After nearly two years of waiting, highly skilled Digital Nomads will be able to obtain a residence permit and work remotely in our beautiful country.
From now on, transferring workplace and residency to Italy is possible. The so-called “highly skilled” workers will be able to apply for a special residence permit if they wish to work remotely in our beautiful country. This opportunity is reserved for non-EU professionals, collaborators, or employees, who combine work activities with a passion for travel by relocating their workplace to different countries. After nearly two years of waiting, Italy also approves rules and requirements for obtaining an Italian “Digital Nomad” visa.
Who is a Digital Nomad?
The law decree defines “digital nomads” those citizens of non-EU countries who carriy out highly qualified work activities using technological tools and are capable of working remotely. The worker can be either a self-employed, a collaborator, or employed by a company, even if not resident in Italy. Usually, to carry out activities in our country, entry and stay for periods exceeding ninety days are allowed outside the quotas set annually for non-EU workers. In case of shorter periods (less than ninety days) however, the issuance of an entry visa and a residence permit, specifically for “digital nomads,” is still required.
Requirements for the special Digital Nomad visa
Entry and stay for digital nomads are allowed for workers who have a minimum annual income of just below 28,000 euros. Additionally, the digital nomad must, possess a valid health insurance for medical care, covering the entire duration of the stay. Furthermore, the worker must be able to demonstrate to have an accomodation and at least six months of remote work experience.
Visa application
The digital nomad will have to apply for the visa at their local diplomatic-consular office, submitting a declaration signed by the employer, accompanied by a copy of their ID document. Additionally, the worker must self-certify the absence of convictions over the last 5 years. However, the diplomatic-consular offices will conduct sample checks on the declarations, also by contacting the competent police headquarters.
Social Security Coverage for Digital Nomads
For foreigners who transfer their workplace and are, therefore, subject to the social legislation of a third country, bi-lateral conventions on social security (if existing between Italy and the country of origin) will apply . In the absence of these, the social security and insurance coverage, as per the Italian regulation, do apply for the entire duration of the residence permit.
Tax code and VAT number with a Digital Nomads Visa
The tax code will be generated and communicated by the police headquarters to digital nomads and remote workers as soon as the residence permit is issued. Subsequently, digital nomads can request a VAT number from the Revenue Agency, which also verifies the existance of a visa via the police headquarters. The worker will always be subject to tax assessment, with the possibility that the Italian Tax Authority activates an exchange of information with other countries to verify the tax reliability of the digital nomad. In the case of proven violations of tax provisions, the Italian Revenue Agency will communicate the worker’s position to the police headquarters that issued the residence permit.
Refusal or annullment of the visa
In some cases, the visa may be refused or annulled (if already issued). For example, in the case where either the employer or the resident on Italian territory has received a conviction in the last five years or if they fail to comply with tax and contributory obligations.
Use the contact section to request further information on the subject from the specialized staff of Soluzioni Pratiche S.r.l.
[Source: ilsole24ore.com]
The Soluzioni Pratiche S.r.l. Staff
