU nationals working in the European Union enjoy the rights  of freedom to move, reside and settle in Italy for work according to the provisions of Legislative Decree no. 30 of 6 February 2007, implementing Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of EU citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.

It should be reminded that this Directive is a type of Consolidated Law on the rights of EU citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, that removes the previous differentiation between subordinate workers, self-employed workers, students and other persons (see Art. 21 TFEU - Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).

Extra-EU workers are required to abide by  the discipline contained in the  Consolidated Immigration Act.

The State is responsible for regulation of entry in Italy for employment  or self-employment . Every year The so-called “Decreto Flussi” establishes the entry rates for employment purposes based on the current  needs of the  production system..

It should also be noted that the ILO Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and the ONU Convention guarantee foreign workers legally residing in Italy and their families, equal treatment and full equality of rights  compared to Italian workers.

The International Labour Organisation's portal provides more information on this subject. Further information is also available on the Integrazione migranti portal.

EU workers or non-EU workers with the rights to stay aged between 15 and 29, residing in Italy, are eligible to enter the Youth Guarantee Programme, aimed at facilitating their integration into the labour market.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies deals with the migration phenomenon from a dual perspective: on one hand, regarding the monitoring of EU and non-EU citizens’ work-related entries and on the other, with regard to social integration measures. Italian legislation provides for an articulated system of tools and measures to foster the social integration of immigrants. Regions and local authorities are responsible for enforcing these.

As for monitoring,  the Annual Report 2021 includes an analysis of migration phenomena, the ways in which foreigners enter and remain in Italy, problems related to family reunification and  younger generations while examining in more depth the issue of the employment condition of foreign citizens in Italy and safety at work, as well as detailing the Half-yearly Note on the Labour Market of Foreigners in Italy 2021.

For further information on entry and stay in Italy for work, refer to the dedicated  Ministry of Labour and Social Policies  portal. Also visit the transnational posting website.