The Entry Visa for Non-Seasonal and Seasonal Subordinate Work (type D – “National Visa”) is an authorization that allows entry into Italy for a short or long stay to non-EU foreign citizens who are called to perform subordinate work in Italy. It can only be issued following a Work Permit or Seasonal Work Permit request made to the competent Italian Prefecture.
Authorization (Nulla Osta) for Subordinate and Seasonal Work Purposes
The “Nulla Osta” for Subordinate and Seasonal Work Purposes is the essential authorization required by non-EU foreign citizens to obtain the Entry Visa for Non-Seasonal Subordinate Work and Seasonal Subordinate Work, as well as for the subsequent request for a Residence Permit. It must be requested at the Single Immigration Desk (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione – SUI) of the competent Prefecture through a specific online procedure. The request for the Nulla Osta for Non-Seasonal or Seasonal Subordinate Work can only be made upon the entry into force of the Decree on Flows, which establishes the number of available quotas for the entry of subordinate/seasonal workers.
Subordinate work refers to collaboration within a company through remuneration for intellectual or manual work under the supervision and direction of an employer.
Seasonal subordinate work refers to a particular form of subordinate work involving the activation of a fixed-term contract for intellectual or manual work related to seasonal activities, carried out cyclically and tied to a specific period of the year.
The issuance of the Nulla Osta for Subordinate or Seasonal Work must be requested from the competent Prefecture by the prospective employer by filling out the appropriate electronic forms and is exclusively carried out within the quotas established annually or every three years by the so-called “Decree on Flows”. The Nulla Osta for Subordinate and Seasonal Work is issued within the limits of this numerical quota.
The Procedure:
- The Prefecture (Single Immigration Desk) verifies the available quotas and issues the Nulla Osta for entry into Italy.
- The Italian Embassy or Consulate in the worker’s country of origin or habitual residence issues the entry visa.
The request for a Nulla Osta for subordinate and seasonal work can be made by:
- Employers with Italian citizenship.
- Employers who are non-EU citizens with regular residence in Italy.
- EU citizens with regular residence in Italy.
Requirements:
The employer intending to request a Nulla Osta for Subordinate or Seasonal Work must:
- Have a minimum annual income from lawful sources equal to or greater than the minimum set within the Decree on Flows.
- Have suitable accommodation meeting hygiene and health standards, with a Housing Adequacy Certificate or Residential Suitability Certificate to be made available to the worker.
- Submit a job contract proposal containing all essential elements of the agreement (duties, working hours, employment contract), as well as a commitment to pay for the worker’s return journey to the country of origin in case of expulsion.
Additionally, there must be no obstacles to the worker’s entry (as per Italian Civil and Criminal Code or Schengen database notifications).
How to Proceed:
The Italian or foreign employer with regular residence intending to hire a worker residing abroad must submit a specific hiring request form electronically through the website https://portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it (accessed via SPID authentication). The request must be submitted within the deadlines set by the Decree on Flows, starting from the date and time indicated in the relevant ministerial decree.
All applications are processed in chronological order of receipt and based on the allocation of quotas for Regions and Provinces.
The Prefecture (Single Immigration Desk) has 40 days to issue or refuse the Nulla Osta. If the Prefecture issues the Nulla Osta, a digital copy is transmitted to the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the worker’s country of origin or habitual residence. A hard copy of the Nulla Osta is also provided to the employer, who will then forward it to the worker.
Once the Nulla Osta is obtained, the worker for whom the application was made must request the Entry Visa at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of origin or habitual residence.
The Nulla Osta for Subordinate or Seasonal Work is valid for 6 months; therefore, the entry visa must be requested within this period.
For the submission of applications for Nulla Osta for Subordinate or Seasonal Work, assistance can be obtained from accredited municipal offices, national associations representing employers, trade unions, and associations authorized to access the system.
The non-EU foreign citizen, once granted the Work Permit or Seasonal Work Permit, applies for the Entry Visa at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of origin or residence, by submitting the following documentation:
- Application form for entry visa;
- Recent passport-size photograph;
- Valid travel document with an expiration date at least three months beyond the requested visa’s expiration date;
- Work Permit or Seasonal Work Permit granted by the Prefecture (Single Immigration Desk). In many cases, the Work Permit has already been digitally transmitted, and there is no need to produce a paper copy.
The Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country of origin or habitual residence of the foreign citizen evaluates the application, the presence of requirements, and the availability of quotas according to the Decree on Immigration Flows, and issues the Entry Visa for Subordinate or Seasonal Work.
The visa can have a duration of six months to one year.
The entry visa allows the non-EU foreign citizen to enter the national territory regularly and apply for the corresponding Residence Permit.