Italy offers a special visa for students or recent graduates from outside the European Union (EU) who want to do an internship in the country. This visa, known as the Internship Visa, permits non-EU citizens to engage in internship programs in Italy. An internship involves receiving training and getting familiar with a job, but it doesn’t constitute a complete job contract.

The rules regarding internships were established in 2014 by the “Standing Conference for the relationships between the Italian State, the regions and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano.” This conference set the standards for internships across the country.

In October 2022, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies issued a comprehensive set of guidelines. These guidelines provide clear instructions for non-EU citizens living abroad who want to undertake internships as part of their education or training.

Furthermore, the Italian Government recently introduced new guidelines to manage the entry of foreigners who intend to participate in training programs and internships from 2023 to 2025. These guidelines aim to regulate and facilitate the participation of international individuals in educational and professional development opportunities within Italy.

Where to Apply for the Italian Internship Visa If you’re not from the European Union (EU) and you want to do an internship in Italy, you need to apply for a specific Italian Internship Visa. You have to go to the Italian embassy or consulate in your home country to apply.

You can find a list of all the Italian embassies and consulates worldwide.

Basic Requirements to Apply for an Internship Visa in Italy To apply for the Internship Visa, you must be a non-EU citizen who has completed vocational training or an educational course in your home country and wants to enhance it by doing an internship in Italy. This also applies to unemployed individuals.

Preliminary Steps to Apply for an Italian Internship Visa Non-EU citizens seeking an internship in Italy must apply for an internship visa at the Italian embassy or consulate in their home country. Applicants must also provide a detailed training project proposal.

The visa will be issued within a maximum of 90 days from the date of application. However, the release of the visa is subject to a quota set by the Italian Government every three years.

Once you enter Italy with the entry visa, you have 8 days to apply for an internship residence permit. You can do this by visiting the Questura (police headquarters) in the area where you plan to reside.

Internships in Italy for people from outside the EU If you’re not from the European Union (EU), your internship in Italy must last for at least three months. It can’t go on for more than 12 months, even if you extend it.

Also, your internship must begin within 15 days of requesting a residence permit.

However, if you’re a non-EU citizen already living in Italy with a valid residence permit, you can do an internship under the same rules as Italian citizens.

When your internship ends, you can change your internship residence permit to a work permit by providing the right work documents.

But this change depends on how many work permits Italy gives out each year. This is based on something called the “decreto flussi,” which is the quota for foreign workers.

Types of internships allowed in Italy The only internships allowed in Italy are ones that are part of a vocational training program. This should be outlined in the training plan.

For instance, if you’ve completed an Italian language course abroad, that can count towards getting an Internship Visa. But your professional qualifications must match the tasks you’ll do during your internship in Italy.

Italy doesn’t allow internships for basic jobs that don’t need any training.

Are internships paid in Italy? Yes, by law, the host company must pay interns. The exact amount depends on where the internship is located in Italy.

Each region in Italy has its own minimum wage for interns. This can vary from €300 to €800.

However, there are cases where internships might not be paid, for instance, if the agreed hours are not completed.

Financial Support To enter Italy, applicants must show they have enough money to support themselves during their stay.

One way to prove this is by showing the agreed-upon reimbursement for the internship, as per the regulations of the region, along with provisions for board and lodging expenses.

Requirements for Hosting Companies In addition to standard legal requirements, the host company must meet specific criteria, including:

Providing board and lodging for the intern. Covering expenses for mandatory repatriation, if necessary. The employer should not deduct board and lodging costs from the intern’s reimbursement for work. The amount of reimbursement is determined by the regions.

Each Italian region decides the reimbursement amount for interns.

The host company must also organize training for interns to:

Learn Italian at the A1 level if they don’t already speak the language. Gain knowledge about workplace health and safety, as well as rights and responsibilities of employers and employees.