Italy is trying to become more friendly with extra-UE remote workers.

In fact, a recent Law Decree (so called "Sostegni-ter") contains many new features in the regulatory field, including the introduction of the role of the "digital nomad" in the Italian legal system.

Considering how much the way of working has rapidly changed in the past few years, the Italian legislator has lately adopted many provisions to introduce special regimes, related to immigration and to tax issues.

The aim is to attract foreign people and to encourage them not only to spend holidays in Italy but also to live and to work from Italy as well.

In fact, the hope is that the new digital nomad visa will be a far easier route to a new life in Italy than the current visa options available considering that, as things stand now, an extra-EU can currently only spend a maximum of 90 days in Italy without a visa.

To do so, the plan is to introduce the new visa for those who carry out "highly qualified work activities" through the use of technological tools that allow them to work remotely, autonomously or for a company that is not resident in the territory of the Italian state.

For those remote workers, in case they carry out their activity in Italy, the authorization to work would not be required and the residence permit, after the acquisition of the entry visa, would be issued for a period not exceeding one year, only if the holder provides that he has an health insurance, covering all risks in the national territory, and that the tax and social security provisions in force in Italy are respected by him.

Now, the Italian government has to work quickly on a new decree to define the procedures and the requirements for issuing the permit, including the indication of the categories of "highly qualified workers" who may benefit from the permit.

Also, the new decree will have to establish the minimum income limits of the applicant and the procedures for verifying how the job is carried out.

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