ItalyVisa and residence permit for highly qualified employees

EU Blue Card in Italy

A residence permit for highly qualified specialists hired by an Italian employer. Qualification is proven by a relevant diploma or by officially recognised high professional qualification. Entry authorisation is issued by the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione at the prefecture of the place of work; the residence permit itself is issued by the questura. The card runs under common EU rules: other EU countries issue the same one, and moving between them is simplified for the holder.

Source: Consolato Generale d'Italia a Parigi — Lavoro subordinato

Who is granted a Carta Blu UE

The conditions differ for those entering Italy for the first time under a contract and for those who already hold a Blue Card from another EU country.

Specialists entering Italy for the first time

A post-secondary diploma (from 3 years of study) or employment contracts and payslips from the employer confirming high professional qualification
The occupation falls within levels 1, 2 or 3 of the ISTAT CP 2011 classification
The Italian employer applies for the nulla osta at the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione at the prefecture

Holders of a Blue Card from another EU country

At least 18 months of lawful residence in another EU country on a local Blue Card
The employer in Italy applies for the nulla osta no later than one month after the worker's arrival
No entry visa for Italy is needed — the residence permit is issued on the spot if the worker is lawfully in the country

When this programme will not suit you

I have no diploma and my employer cannot confirm my high professional qualification

An ordinary lavoro subordinato visa for employed work without highly qualified status

I want to work remotely for a foreign company without taking a job with an Italian employer

The visa for digital nomads and remote workers (nomadi digitali e lavoratori da remoto)

I am self-employed and want to run a business in Italy without an Italian employer

The self-employment visa (lavoro autonomo) or the investor visa (visto per investitori)

I am going to Italy to do research, not to be employed by a commercial company

The researcher visa (visto per ricercatori)

What it costs

D visa for entry under a highly qualified employment contractPaid in cash at the Italian consulate	116 EUR
Duty stamp for the residence permit (marca da bollo)	16 EUR
Postal fee for accepting the application (Poste Italiane)	30 EUR
Production of the electronic residence permit card	30,46 EUR
Contribution for the card's validity (from 1 to 2 years)The tariff for a card valid from one to two years — the usual case under an open-ended employment contract	50 EUR
Contribution for the card's validity (up to 1 year)Where a fixed-term contract means the card is issued for less than a year	40 EUR
Contribution for the EU long-term resident card / for managers and highly qualified specialists	100 EUR
Visa and residence permit for a family member (spouse, child) who is a non-EU nationalFor family members who are EU citizens the visa is free	+116 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Visa and residence permit for a family member (spouse, child) who is a non-EU national” adds 116 EUR; the “Contribution for the card's validity (up to 1 year)” branch replaces the “Contribution for the card's validity (from 1 to 2 years)” line — 232,46 EUR; the “Contribution for the EU long-term resident card / for managers and highly qualified specialists” branch replaces the “Contribution for the card's validity (from 1 to 2 years)” line — 292,46 EUR. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	242.46–358,46 EUR

Paid separately

Translation and legalisation or apostille of diplomas and employment documents — The cost depends on the translator and the country that issued the document
International health insurance with cover of at least EUR 30,000 — The price is set by the insurance company
Accommodation and flight bookings for lodging the application — Required for filing, but not part of the state fee

Documents to gather

The list for lodging the D visa application after the nulla osta has been obtained.

Completed and signed visa application form
Passport valid for at least 3 months longer than the visa, with at least 2 blank pages, issued no more than 10 years ago
Colour passport-format photograph on a white background, taken no more than 6 months ago
Nulla osta from the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione, issued no more than 6 months before filing (4 months for cases under article 27 of d.lgs. 286/1998)
Post-secondary diploma or documents proving professional qualification — originals, translated and where required legalised or apostilled, plus a copy
Proof of accommodation in Italy: a registered tenancy agreement, a hotel booking of at least 30 days or a declaration from the host
International health insurance with cover of at least EUR 30,000, including emergency care and repatriation
Transport booking to Italy
Receipt for payment of the visa fee

How the process runs

From the employer's application to the issue of the card.

1
The employer applies for the nulla osta
The application is filed by the Italian employer online through the portal portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it (form BC) with the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione at the prefecture. The nulla osta is issued after clearance with the questura and the Territorial Labour Directorate; if the employer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of the Interior, a simplified notification replaces the nulla osta.
2
Issue of the national D visa at the consulate
up to 90 days
With the nulla osta obtained, the applicant files the D visa documents at the Italian consulate in the country of residence. The nulla osta must be used (the visa application filed) within 6 months of its issue — 4 months for cases under article 27 of d.lgs. 286/1998.
3
Lodging the residence permit application
8 working days after entry
After entering Italy you must apply to the questura of your place of residence (in some cases through an authorised post office) with the form, passport, photographs and documents proving the ground for residence.
4
Issue of the Carta Blu UE
on average 60 days from filing
The questura examines the application and issues the electronic residence permit card marked Carta Blu UE.

Timelines and rights

Work

Highly qualified employed work.

Who you can bring with you

Conditions for the card holder's spouse, children and relatives.

Spouse and minor children

Receive a two-year residence permit on family grounds (permesso di soggiorno biennale per motivi di famiglia) on the basis of the applicant's Carta Blu UE

Relatives who are EU citizens (spouse, children under 21 or dependent, dependent parents)

The family reunification visa is issued free of charge

Relatives who are non-EU nationals

The visa costs EUR 116; the residence permit application is lodged with the questura within 8 working days of entry

Trips, renewal and the grace period

To have the card renewed you must not be away from Italy for more than 6 months in a row without a serious reason.

The renewal application is lodged at the questura of the place of residence no later than 60 days before the card expires. While the application is being examined, the applicant keeps the same rights as under the valid residence permit, including the right to work. The Carta Blu UE is issued for 2 years on an open-ended employment contract, and for the term of the contract plus 3 months on a fixed-term one. After 5 years of continuous lawful residence in the EU on a Blue Card, of which at least 2 years in Italy on a card marked Carta Blu UE, you can obtain EU long-term resident status instead of another renewal.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	EU Blue Card	Subsidiary protection	Special protection
Visa term	On an open-ended employment contract the card is issued for 2 years	Permesso for 5 years, renewable	Permesso usually for 2 years, renewable
Grounds	A type of visa for employed work intended for highly qualified specialists	Threat to life	Right to private/family life, health
Work	Highly qualified employed work	Full access to work	Allows work (employed/self-employed); SSN, residenza

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

After 5 years of lawful residence you obtain the EU long-term residence permit: income no lower than the social allowance and a pass in the Italian test at level A2. The permit is open-ended; as an identity document it is valid for 5 years.

Route to citizenship

After 10 years of lawful residence you apply to the prefecture with SPID. It requires Italian at B1 and income: EUR 8,263.31 a year with no dependants, EUR 11,362.05 with a dependent spouse, plus EUR 516 for each further dependant.

Frequently asked questions about EU Blue Card

How does the Carta Blu UE differ from an ordinary work visa?

The Carta Blu UE operates under legislative decree 108/2012, which brought EU directive 2009/50/CE into Italian law, and article 27-quater of d.lgs. 286/1998. Unlike an ordinary work visa, it requires proof of a post-secondary diploma (from 3 years of study) or of officially recognised high professional qualification, and the occupation must fall within levels 1, 2 or 3 of the ISTAT CP 2011 classification.

Who applies for the nulla osta and how does it work?

The application is filed by the Italian employer — online through the portal portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it, completing form BC, with the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione at the prefecture. The nulla osta is issued after a favourable opinion from the questura and the Territorial Labour Directorate; if the employer has a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ministry of the Interior, a simplified notification replaces the nulla osta.

How long does the visa take once the nulla osta has been obtained?

Examination of the D visa at the consulate takes up to 90 days. The nulla osta itself must be used — the visa documents filed — within 6 months of its issue (4 months for cases under article 27 of d.lgs. 286/1998).

When must the residence permit application be lodged after arriving in Italy?

Within 8 working days of entry — at the questura of the province where the applicant intends to live (in some cases it can be filed through authorised post offices). You need the form, passport, 4 photographs, documents proving the ground for residence, and the receipt for the fees. Examination takes on average 60 days.

When should the renewal be filed and what happens if it is late?

The renewal application is lodged no later than 60 days before the card expires — at the questura of the province of residence. Until a decision is taken, an applicant who filed on time keeps the rights attached to holding a residence permit, including the right to work.

Other ways to move to Italy

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Italy.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.