Italy digital nomad visa income: the decree sets a formula, and some consulates print their own figures

The decree sets the income at three times the yearly limit for exemption from Italian health-service charges, which works out to the figure above. Some consulates publish rounded figures of their own, one of them about 13% higher, and each asks for different proof, so the page that decides your case is the one for the consulate where you apply.

A remote worker who clears the decree's figure can still be asked for more at the counter. The decree names no euro amount; it points to the health ministry's exemption limit and multiplies it by three. Some consulates have turned that into round numbers, while others print only the formula. Seoul and Santiago print one slightly above the formula, Buenos Aires one about 13% above it.

The proof differs too. Santiago asks for income received during the previous year. Chisinau asks for the last three months of payslips and bank statements from an account in your name.

Income is not the whole test

The visa is open only to highly qualified workers, as Italy's immigration law defines them. Consulates' checklists spell this out as a degree from at least three years of higher education, or one of the alternatives the law lists, such as three years' experience within the last seven for managers and IT specialists. You also need at least six months' experience in the work you will do from Italy, health insurance for the whole stay, and proof of where you will live. An employee working remotely needs a contract or a binding offer as well, signed by an employer who states it has no criminal convictions, and consulates such as Seoul and Chisinau also want the contract salary to reach Italy's collective-agreement pay and the national average salary.

The permit lasts up to one year and is renewed yearly while the conditions still hold. A self-employed nomad must register for an Italian VAT number, and the permit can be withdrawn if Italian tax or social-contribution rules are not respected. Family members may join under the general family-reunion rules.

What goes to the state, and what goes to a firm

To the Italian state:

• The consular visa fee, then the charges for the residence permit after arrival: the card, a revenue stamp, the post office kit and an administrative contribution, together shown above as the government fee.

To firms:

• A visa service's fee, plus any translation, apostille or degree-recognition work it arranges.

Questions to settle first:

1. Which consulate will take the application, and what figure and proof does its own page ask for?
2. Can you show that income over a year, from sources you can document?
3. Does your degree or experience meet the highly qualified test, and who obtains the recognition document the consulate wants?
4. Can you prove six months in the same line of work?
5. Who will register your VAT number and keep your Italian tax filings in order?

If you hold a visa agency's quote, or a relocation firm's contract for this visa, choose yes in the box above and it is compared with the published rules and the prices firms on file publish for this route; with neither, choose no and enter the yearly income you can document. The check compares a document or a figure with the published rules, and does not look at your application or advise on it; for advice on your own case, speak to a qualified immigration lawyer.

General information, not legal advice.