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Italy
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Bureaucracy
How to survive Italian bureaucracy
Although Dante didn’t know it at the time, he perfectly described the labyrinth of Italian government offices and bureaucracy when he wrote ‘Abandon hope all who enter here’.
Italian bureaucrats would appear to love red tape and have invented official papers and stamps for every possible occasion and purpose. Just finding the right office is a challenge and when you finally locate it, it’s invariably closed (many offices open on a few days per week for a couple of hours only). You even need documents to obtain other documents and the laws governing the issue and use of these documents are frequently incomprehensible.
For example, in what other country can your birth certificate be printed with varying information, on two kinds of official paper, have varying costs, and expire if you fail to renew it? Once you have the correct documents, they must be officially translated and numerous copies made. Wander into any post office, police headquarters or government office and you hear a chorus of stamping and banging while long lines of confused Italians pray that they’re in the right place and the right line for the document required. If all this bureaucracy is bewildering for Italians, just imagine how it is to foreigners!
The situation isn’t helped by the fact that the Italian judicial system is based upon a simple law: La Legge non ammette l’ignoranza – The Law doesn’t admit ignorance. Laws have been created to govern everything under the Italian sun, but there’s no official process of communicating or explaining them to the general public. This leaves the responsibility of gathering information entirely to the individual with little or no help from the state.
A plethora of documentation is necessary to obtain a visa, stay, residence or work permit. Unfortunately, not all the official information explaining how to obtain this documentation is readily available or interpreted in the same way, making the tortured road to obtaining visas and permits fraught with dead ends and U-turns. Due to the difficulties in conforming to Italian laws and documentation, there are official ‘document agencies’ which can obtain documents and make applications on your behalf (listed in the yellow pages under certificati, agenzie).
When dealing with Italian bureaucracy, try to remain composed and polite (even when you feel like strangling the person behind the counter) and if your Italian isn’t excellent take someone with you who’s fluent (most officials speak only Italian). Never take anything for granted where Italian civil servants ( servitori civili) are concerned, and make sure that you understand all communications. If in doubt have someone translate them for you.
Since February 1999, many official documents have been abolished and substituted by a simple auto-certification, usually written on a printed form ( modulo) available in public offices. However, local officials may not be aware of this and you may be asked to provide documents that are no longer required. The good news is that the government is trying to reduce bureaucracy and provide more access to information, particularly via the Internet, e.g. www.governo.it .
Visitors
Who doesn't need a visa to visit Italy?
European Union (EU) nationals don’t require a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
Citizens of the following countries don’t require a visa for stays of between 30 and 90 days depending on the country (check with your local Italian embassy or consulate):
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, (South) Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Samoa, San Christopher and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.
All other nationalities require a visa to visit Italy for any period.
Citizens of many EU countries can visit Italy with a national identity card, while all others require a full passport. However, while identity cards are accepted at all points of entry to Italy, the Italian authorities may not accept them when applying for a permit to stay. If you’re an EU national and wish to remain in Italy for longer than 90 days, it’s therefore highly recommended to enter with a full passport.
Since 1st August 1998, Italy, along with a number of other EU member states, has issued a new kind of visa for visitors called the ‘Schengen visa’. This allows the holder to move freely between Schengen countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain). To obtain a Schengen visa, you must hold a passport or travel document recognised by all the Schengen member states and valid for at least three months beyond the validity of the visa. You can apply for a Schengen visa, which is valid for 90 days within a six-month period, from the consulate of the country that’s your main destination or the one you intend to visit first.
A Schengen visa isn’t the appropriate visa if you wish to remain in a member state, including Italy, for longer than 90 days, study, take up employment or establish a trade or profession. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you must obtain an extension of your visa from the local police headquarters, although this isn’t a right and cannot be taken for granted (you need a good reason and proof of financial resources) and must obtain a permit to stay. However, if your passport hasn’t been stamped (which is likely, particularly for EU nationals), the authorities have no way of knowing when you entered the country, so the system is ‘flexible’.
The Italian immigration authorities may require non-EU visitors to produce a return ticket and proof of accommodation, health insurance and financial resources.
When you stay with friends in Italy (rather than, for example, at a hotel or campsite) for longer than three days, you’re officially required to register with the local police, although in practice few short-stay visitors comply with this. Failure to register is punishable by a fine of up to around €220.
EU nationals who visit Italy to seek employment or start a business have 90 days in which to find a job or apply for permit to stay, although if you haven’t found employment or have insufficient funds, your application will be refused. If you’re a non-EU national, it isn’t possible to enter Italy as a tourist and change your status to that of an employee, student or resident, and you must return to your country of residence and apply for the appropriate visa.
Visas
Who needs a visa and documentation required
EU nationals don’t require visas for visits to Italy but require a permit to stay if they plan to remain longer than 90 days.
Non-EU nationals need a ‘residence visa’ ( visto per ragioni di dimora) to enter Italy with a view to staying more than 90 days and may need one for a visit of a shorter duration. Applications should be made at an Italian consulate abroad well in advance of your planned departure date. Visas may be valid for a single entry only or for multiple entries within a limited period. A visa is in the form of an adhesive sticker (not a stamp) inserted in your passport, which must be valid until at least three months after the visa expires.
Visas are issued for many reasons, each of which has its own abbreviation (sigla). These include tourism (A), business (B), religion (C), diplomatic service (D), domicile (DM), joining family (F), dependent work (L-1), self-employment (L-2), artistic work (L-3), medical care (M), mission (MS), study (S), sporting activity (SP), re-entry (R), transit (T), airport transit (TA) and visiting family (V).
The type of visa issued depends on the purpose of your visit and the length of your stay, and determines the type of permit to stay that’s issued after you arrive in Italy. If you plan to stay in Italy for longer than six months, you must ensure that you obtain a visa that’s valid for at least a year; otherwise you will be able to obtain a permit to stay for only six months and won’t be able to renew it.
Some of the documentation you may need to apply for a visa, mainly concerning permission to work, must be obtained in Italy. Although your prospective employer normally handles this on your behalf, your presence in Italy can help to speed up the process.
If you plan to start a business or work freelance, you must also register at the local tax office ( intendenza di finanza) and chamber of commerce ( camera di commercio) or professional registrar ( albo dei professionisti), and present the documents from these agencies together with your visa application. This can be a costly and time-consuming process, as once the documentation is obtained you must return to your country of residence to apply for the visa. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile.
Another reason you may decide to visit Italy to obtain documents in connection with a visa application is simply to obtain proof that you’ve been in Italy. This evidence may be important, as the Italian government is continually changing the immigration laws. For example, a law passed by the Italian government in October 1998 included a remedy clause ( sanatoria) stating that all non-EU citizens who could prove their presence in Italy before 27th March 1998 could apply for a permit to stay without having to obtain a visa from their country of residence. This wasn’t the first time a new immigration law included this kind of clause, nor will it be the last.
Having obtained the necessary paperwork, an application for a visa must be made to your local Italian consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence. It may be possible to make an application by post, but in other cases you’re required to attend in person. If you decide to apply in person (or have no choice), bear in mind that there are invariably long queues at consulates in major cities (take a thick book). The documentation required for a visa application depends on the purpose of your visit to Italy. All applicants require:
Depending on the urpose of your visit, you may require some of the following (note that some consulates may require both originals and photocopies):
Many of the above documents must be translated into Italian. All translations must be done by a translator approved by your local consulate, a list of whom ( elenco di traduttori) is provided by Italian consulates on request.
Many documents need tax stamps ( marche da bollo) affixed to them, and in many cases requests for official documents must be made on special lined paper ( carta da bollo), to which a tax stamp must be attached. The standard stamp ( bollo) for administrative documents (atti civili) costs €10.33 and can be purchased from a tobacconist (tabacchi).
Proof Of Financial Resources: Proof of financial resources or financial support may take the form of bank statements, letters from banks confirming arrangements for the regular transfer of funds from abroad, or letters from family or friends guaranteeing regular support. Letters should be notarised. Students may submit a letter from an organisation or institution guaranteeing accommodation or evidence of a scholarship or grant. Retired people should take their pension book or copies of recent pension cheques. Proof of financial resources isn’t required by someone coming to Italy to take up paid employment.
Authorisation To Work: A non-EU national wishing to work in Italy requires an authorisation to work issued by the local Department of Labour office ( Ispettorato Provinciale del Lavoro) where the business is registered. This must in turn be authorised by the local police headquarters who stamp it nulla osta (literally ‘nothing hinders’) on the back. This document must be obtained by your prospective employer in Italy and be sent to you in your country of residence for presentation at an Italian consulate with your other documents. Be warned, however, that for non-EU nationals, obtaining authorisation to work is a highly bureaucratic and time-consuming process. It can take a year or more, and unless you’re employed by an Italian company in your own country or are living in Italy already, it’s rare to find an employer in Italy who’s willing to go to the trouble involved.
Proof Of Admission: Students require proof of admission from an approved school or university in Italy indicating when their studies start and end. The letter must either have the seal of the school or be notarised. If your studies are sponsored by an educational institution in your home country (or country of residence), you should also have a letter from the institution concerned confirming this. This must also contain the seal of the school or be notarised.
There’s a fee for a visa, which can vary considerably. It can take up to a month to obtain a routine visa or up to 90 days in ‘difficult’ cases. A visa is usually valid for a first entry within 60 days.
If you require a visa to enter Italy and attempt to enter without one, you will be refused entry. If you’re in doubt as to whether you require a visa to enter Italy, enquire at an Italian consulate abroad before making travel plans.
If you required a visa to enter Italy and have entered the country and obtained a permit to stay, you may still require a re-entry visa to return to Italy after a trip abroad. This must be obtained from your local police headquarters before leaving Italy.
Permits To Stay
Types of permits to stay
All foreigners ( extracomunitari) planning to remain in Italy for longer than 90 days must apply for a ‘permit to stay’ ( permesso di soggiorno or carta di soggiorno) at the local police headquarters ( questura) within eight days of their arrival.
The latest immigration law (passed in October 1998) changed the name of permits to stay for EU citizens from permesso di soggiorno tocarta di soggiorno, even though the substance of the permit has remained the same. However, this isn’t common knowledge and not all local police headquarters are aware of the change in name. Don’t be surprised, therefore, if you apply for a permesso di soggiorno and receive a carta di soggiorno or vice versa. To avoid confusion, the more commonly used term, permesso di soggiorno, is used throughout this article to refer to all types of permits to stay.
A permit to stay isn’t a residence permit, which must be applied for after you have your permit to stay, if you wish to become a formal resident.
It can take up to three months to obtain a permit, which can be issued only for the purpose stated on your visa. There are many types of permit to stay, the most common of which include the following:
There are also permits to stay for various other special classes, including refugees and employees of religious missions. If you’re a non-EU citizen and haven’t obtained a specific visa, the local police headquarters normally issue you with a permit for tourism ( permesso di soggiorno per turismo). This is valid for three months only and isn’t renewable, nor may it be modified for any other purpose. You may not apply for residence with this permit or study, take up employment or establish a business, trade or profession.
EmployeesIf you’re a national of an EU member country (your passport must show that you have the right of abode in an EU country), you don’t require official approval to live or work in Italy, although you still require a permit to stay ( permesso di soggiorno per lavoro).
If you’re unemployed, you have the right to live in Italy for a ‘reasonable period’ of time in order to look for a job. However, no matter how long you take to find a job, you cannot be asked to leave the country if you can prove that you’re still seriously looking for employment and have a real chance of finding work (for example, you still have interviews to attend or tests to undergo).
In certain circumstances, if you’re receiving unemployment benefit in one EU country, you may continue to receive that benefit for up to three months in Italy. To do so, you must apply to the authorities in the country that pays your unemployment benefit.
EU nationals who visit Italy with the intention of finding a job should apply at the foreigners’ office ( ufficio stranieri) at the local police headquarters for a permit ( ricevuta di segnalazione di siggiorno) within eight days, which entitles them to remain in Italy for three months while looking for a job. When you’ve found work, you take thericevuta together with a letter from your employer confirming your employment to the police headquarters to obtain a permit to stay. You must also apply for a work permit ( permesso di lavoro, which is valid only for as long as you’re employed and is available to both residents and non-residents.
Non-EU nationals require an ‘entry visa for reasons of work’ ( visto d’ingresso per motivi di lavoro), which they must obtain in their home country or country of residence. All employees except managers and executives ( dirigenti) require a workers’ registration card ( libretto di lavoro) from the Provincial Inspectorate of Work ( Inspettorato Provinciale del Lavoro), which is valid for ten years. It’s a booklet that employees (whether Italian citizens or foreigners) require in order to be legally employed, which serves as an employment record (the start and end dates of all periods of employment are entered in it).
Italy has restrictions on the employment of non-EU nationals, which have been strengthened in recent years due to the high unemployment rate (around 8.9 per cent). The 1998 Immigration Law introduced a quota system that restricts the number of freelance people of any nationality and category allowed into the country each year.
Uncertainty in the interpretation of the new rules, especially in consulates abroad, is making it difficult and long-winded for foreigners to work in Italy legally. However, thousands of non-EU nationals are being employed due to a severe shortage of semi-skilled and skilled workers in the north (the north-east in particular). Employers are putting pressure on the government for immigration quotas to be handled by the regions, according to local employment needs, while the politicians would prefer to create jobs for southern Italians.
Work permits for non-EU nationals must be obtained outside Italy, where an application for work authorisation (autorizzazione al lavoro) must be made at your local Italian embassy. The employment of non-EU nationals must be approved by the Italian labour authorities, who can propose the employment of an EU national in place of a foreigner (although this is rare). Note that it’s impossible to convert a tourist visa into a work visa and therefore if you’re a non-EU national and need a visa to work in Italy, you must obtain it before your arrival in the country. There’s nothing to stop you visiting Italy as a tourist in order to find a job, but you cannot work without going home and applying for a work visa (which can take months to obtain).
Self-EmployedIf you’re an EU-national or a permanent resident with a certificato di residenza you can work as self-employed ( lavora in proprio) or as a sole trader ( commerciante in proprio) in Italy. If you wish to work as self-employed in a profession or start a freelance business in Italy, you must meet certain legal requirements and register with the appropriate organisations, e.g. the local chamber of commerce (camera di commercio).
Note that a standard permit to stay doesn’t automatically allow you to work as self-employed and needs to be changed to a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro autonomo, which depends on your nationality and status.
Under Italian law, a self-employed person must have an official status and it’s illegal to simply hang up a sign and start business. People setting up in a self-employed capacity must provide evidence of their status, such as membership of a professional or trade body, a VAT number, or registration on a trade register.
Members of some professions and trades must have certain qualifications and certificates recognised in Italy. You should never be tempted to start work before you’re registered as there are harsh penalties, which may include a large fine, confiscation of machinery or tools, deportation and a ban from entering Italy for a number of years.
EU nationals are entitled to work as a self-employed person (or an employee) without waiting for a residence permit to be issued. This document is merely a means of proof and not a condition of your entitlement to live in the country. If you’re an EU national and obtained a residence permit as an employee, this doesn’t prevent you from changing status during its period of validity and setting up in a self-employed capacity.
StudentsNon-EU nationals wishing to study in Italy must prove that they’re enrolled (or have been accepted) at an approved educational establishment for the principal purpose of following a course of education or vocational training. You must also prove that you’re covered by health insurance and provide a declaration in writing that you have sufficient resources to pay for your studies and for living expenses for yourself and any members of your family accompanying you.
Foreign students wishing to attend university in Italy should apply to the Italian consulate in their country of residence. They will send you a list of the documents required, which include an application form where you’re required to select four universities in order of preference and, for EU students, a form E111 (certificate of entitlement to health treatment).
Once they’ve received your completed application, the consulate sends EU citizens an identity card stamped with a consul’s visa, while non-EU students receive a student visa. You must present these documents to the police headquarters within eight days of arriving in Italy in order to obtain a student’s permit to stay ( permesso di soggiorno per studio) which is valid for a maximum of one year only.
Au pairs wishing to work in Italy are generally advised to obtain a study rather than a work visa if they’re planning to stay in the country for longer than 90 days. Because the ‘pocket money’ they receive isn’t considered a salary, the au pair agencies say that technically there’s no need for them to obtain a work visa.
Family MembersFamily members of Italian citizens or EU nationals don’t require a visa to enter Italy if they’re also Italian citizens or EU nationals. If you’re an EU national, members of your family, whatever their nationality, may go with you and take advantage of their right to live in Italy. Your family is defined as your spouse, children under 21 (or dependent on you), as well as your parents and your spouse’s parents, if they’re also dependent on you.
If you’re a student, the right of residence is limited to your spouse and dependent children. If members of your family aren’t EU nationals, they may, however, require an entry visa, which should be granted free of charge and without undue formalities. There are two main types: the visto per coesione familiare and the visto per ricongiungimento familiare. The former is required when all family members are currently living outside Italy, while the latter is necessary when some family members are already living in the country. In the latter case, those living outside Italy must apply for a visa at an Italian consulate in their country of residence as usual, and their Italian relatives in Italy must also visit their local police headquarters to file an application for their relatives to join them.
For both visas, in addition to the usual documents you also need documents proving your family connections, e.g. a marriage licence (dispensa matrimoniale). Non-EU family members don’t have the right to work in Italy unless they have their own work visa.
The right to travel enjoyed by non-EU members of your family under EU law isn’t an independent right, and it applies only when they’re accompanied by an Italian or EU national. Accordingly, they aren’t entitled to the visa facilities available under EU legislation when they’re travelling alone. On the other hand, non-EU members of your family don’t require an entry visa if they wish to travel to another country, provided they’re in possession of their identity document and residence permit.
Non-Employed ResidentsRetired and non-active EU nationals don’t require a visa before moving to Italy, but an application for a permit to stay ( permesso di soggiorno per dimora) must be made within eight days of your arrival. Non-EU nationals require a residence visa to live in Italy for longer than 90 days. All non-employed residents must prove that they have an adequate income ( reddito) or financial resources to live in Italy without working.
You’re usually considered to have adequate resources if your income is at least equal to the basic Italian state pension of around €7,740 per year for each adult member of a family (although you’re unlikely to be able to live on it!). This can be a regular income such as a salary or pension, or funds held in a bank account.
All foreign residents (including EU residents) who don’t qualify for medical treatment under the Italian national health service ( servizio sanitario nazionale/SSN) must have private health insurance and be able to support themselves without resorting to state funds. EU nationals in receipt of a state pension are usually eligible for medical treatment under the SSN, but require form E-121 from their home country’s social security administration as evidence.
If you’re an EU national and have lived and worked in Italy for over three years, you’re entitled to remain there after you’ve reached retirement or re-retirement age, although if you retire before the official retirement age you won’t be entitled to a state pension.
Frontier WorkersFrontier workers are defined as people working in Italy but residing outside the country and returning there at least once a week. Frontier workers don’t require a permit to stay but must apply for a frontier worker’s card at the police headquarters nearest to their place of employment and produce evidence of their employment status and residence abroad.
EU rules on social security contain certain specific provisions for cross-border workers who are covered by EU social security legislation in the same way as all the other categories of people. You’re entitled to receive sickness benefits in kind in either your country of residence or your country of employment, but if you’re registered as unemployed you’re only entitled to claim unemployment benefit in your country of residence.
Employment prospects
Italy has a relatively high unemployment rate, which was officially running at around 8.9 per cent (in the north around 5 per cent, in central Italy 6 per cent and in the south 21 per cent) of the workforce in October 2002.
As already indicated, unemployment varies according to the region and in the impoverished south it’s as high as 50 per cent in some areas, where the youth has traditionally migrated to the north or abroad in search of work.
Unemployment is a disaster for Italy’s youth; some 30 per cent of young people in the under 25-age group are unemployed, many of whom have little prospect of finding a job. It’s difficult for young Italians to get a foothold on the employment ladder due to lack of experience and many young people, even university graduates, attend vocational high schools or special programmes to gain work experience.
Although unemployment has hit manufacturing industries the hardest, no sector has survived unscathed, including the flourishing service industries. Some of the hardest-hit industries have been construction, electronics, communications, the media and banking, all traditionally strong sectors. Many companies have periodic bans on recruitment and expect many employees to accept short-term contracts, rather than life-long security (Italian job security had traditionally been among the best in Europe). Over a quarter of Italy’s working population have short-term contracts.
Unemployment benefits are virtually non-existent in Italy and less than 25 per cent of the country’s unemployed are eligible for any form of unemployment compensation, and families have traditionally been expected to support their unemployed members. There’s no national scheme or assistance for the long-term unemployed in Italy, although there’s a limited degree of support for low-income families in the south.
Qualifications
What qualifications are needed to work in Italy?
The most important qualification for working in Italy is the ability to speak Italian.
Once you’ve overcome this hurdle you should establish whether your trade or professional qualifications and experience are recognised in Italy. If you aren’t experienced, Italian employers expect studies to be in a relevant subject and to have included work experience.
Professional or trade qualifications are necessary to work in most fields in Italy and qualifications are also often needed to be self-employed or start a business. It isn’t just a matter of hanging up a sign and waiting for the stampede of customers to your door. Many foreign artisans and traders are required to undergo a ‘business’ course before they can start work in Italy.
Under EU regulations, when a qualified professional from another European member state wishes to pursue his career in Italy or another member state, all qualifications and professional experience are to be taken into consideration. If the diplomas held are equivalent to those required under national legislation for working in a specified field, then a qualified professional is authorised to set up a practice.
Italy defines the rules and regulations to be followed when setting up a practice and rights concerning trade unions, working conditions and employee contracts are the same as for Italian nationals. You must apply to the professional body for your profession for permission to set up a practice and to have your qualifications recognised.
Theoretically, qualifications recognised by professional and trade bodies in one EU country should be recognised in Italy. However, recognition varies from country to country and in some cases foreign qualifications aren’t recognised by Italian employers or professional and trade associations. All academic qualifications should also be recognised, although they may be given less prominence than equivalent Italian qualifications, depending on the country and the educational establishment.
A ruling by the European Court in 1992 declared that where EU examinations are of a similar standard with just certain areas of difference, then individuals should be required to take exams only in those particular areas. In some trades and professions, you must prove that you’ve been practising as a self-employed person for a certain period of time, generally five or six years.
In order to set up and operate a professional practice, you must produce (in Italian) a certificate of equivalence ( certificato di equipollenza) document from the ministry concerned, stating that your qualifications are equivalent to Italian qualifications. You must provide evidence that you satisfy the requirements regarding character and repute, and have not been declared bankrupt. You need a residence permit ( certificato di residenza), an identity document and proof of citizenship, and are informed within 30 days if further documents or evidence are required. In certain cases, you may be required to take an aptitude test or in exceptional cases undergo a period of training for up to three years.
The recognition of your qualifications entitles you to register in the professional rolls and to practise your profession according to the requirements of the Italian state. If, however, your profession isn’t regulated in Italy, you don’t need to apply for recognition of your qualifications and can begin practising under the same conditions as Italian nationals.
Italy (and other EU states) may reserve certain posts for their nationals if the jobs involve the exercise of powers conferred by public law and the safeguarding of the general interests of the state or local authorities, for example, the diplomatic service, police, judiciary and the armed forces. However, most public sector jobs in the areas of health, education, the provision of commercial services and research for civil purposes are open to all EU nationals and aren’t subject to any restrictions on the grounds of nationality. Access to public sector jobs varies from one country to another and you should contact the Italian authorities for information regarding specific jobs.
All EU member states publish occupation information sheets containing a common job description with a table of qualifications. These cover a large number of trades and are intended to help someone with the relevant qualifications look for a job in another EU country. You can obtain a direct comparison between any EU qualification and those recognised in Italy from the Italian branch of the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC). For information about equivalent academic and professional qualifications in Italy contact CIMEA, Fondazione Rui, Viale Ventuno Aprile, 36, 00162 Rome (Tel. 06-8632 1281) or the Presidenza Consiglio Ministri,Ministerio Coordinamento Politiche Communitarie, Via Giardino Theodoli, 66, 00186 Rome (Tel. 06-6779 5322).
In Britain, information about academic qualifications can be obtained from NARIC, ECCTIS, Oriel House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Glos. GL50 1XP (Tel. 01242-260010, www.naric.org.uk ) and information about the recognition of professional qualifications from the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI Enquiry Unit, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET (Tel. 020-7215 5000, www. dti.gov.uk ). You can also check whether trades and professions are officially recognised on the European Union website (http://citizens.eu.int ).
Job hunting
How to look for a job in Italy
Job hunting includes the following resources:
NewspapersMost national, regional and local newspapers contain a situations vacant or jobs section ( Offerte di Lavoro or Offerte di Collaborazione) on certain days of the week. The Milan daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, publishes a Corriere Lavoro (www.corriere.it/corrierelavoro ) job supplement on Fridays and the financial newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore, publishes Cerco Lavoro – Giovani for college graduates on Mondays and also publishes a Lavoro & Carriere supplement.
There are also specialised local and national newspapers for job seekers such as Il Posto (the job) and Il Concorso (which lists civil service and local government jobs) in Naples, Trova Lavoro andBollettino Del Lavoro (www.bollettinodellavoro.it ), a monthly publication available at employment offices and libraries. Jobs are also advertised in industry and trade newspapers and magazines. Ask the locals which publications and days are best for job ads. in your area.
Most major newspapers and magazines have websites where you can usually access their ‘situations vacant’ sections free of charge and local and national newspapers are available in libraries, bars and cafés in Italy, so you don’t always need to buy them. Italian newspapers are also available abroad from international news agencies, trade and commercial centres, expatriate organisations and social clubs (although they don’t always contain the ‘appointments’ or ‘situations vacant’ sections).
Most professions and trade associations publish journals containing job offers (see Benn’s Media Directory Europe) and jobs are also advertised in various English-language publications, including theInternational Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal Europe, Wanted in Rome and other local publications.
You can also place an advertisement in the ‘situations wanted’ section of a local newspaper in Italy in an area where you would like to work. If you’re a member of a recognised profession or trade, you could place an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine dedicated to your profession or industry. It’s best to place an advert in the middle of the week and avoid the summer and other holiday periods.
Employment OfficesVisit local employment offices ( uffici di collocamento) and other offices in Italy (see our section on Employment Agencies). Jobs on offer are mainly non-professional skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled jobs, particularly in industry, retailing and catering.
Information Centres And LibrariesLocal information centres ( informagiovani) are useful for information about jobs, job hunting, education and training, for more details visit their website (www.informagiovani.it ). Main libraries also provide a range of resources for job seekers, although they don’t specifically provide advice and assistance for the unemployed, as in some other countries.
Recruitment AgenciesApply to international recruitment agencies acting for Italian companies and foreign companies in Italy. These companies chiefly help to recruit executives and key personnel, and many have offices world-wide, including in many Italian cities (see our section onEmployment Agencies). Some Italian agencies may find positions only for Italian and EU nationals or foreigners with a residence permit.
Chambers Of CommerceForeign chambers of commerce ( camera di commercio) in Italy maintain lists of their member companies doing business (or with subsidiaries) in Italy. British nationals can join the British chamber of commerce in Italy, Via Dante, 12, 20121 Milan (Tel. 02-877 798 or 8056 094, www.britchamitaly.com ) for between €140 and €1,200, for a range of different memberships and benefits. Italian chambers of commerce abroad are also a useful source of information, as areEuro Info Centres (EIC) found in the major cities of EU countries.Infoimprese (www.infoimprese.it) is a useful website of Italian chambers of commerce with information on companies.
InternetThe Internet provides access to hundreds of sites for job-seekers, including corporate websites, recruitment companies (see our section on Internet) and newspaper job advertisements (you can use a search engine to find them).
Unsolicited Applications To CompaniesApply to American, British and other multi-national companies with offices or subsidiaries in Italy, and make written applications direct to Italian companies.
Italian companies are listed by products, services and province in Kompass Italy and directories, available at libraries in Italy, and main libraries and Italian chambers of commerce abroad.
Making unsolicited job applications is naturally a hit and miss affair. It can, however, be more successful than responding to advertisements, as you aren’t usually competing with other applicants. Some companies recruit a large percentage of employees through unsolicited applications. When applying for jobs, address your letter to the personnel director ( capo del personale) and include your CV (in Italian), and copies of references and qualifications. If possible, offer to attend an interview and tell them when you’re available.
Letters should be tailored to individual companies and professionally translated if your Italian isn’t perfect. Some Italian companies require hand-written letters from job applicants and may submit them to graphologists. When writing from abroad, enclosing an international reply coupon may help to elicit a response.
NetworkingNetworking basically involves getting together with like-minded people to discuss business. It’s particularly useful in Italy, where people use personal contacts for everything from looking for jobs to finding accommodation. In fact, a personal recommendation (raccomandati) is often the best way to find employment in Italy, where nepotism and favouritism are rife. When looking for a job in Italy, it isn’t necessarily what you know but who you know.
It’s difficult for most foreigners to make contacts among Italians and therefore many turn to the expatriate community, particularly in Rome and Milan. If you’re already in Italy, you can contact or join local expatriate social clubs, churches, societies and professional organisations. Finally, don’t forget to ask your friends and acquaintances working in Italy if they know of an employer seeking someone with your experience and qualifications.
Personal ApplicationsYour best chance of obtaining certain jobs in Italy is to apply in person, when success is often simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Many companies don’t advertise at all, but rely on attracting workers by word of mouth and by their own vacancy boards. Shops and supermarkets often put vacancy notices in their windows or have notice boards where employers can advertise jobs, although these are generally for temporary or part-time help only.
It’s recommended to leave your name and address with a prospective employer and, if possible, a telephone number where you can be contacted, particularly when a job may become vacant at a moment’s notice. Advertise the fact that you’re looking for a job, not only with friends, relatives and acquaintances, but with anyone you come into contact with who may be able to help. You can give lady luck a helping hand with your persistence and enterprise by:
When leaving a job in Italy, it’s wise to ask for a written reference (which isn’t usually provided automatically), particularly if you plan to look for further work in Italy or you think your work experience will help you find work in another country.
How to survive Italian bureaucracy
Although Dante didn’t know it at the time, he perfectly described the labyrinth of Italian government offices and bureaucracy when he wrote ‘Abandon hope all who enter here’.
Italian bureaucrats would appear to love red tape and have invented official papers and stamps for every possible occasion and purpose. Just finding the right office is a challenge and when you finally locate it, it’s invariably closed (many offices open on a few days per week for a couple of hours only). You even need documents to obtain other documents and the laws governing the issue and use of these documents are frequently incomprehensible.
For example, in what other country can your birth certificate be printed with varying information, on two kinds of official paper, have varying costs, and expire if you fail to renew it? Once you have the correct documents, they must be officially translated and numerous copies made. Wander into any post office, police headquarters or government office and you hear a chorus of stamping and banging while long lines of confused Italians pray that they’re in the right place and the right line for the document required. If all this bureaucracy is bewildering for Italians, just imagine how it is to foreigners!
The situation isn’t helped by the fact that the Italian judicial system is based upon a simple law: La Legge non ammette l’ignoranza – The Law doesn’t admit ignorance. Laws have been created to govern everything under the Italian sun, but there’s no official process of communicating or explaining them to the general public. This leaves the responsibility of gathering information entirely to the individual with little or no help from the state.
A plethora of documentation is necessary to obtain a visa, stay, residence or work permit. Unfortunately, not all the official information explaining how to obtain this documentation is readily available or interpreted in the same way, making the tortured road to obtaining visas and permits fraught with dead ends and U-turns. Due to the difficulties in conforming to Italian laws and documentation, there are official ‘document agencies’ which can obtain documents and make applications on your behalf (listed in the yellow pages under certificati, agenzie).
When dealing with Italian bureaucracy, try to remain composed and polite (even when you feel like strangling the person behind the counter) and if your Italian isn’t excellent take someone with you who’s fluent (most officials speak only Italian). Never take anything for granted where Italian civil servants ( servitori civili) are concerned, and make sure that you understand all communications. If in doubt have someone translate them for you.
Since February 1999, many official documents have been abolished and substituted by a simple auto-certification, usually written on a printed form ( modulo) available in public offices. However, local officials may not be aware of this and you may be asked to provide documents that are no longer required. The good news is that the government is trying to reduce bureaucracy and provide more access to information, particularly via the Internet, e.g. www.governo.it .
Visitors
Who doesn't need a visa to visit Italy?
European Union (EU) nationals don’t require a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
Citizens of the following countries don’t require a visa for stays of between 30 and 90 days depending on the country (check with your local Italian embassy or consulate):
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, (South) Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Samoa, San Christopher and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.
All other nationalities require a visa to visit Italy for any period.
Citizens of many EU countries can visit Italy with a national identity card, while all others require a full passport. However, while identity cards are accepted at all points of entry to Italy, the Italian authorities may not accept them when applying for a permit to stay. If you’re an EU national and wish to remain in Italy for longer than 90 days, it’s therefore highly recommended to enter with a full passport.
Since 1st August 1998, Italy, along with a number of other EU member states, has issued a new kind of visa for visitors called the ‘Schengen visa’. This allows the holder to move freely between Schengen countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain). To obtain a Schengen visa, you must hold a passport or travel document recognised by all the Schengen member states and valid for at least three months beyond the validity of the visa. You can apply for a Schengen visa, which is valid for 90 days within a six-month period, from the consulate of the country that’s your main destination or the one you intend to visit first.
A Schengen visa isn’t the appropriate visa if you wish to remain in a member state, including Italy, for longer than 90 days, study, take up employment or establish a trade or profession. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you must obtain an extension of your visa from the local police headquarters, although this isn’t a right and cannot be taken for granted (you need a good reason and proof of financial resources) and must obtain a permit to stay. However, if your passport hasn’t been stamped (which is likely, particularly for EU nationals), the authorities have no way of knowing when you entered the country, so the system is ‘flexible’.
The Italian immigration authorities may require non-EU visitors to produce a return ticket and proof of accommodation, health insurance and financial resources.
When you stay with friends in Italy (rather than, for example, at a hotel or campsite) for longer than three days, you’re officially required to register with the local police, although in practice few short-stay visitors comply with this. Failure to register is punishable by a fine of up to around €220.
EU nationals who visit Italy to seek employment or start a business have 90 days in which to find a job or apply for permit to stay, although if you haven’t found employment or have insufficient funds, your application will be refused. If you’re a non-EU national, it isn’t possible to enter Italy as a tourist and change your status to that of an employee, student or resident, and you must return to your country of residence and apply for the appropriate visa.
Visas
Who needs a visa and documentation required
EU nationals don’t require visas for visits to Italy but require a permit to stay if they plan to remain longer than 90 days.
Non-EU nationals need a ‘residence visa’ ( visto per ragioni di dimora) to enter Italy with a view to staying more than 90 days and may need one for a visit of a shorter duration. Applications should be made at an Italian consulate abroad well in advance of your planned departure date. Visas may be valid for a single entry only or for multiple entries within a limited period. A visa is in the form of an adhesive sticker (not a stamp) inserted in your passport, which must be valid until at least three months after the visa expires.
Visas are issued for many reasons, each of which has its own abbreviation (sigla). These include tourism (A), business (B), religion (C), diplomatic service (D), domicile (DM), joining family (F), dependent work (L-1), self-employment (L-2), artistic work (L-3), medical care (M), mission (MS), study (S), sporting activity (SP), re-entry (R), transit (T), airport transit (TA) and visiting family (V).
The type of visa issued depends on the purpose of your visit and the length of your stay, and determines the type of permit to stay that’s issued after you arrive in Italy. If you plan to stay in Italy for longer than six months, you must ensure that you obtain a visa that’s valid for at least a year; otherwise you will be able to obtain a permit to stay for only six months and won’t be able to renew it.
Some of the documentation you may need to apply for a visa, mainly concerning permission to work, must be obtained in Italy. Although your prospective employer normally handles this on your behalf, your presence in Italy can help to speed up the process.
If you plan to start a business or work freelance, you must also register at the local tax office ( intendenza di finanza) and chamber of commerce ( camera di commercio) or professional registrar ( albo dei professionisti), and present the documents from these agencies together with your visa application. This can be a costly and time-consuming process, as once the documentation is obtained you must return to your country of residence to apply for the visa. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile.
Another reason you may decide to visit Italy to obtain documents in connection with a visa application is simply to obtain proof that you’ve been in Italy. This evidence may be important, as the Italian government is continually changing the immigration laws. For example, a law passed by the Italian government in October 1998 included a remedy clause ( sanatoria) stating that all non-EU citizens who could prove their presence in Italy before 27th March 1998 could apply for a permit to stay without having to obtain a visa from their country of residence. This wasn’t the first time a new immigration law included this kind of clause, nor will it be the last.
Having obtained the necessary paperwork, an application for a visa must be made to your local Italian consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence. It may be possible to make an application by post, but in other cases you’re required to attend in person. If you decide to apply in person (or have no choice), bear in mind that there are invariably long queues at consulates in major cities (take a thick book). The documentation required for a visa application depends on the purpose of your visit to Italy. All applicants require:
- a passport valid for at least three months beyond the validity of the requested visa with a blank page to affix the visa sticker;
- a number of black and white, passport-size photographs on a white background.
Depending on the urpose of your visit, you may require some of the following (note that some consulates may require both originals and photocopies):
- Proof of residence in the country from which you’re applying;
- Proof or travel arrangements showing your name and exact dates of entry into and exit from Italy (if applicable);
- Proof of financial resources (see below);
- A health insurance certificate if you aren’t eligible for health treatment under Italian social security or through your employer;
- Employees require an authorisation to work in Italy issued by the Italian Department of Labour (see below);
- Students require proof of admission from an approved educational establishment (see below);
- A non-EU national married to an Italian citizen or to a foreigner who’s resident in Italy, requires a marriage certificate;
- Applicants under 18 need written authorisation from a parent or guardian.
Many of the above documents must be translated into Italian. All translations must be done by a translator approved by your local consulate, a list of whom ( elenco di traduttori) is provided by Italian consulates on request.
Many documents need tax stamps ( marche da bollo) affixed to them, and in many cases requests for official documents must be made on special lined paper ( carta da bollo), to which a tax stamp must be attached. The standard stamp ( bollo) for administrative documents (atti civili) costs €10.33 and can be purchased from a tobacconist (tabacchi).
Proof Of Financial Resources: Proof of financial resources or financial support may take the form of bank statements, letters from banks confirming arrangements for the regular transfer of funds from abroad, or letters from family or friends guaranteeing regular support. Letters should be notarised. Students may submit a letter from an organisation or institution guaranteeing accommodation or evidence of a scholarship or grant. Retired people should take their pension book or copies of recent pension cheques. Proof of financial resources isn’t required by someone coming to Italy to take up paid employment.
Authorisation To Work: A non-EU national wishing to work in Italy requires an authorisation to work issued by the local Department of Labour office ( Ispettorato Provinciale del Lavoro) where the business is registered. This must in turn be authorised by the local police headquarters who stamp it nulla osta (literally ‘nothing hinders’) on the back. This document must be obtained by your prospective employer in Italy and be sent to you in your country of residence for presentation at an Italian consulate with your other documents. Be warned, however, that for non-EU nationals, obtaining authorisation to work is a highly bureaucratic and time-consuming process. It can take a year or more, and unless you’re employed by an Italian company in your own country or are living in Italy already, it’s rare to find an employer in Italy who’s willing to go to the trouble involved.
Proof Of Admission: Students require proof of admission from an approved school or university in Italy indicating when their studies start and end. The letter must either have the seal of the school or be notarised. If your studies are sponsored by an educational institution in your home country (or country of residence), you should also have a letter from the institution concerned confirming this. This must also contain the seal of the school or be notarised.
There’s a fee for a visa, which can vary considerably. It can take up to a month to obtain a routine visa or up to 90 days in ‘difficult’ cases. A visa is usually valid for a first entry within 60 days.
If you require a visa to enter Italy and attempt to enter without one, you will be refused entry. If you’re in doubt as to whether you require a visa to enter Italy, enquire at an Italian consulate abroad before making travel plans.
If you required a visa to enter Italy and have entered the country and obtained a permit to stay, you may still require a re-entry visa to return to Italy after a trip abroad. This must be obtained from your local police headquarters before leaving Italy.
Permits To Stay
Types of permits to stay
All foreigners ( extracomunitari) planning to remain in Italy for longer than 90 days must apply for a ‘permit to stay’ ( permesso di soggiorno or carta di soggiorno) at the local police headquarters ( questura) within eight days of their arrival.
The latest immigration law (passed in October 1998) changed the name of permits to stay for EU citizens from permesso di soggiorno tocarta di soggiorno, even though the substance of the permit has remained the same. However, this isn’t common knowledge and not all local police headquarters are aware of the change in name. Don’t be surprised, therefore, if you apply for a permesso di soggiorno and receive a carta di soggiorno or vice versa. To avoid confusion, the more commonly used term, permesso di soggiorno, is used throughout this article to refer to all types of permits to stay.
A permit to stay isn’t a residence permit, which must be applied for after you have your permit to stay, if you wish to become a formal resident.
It can take up to three months to obtain a permit, which can be issued only for the purpose stated on your visa. There are many types of permit to stay, the most common of which include the following:
- Permesso di soggiorno per turismo – for tourists. Technically anyone visiting Italy for over a week who isn’t staying in a hotel, boarding house or an official campsite should apply for one, although in practice this rarely happens;
- Permesso di soggiorno per coesione familiare – for the foreign spouse and children of an Italian citizen when they move to Italy together;
- Permesso di soggiorno per lavoro – a work permit for an employee (see Employees below);
- Permesso di soggiorno per lavoro autonomo/indipendente – for independent or freelance workers (see Self-Employed below);
- Permesso di soggiorno per studio – for students (see Students below);
- Permesso di soggiorno per ricongiungimento familiare – for the spouse, children (under 18) and dependent parents of foreigners married to Italian citizens and also for family members from overseas who come to join others already in Italy (see Family Members below);
- Permesso di soggiorno per dimora – for foreigners establishing residence in Italy who don’t intend to work or study (see Non-Employed Residents below).
There are also permits to stay for various other special classes, including refugees and employees of religious missions. If you’re a non-EU citizen and haven’t obtained a specific visa, the local police headquarters normally issue you with a permit for tourism ( permesso di soggiorno per turismo). This is valid for three months only and isn’t renewable, nor may it be modified for any other purpose. You may not apply for residence with this permit or study, take up employment or establish a business, trade or profession.
EmployeesIf you’re a national of an EU member country (your passport must show that you have the right of abode in an EU country), you don’t require official approval to live or work in Italy, although you still require a permit to stay ( permesso di soggiorno per lavoro).
If you’re unemployed, you have the right to live in Italy for a ‘reasonable period’ of time in order to look for a job. However, no matter how long you take to find a job, you cannot be asked to leave the country if you can prove that you’re still seriously looking for employment and have a real chance of finding work (for example, you still have interviews to attend or tests to undergo).
In certain circumstances, if you’re receiving unemployment benefit in one EU country, you may continue to receive that benefit for up to three months in Italy. To do so, you must apply to the authorities in the country that pays your unemployment benefit.
EU nationals who visit Italy with the intention of finding a job should apply at the foreigners’ office ( ufficio stranieri) at the local police headquarters for a permit ( ricevuta di segnalazione di siggiorno) within eight days, which entitles them to remain in Italy for three months while looking for a job. When you’ve found work, you take thericevuta together with a letter from your employer confirming your employment to the police headquarters to obtain a permit to stay. You must also apply for a work permit ( permesso di lavoro, which is valid only for as long as you’re employed and is available to both residents and non-residents.
Non-EU nationals require an ‘entry visa for reasons of work’ ( visto d’ingresso per motivi di lavoro), which they must obtain in their home country or country of residence. All employees except managers and executives ( dirigenti) require a workers’ registration card ( libretto di lavoro) from the Provincial Inspectorate of Work ( Inspettorato Provinciale del Lavoro), which is valid for ten years. It’s a booklet that employees (whether Italian citizens or foreigners) require in order to be legally employed, which serves as an employment record (the start and end dates of all periods of employment are entered in it).
Italy has restrictions on the employment of non-EU nationals, which have been strengthened in recent years due to the high unemployment rate (around 8.9 per cent). The 1998 Immigration Law introduced a quota system that restricts the number of freelance people of any nationality and category allowed into the country each year.
Uncertainty in the interpretation of the new rules, especially in consulates abroad, is making it difficult and long-winded for foreigners to work in Italy legally. However, thousands of non-EU nationals are being employed due to a severe shortage of semi-skilled and skilled workers in the north (the north-east in particular). Employers are putting pressure on the government for immigration quotas to be handled by the regions, according to local employment needs, while the politicians would prefer to create jobs for southern Italians.
Work permits for non-EU nationals must be obtained outside Italy, where an application for work authorisation (autorizzazione al lavoro) must be made at your local Italian embassy. The employment of non-EU nationals must be approved by the Italian labour authorities, who can propose the employment of an EU national in place of a foreigner (although this is rare). Note that it’s impossible to convert a tourist visa into a work visa and therefore if you’re a non-EU national and need a visa to work in Italy, you must obtain it before your arrival in the country. There’s nothing to stop you visiting Italy as a tourist in order to find a job, but you cannot work without going home and applying for a work visa (which can take months to obtain).
Self-EmployedIf you’re an EU-national or a permanent resident with a certificato di residenza you can work as self-employed ( lavora in proprio) or as a sole trader ( commerciante in proprio) in Italy. If you wish to work as self-employed in a profession or start a freelance business in Italy, you must meet certain legal requirements and register with the appropriate organisations, e.g. the local chamber of commerce (camera di commercio).
Note that a standard permit to stay doesn’t automatically allow you to work as self-employed and needs to be changed to a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro autonomo, which depends on your nationality and status.
Under Italian law, a self-employed person must have an official status and it’s illegal to simply hang up a sign and start business. People setting up in a self-employed capacity must provide evidence of their status, such as membership of a professional or trade body, a VAT number, or registration on a trade register.
Members of some professions and trades must have certain qualifications and certificates recognised in Italy. You should never be tempted to start work before you’re registered as there are harsh penalties, which may include a large fine, confiscation of machinery or tools, deportation and a ban from entering Italy for a number of years.
EU nationals are entitled to work as a self-employed person (or an employee) without waiting for a residence permit to be issued. This document is merely a means of proof and not a condition of your entitlement to live in the country. If you’re an EU national and obtained a residence permit as an employee, this doesn’t prevent you from changing status during its period of validity and setting up in a self-employed capacity.
StudentsNon-EU nationals wishing to study in Italy must prove that they’re enrolled (or have been accepted) at an approved educational establishment for the principal purpose of following a course of education or vocational training. You must also prove that you’re covered by health insurance and provide a declaration in writing that you have sufficient resources to pay for your studies and for living expenses for yourself and any members of your family accompanying you.
Foreign students wishing to attend university in Italy should apply to the Italian consulate in their country of residence. They will send you a list of the documents required, which include an application form where you’re required to select four universities in order of preference and, for EU students, a form E111 (certificate of entitlement to health treatment).
Once they’ve received your completed application, the consulate sends EU citizens an identity card stamped with a consul’s visa, while non-EU students receive a student visa. You must present these documents to the police headquarters within eight days of arriving in Italy in order to obtain a student’s permit to stay ( permesso di soggiorno per studio) which is valid for a maximum of one year only.
Au pairs wishing to work in Italy are generally advised to obtain a study rather than a work visa if they’re planning to stay in the country for longer than 90 days. Because the ‘pocket money’ they receive isn’t considered a salary, the au pair agencies say that technically there’s no need for them to obtain a work visa.
Family MembersFamily members of Italian citizens or EU nationals don’t require a visa to enter Italy if they’re also Italian citizens or EU nationals. If you’re an EU national, members of your family, whatever their nationality, may go with you and take advantage of their right to live in Italy. Your family is defined as your spouse, children under 21 (or dependent on you), as well as your parents and your spouse’s parents, if they’re also dependent on you.
If you’re a student, the right of residence is limited to your spouse and dependent children. If members of your family aren’t EU nationals, they may, however, require an entry visa, which should be granted free of charge and without undue formalities. There are two main types: the visto per coesione familiare and the visto per ricongiungimento familiare. The former is required when all family members are currently living outside Italy, while the latter is necessary when some family members are already living in the country. In the latter case, those living outside Italy must apply for a visa at an Italian consulate in their country of residence as usual, and their Italian relatives in Italy must also visit their local police headquarters to file an application for their relatives to join them.
For both visas, in addition to the usual documents you also need documents proving your family connections, e.g. a marriage licence (dispensa matrimoniale). Non-EU family members don’t have the right to work in Italy unless they have their own work visa.
The right to travel enjoyed by non-EU members of your family under EU law isn’t an independent right, and it applies only when they’re accompanied by an Italian or EU national. Accordingly, they aren’t entitled to the visa facilities available under EU legislation when they’re travelling alone. On the other hand, non-EU members of your family don’t require an entry visa if they wish to travel to another country, provided they’re in possession of their identity document and residence permit.
Non-Employed ResidentsRetired and non-active EU nationals don’t require a visa before moving to Italy, but an application for a permit to stay ( permesso di soggiorno per dimora) must be made within eight days of your arrival. Non-EU nationals require a residence visa to live in Italy for longer than 90 days. All non-employed residents must prove that they have an adequate income ( reddito) or financial resources to live in Italy without working.
You’re usually considered to have adequate resources if your income is at least equal to the basic Italian state pension of around €7,740 per year for each adult member of a family (although you’re unlikely to be able to live on it!). This can be a regular income such as a salary or pension, or funds held in a bank account.
All foreign residents (including EU residents) who don’t qualify for medical treatment under the Italian national health service ( servizio sanitario nazionale/SSN) must have private health insurance and be able to support themselves without resorting to state funds. EU nationals in receipt of a state pension are usually eligible for medical treatment under the SSN, but require form E-121 from their home country’s social security administration as evidence.
If you’re an EU national and have lived and worked in Italy for over three years, you’re entitled to remain there after you’ve reached retirement or re-retirement age, although if you retire before the official retirement age you won’t be entitled to a state pension.
Frontier WorkersFrontier workers are defined as people working in Italy but residing outside the country and returning there at least once a week. Frontier workers don’t require a permit to stay but must apply for a frontier worker’s card at the police headquarters nearest to their place of employment and produce evidence of their employment status and residence abroad.
EU rules on social security contain certain specific provisions for cross-border workers who are covered by EU social security legislation in the same way as all the other categories of people. You’re entitled to receive sickness benefits in kind in either your country of residence or your country of employment, but if you’re registered as unemployed you’re only entitled to claim unemployment benefit in your country of residence.
Employment prospects
Italy has a relatively high unemployment rate, which was officially running at around 8.9 per cent (in the north around 5 per cent, in central Italy 6 per cent and in the south 21 per cent) of the workforce in October 2002.
As already indicated, unemployment varies according to the region and in the impoverished south it’s as high as 50 per cent in some areas, where the youth has traditionally migrated to the north or abroad in search of work.
Unemployment is a disaster for Italy’s youth; some 30 per cent of young people in the under 25-age group are unemployed, many of whom have little prospect of finding a job. It’s difficult for young Italians to get a foothold on the employment ladder due to lack of experience and many young people, even university graduates, attend vocational high schools or special programmes to gain work experience.
Although unemployment has hit manufacturing industries the hardest, no sector has survived unscathed, including the flourishing service industries. Some of the hardest-hit industries have been construction, electronics, communications, the media and banking, all traditionally strong sectors. Many companies have periodic bans on recruitment and expect many employees to accept short-term contracts, rather than life-long security (Italian job security had traditionally been among the best in Europe). Over a quarter of Italy’s working population have short-term contracts.
Unemployment benefits are virtually non-existent in Italy and less than 25 per cent of the country’s unemployed are eligible for any form of unemployment compensation, and families have traditionally been expected to support their unemployed members. There’s no national scheme or assistance for the long-term unemployed in Italy, although there’s a limited degree of support for low-income families in the south.
Qualifications
What qualifications are needed to work in Italy?
The most important qualification for working in Italy is the ability to speak Italian.
Once you’ve overcome this hurdle you should establish whether your trade or professional qualifications and experience are recognised in Italy. If you aren’t experienced, Italian employers expect studies to be in a relevant subject and to have included work experience.
Professional or trade qualifications are necessary to work in most fields in Italy and qualifications are also often needed to be self-employed or start a business. It isn’t just a matter of hanging up a sign and waiting for the stampede of customers to your door. Many foreign artisans and traders are required to undergo a ‘business’ course before they can start work in Italy.
Under EU regulations, when a qualified professional from another European member state wishes to pursue his career in Italy or another member state, all qualifications and professional experience are to be taken into consideration. If the diplomas held are equivalent to those required under national legislation for working in a specified field, then a qualified professional is authorised to set up a practice.
Italy defines the rules and regulations to be followed when setting up a practice and rights concerning trade unions, working conditions and employee contracts are the same as for Italian nationals. You must apply to the professional body for your profession for permission to set up a practice and to have your qualifications recognised.
Theoretically, qualifications recognised by professional and trade bodies in one EU country should be recognised in Italy. However, recognition varies from country to country and in some cases foreign qualifications aren’t recognised by Italian employers or professional and trade associations. All academic qualifications should also be recognised, although they may be given less prominence than equivalent Italian qualifications, depending on the country and the educational establishment.
A ruling by the European Court in 1992 declared that where EU examinations are of a similar standard with just certain areas of difference, then individuals should be required to take exams only in those particular areas. In some trades and professions, you must prove that you’ve been practising as a self-employed person for a certain period of time, generally five or six years.
In order to set up and operate a professional practice, you must produce (in Italian) a certificate of equivalence ( certificato di equipollenza) document from the ministry concerned, stating that your qualifications are equivalent to Italian qualifications. You must provide evidence that you satisfy the requirements regarding character and repute, and have not been declared bankrupt. You need a residence permit ( certificato di residenza), an identity document and proof of citizenship, and are informed within 30 days if further documents or evidence are required. In certain cases, you may be required to take an aptitude test or in exceptional cases undergo a period of training for up to three years.
The recognition of your qualifications entitles you to register in the professional rolls and to practise your profession according to the requirements of the Italian state. If, however, your profession isn’t regulated in Italy, you don’t need to apply for recognition of your qualifications and can begin practising under the same conditions as Italian nationals.
Italy (and other EU states) may reserve certain posts for their nationals if the jobs involve the exercise of powers conferred by public law and the safeguarding of the general interests of the state or local authorities, for example, the diplomatic service, police, judiciary and the armed forces. However, most public sector jobs in the areas of health, education, the provision of commercial services and research for civil purposes are open to all EU nationals and aren’t subject to any restrictions on the grounds of nationality. Access to public sector jobs varies from one country to another and you should contact the Italian authorities for information regarding specific jobs.
All EU member states publish occupation information sheets containing a common job description with a table of qualifications. These cover a large number of trades and are intended to help someone with the relevant qualifications look for a job in another EU country. You can obtain a direct comparison between any EU qualification and those recognised in Italy from the Italian branch of the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC). For information about equivalent academic and professional qualifications in Italy contact CIMEA, Fondazione Rui, Viale Ventuno Aprile, 36, 00162 Rome (Tel. 06-8632 1281) or the Presidenza Consiglio Ministri,Ministerio Coordinamento Politiche Communitarie, Via Giardino Theodoli, 66, 00186 Rome (Tel. 06-6779 5322).
In Britain, information about academic qualifications can be obtained from NARIC, ECCTIS, Oriel House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Glos. GL50 1XP (Tel. 01242-260010, www.naric.org.uk ) and information about the recognition of professional qualifications from the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI Enquiry Unit, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET (Tel. 020-7215 5000, www. dti.gov.uk ). You can also check whether trades and professions are officially recognised on the European Union website (http://citizens.eu.int ).
Job hunting
How to look for a job in Italy
Job hunting includes the following resources:
NewspapersMost national, regional and local newspapers contain a situations vacant or jobs section ( Offerte di Lavoro or Offerte di Collaborazione) on certain days of the week. The Milan daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, publishes a Corriere Lavoro (www.corriere.it/corrierelavoro ) job supplement on Fridays and the financial newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore, publishes Cerco Lavoro – Giovani for college graduates on Mondays and also publishes a Lavoro & Carriere supplement.
There are also specialised local and national newspapers for job seekers such as Il Posto (the job) and Il Concorso (which lists civil service and local government jobs) in Naples, Trova Lavoro andBollettino Del Lavoro (www.bollettinodellavoro.it ), a monthly publication available at employment offices and libraries. Jobs are also advertised in industry and trade newspapers and magazines. Ask the locals which publications and days are best for job ads. in your area.
Most major newspapers and magazines have websites where you can usually access their ‘situations vacant’ sections free of charge and local and national newspapers are available in libraries, bars and cafés in Italy, so you don’t always need to buy them. Italian newspapers are also available abroad from international news agencies, trade and commercial centres, expatriate organisations and social clubs (although they don’t always contain the ‘appointments’ or ‘situations vacant’ sections).
Most professions and trade associations publish journals containing job offers (see Benn’s Media Directory Europe) and jobs are also advertised in various English-language publications, including theInternational Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal Europe, Wanted in Rome and other local publications.
You can also place an advertisement in the ‘situations wanted’ section of a local newspaper in Italy in an area where you would like to work. If you’re a member of a recognised profession or trade, you could place an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine dedicated to your profession or industry. It’s best to place an advert in the middle of the week and avoid the summer and other holiday periods.
Employment OfficesVisit local employment offices ( uffici di collocamento) and other offices in Italy (see our section on Employment Agencies). Jobs on offer are mainly non-professional skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled jobs, particularly in industry, retailing and catering.
Information Centres And LibrariesLocal information centres ( informagiovani) are useful for information about jobs, job hunting, education and training, for more details visit their website (www.informagiovani.it ). Main libraries also provide a range of resources for job seekers, although they don’t specifically provide advice and assistance for the unemployed, as in some other countries.
Recruitment AgenciesApply to international recruitment agencies acting for Italian companies and foreign companies in Italy. These companies chiefly help to recruit executives and key personnel, and many have offices world-wide, including in many Italian cities (see our section onEmployment Agencies). Some Italian agencies may find positions only for Italian and EU nationals or foreigners with a residence permit.
Chambers Of CommerceForeign chambers of commerce ( camera di commercio) in Italy maintain lists of their member companies doing business (or with subsidiaries) in Italy. British nationals can join the British chamber of commerce in Italy, Via Dante, 12, 20121 Milan (Tel. 02-877 798 or 8056 094, www.britchamitaly.com ) for between €140 and €1,200, for a range of different memberships and benefits. Italian chambers of commerce abroad are also a useful source of information, as areEuro Info Centres (EIC) found in the major cities of EU countries.Infoimprese (www.infoimprese.it) is a useful website of Italian chambers of commerce with information on companies.
InternetThe Internet provides access to hundreds of sites for job-seekers, including corporate websites, recruitment companies (see our section on Internet) and newspaper job advertisements (you can use a search engine to find them).
Unsolicited Applications To CompaniesApply to American, British and other multi-national companies with offices or subsidiaries in Italy, and make written applications direct to Italian companies.
Italian companies are listed by products, services and province in Kompass Italy and directories, available at libraries in Italy, and main libraries and Italian chambers of commerce abroad.
Making unsolicited job applications is naturally a hit and miss affair. It can, however, be more successful than responding to advertisements, as you aren’t usually competing with other applicants. Some companies recruit a large percentage of employees through unsolicited applications. When applying for jobs, address your letter to the personnel director ( capo del personale) and include your CV (in Italian), and copies of references and qualifications. If possible, offer to attend an interview and tell them when you’re available.
Letters should be tailored to individual companies and professionally translated if your Italian isn’t perfect. Some Italian companies require hand-written letters from job applicants and may submit them to graphologists. When writing from abroad, enclosing an international reply coupon may help to elicit a response.
NetworkingNetworking basically involves getting together with like-minded people to discuss business. It’s particularly useful in Italy, where people use personal contacts for everything from looking for jobs to finding accommodation. In fact, a personal recommendation (raccomandati) is often the best way to find employment in Italy, where nepotism and favouritism are rife. When looking for a job in Italy, it isn’t necessarily what you know but who you know.
It’s difficult for most foreigners to make contacts among Italians and therefore many turn to the expatriate community, particularly in Rome and Milan. If you’re already in Italy, you can contact or join local expatriate social clubs, churches, societies and professional organisations. Finally, don’t forget to ask your friends and acquaintances working in Italy if they know of an employer seeking someone with your experience and qualifications.
Personal ApplicationsYour best chance of obtaining certain jobs in Italy is to apply in person, when success is often simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Many companies don’t advertise at all, but rely on attracting workers by word of mouth and by their own vacancy boards. Shops and supermarkets often put vacancy notices in their windows or have notice boards where employers can advertise jobs, although these are generally for temporary or part-time help only.
It’s recommended to leave your name and address with a prospective employer and, if possible, a telephone number where you can be contacted, particularly when a job may become vacant at a moment’s notice. Advertise the fact that you’re looking for a job, not only with friends, relatives and acquaintances, but with anyone you come into contact with who may be able to help. You can give lady luck a helping hand with your persistence and enterprise by:
- cold calling on prospective employers;
- checking ‘wanted’ boards;
- looking in local newspapers;
- checking notice and bulletin boards in large companies, shopping centres, embassies, clubs, sports centres and news agencies;
- asking other foreign workers.
When leaving a job in Italy, it’s wise to ask for a written reference (which isn’t usually provided automatically), particularly if you plan to look for further work in Italy or you think your work experience will help you find work in another country.
