By Avv. Caterina Luzzi Conti · Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 14 November 2026

💡 The short answer: Yes. Freelancers, sole traders and owners of companies registered outside Italy can apply for the Italy Digital Nomad Visa as self-employed "digital nomads". In 2026 you need lawful work income of at least about €24,790 a year (many consulates apply €25,500 to about €28,000), a qualifying degree or experience, clients or a company outside Italy, a lease and health insurance. You apply at your consulate; after arrival you open an Italian VAT number.

Key facts for 2026

• Your category: the Decree of 29 February 2024 calls a self-employed applicant a "digital nomad" (nomade digitale) and an employee or collaborator a "remote worker" (lavoratore da remoto) (art. 2).
• Income: at least three times the healthcare co-payment exemption threshold, about €24,790 a year (3 × €8,263.31); consulates apply €25,500 (Tbilisi, Benghazi) and, in our experience, about €28,000 (Chicago).
• What does not count: passive income such as pensions, rents or shares, according to the Tbilisi checklist.
• Qualification: highly qualified work under article 27-quater of the Consolidated Immigration Act: a 3-year degree, a regulated profession, 5 years of experience, or 3 years in the last 7 for ICT managers and specialists.
• Experience: at least 6 months in the activity you will carry out from Italy (decree art. 3(1)(d)).
• Outside the quotas: no work clearance (nulla osta) is needed (decree art. 3(2)).
• VAT number: digital nomads must apply for an Italian partita IVA (decree art. 6(2)).
• Compliance matters: the permit can be revoked if you do not comply with Italian tax and contribution rules (decree art. 4(4)).
• Permit: up to 1 year, renewable annually (decree art. 4(3)).

We update this guide as soon as the 2027 figures are published.

This guide is for freelancers, consultants, contractors and company owners outside the EU who want to live in Italy on the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) and keep working for clients abroad. After reading it you will know which of four set-ups describes you, which documents each set-up needs, and what changes once you are in Italy.

It is written by MoveWise's Legal Managers for Italy from the self-employed files we prepare for consulates such as London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and Sydney. Where a point is our practice rather than the law, we say so.

The pitfall it helps you avoid: presenting ownership instead of work. A consulate does not approve a company; it approves a person who does highly qualified remote work and is paid for it.

In this guide:

• What changed recently
• Digital nomad or remote worker: which category are you?
• Is this the right visa for you?
• What every self-employed applicant must prove
• Set-up 1: sole trader invoicing in your own name
• Set-up 2: owner of a structured company
• Set-up 3: freelancer invoicing through your own LLC or limited company
• Set-up 4: US owner employed on W-2 by your own S-corp
• How to present self-employed income
• After arrival: partita IVA, social security and tax questions
• Changing your set-up later
• Timeline: what to realistically expect
• How much it costs
• Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed recently

The decree has not changed since April 2024. Consular checklists and the tax framework around it have.

• New consular checklists in 2026. The Tbilisi Embassy (May 2026) lists tax returns, client invoices and membership of professional associations as proof of a self-employed career. The Pretoria Embassy (August 2026) asks experience evidence to state your position in the company (owner, partner, employee) and to be backed by documents from a public authority, such as a Chamber of Commerce.
• Different income figures. Consulates still apply different figures for the same rule, from €25,500 to about €28,000 a year.
• A new tax code from 2027. Italy's income tax rules, including the forfettario and impatriati regimes, are being moved into a new consolidated code applying from 1 January 2027, as our guide to moving to Italy: tax benefits and obligations explains. The regimes keep their logic, but check the current conditions with a commercialista.

Digital nomad or remote worker: which category are you?

If you work for your own clients or through your own company, you are a "digital nomad" under the decree. If you are employed or engaged under a collaboration contract by a company abroad, you are a "remote worker". The category decides your documents.

According to article 2 of the decree:

• Digital nomad: a non-EU citizen who carries out highly qualified self-employed work (lavoro autonomo) using technology that allows remote working.
• Remote worker: a non-EU citizen who carries out highly qualified employed work or collaboration (lavoro subordinato o di collaborazione) remotely, for an employer that may be based abroad.

Why it matters:

• ✅ Remote workers file an employment or collaboration contract (or a binding offer) and, under article 3(5), the employer's signed declaration that it has had no convictions in the last 5 years for the offences in article 22(5-bis) of the Consolidated Immigration Act.
• ✅ Digital nomads file client agreements, invoices and tax records instead, and must apply for a partita IVA in Italy (decree art. 6(2)).
• ✅ Processing times can differ: London, for example, has indicated up to 120 days for self-employed applicants and up to 30 days for employees.

⚠️ Common mistake: assuming that a long-term contract with one foreign company makes you an employee. The decree places "collaboration" contracts under remote workers, so a contractor with a single client sits close to the line. Decide your category with your Legal Manager before you collect documents, not after.

Is this the right visa for you?

The DNV fits self-employed professionals whose income comes from highly qualified work for clients or a company outside Italy, and who can document both the work and the pay. Our Italy Digital Nomad Visa service starts with an eligibility check of your set-up.

✅ It fits if:

• you invoice clients abroad, in your own name or through your own company;
• you can show at least 6 months of the same activity and a qualifying degree or enough experience;
• your work income is comfortably above your consulate's figure;
• you can sign a registered lease in Italy before you apply.

❌ It does not fit if:

• your clients are mainly in Italy: the DNV is designed for work for clients or employers abroad;
• your income is mainly dividends, rents or a pension: consider the Elective Residence Visa;
• you want to build a business that operates in Italy: that is a different route from the DNV;
• you are comparing countries: Spain and Portugal treat freelancers differently, see our Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements guide and our Portugal Digital Nomad Visa checklist.

👉 Check whether your set-up qualifies with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us how you invoice and how you are paid, and we will tell you honestly which set-up you are and what to prepare.

What every self-employed applicant must prove

Whatever your set-up, the consulate checks the same requirements as for any DNV applicant. They are set out in detail in our Italy Digital Nomad Visa requirements checklist; here is what changes when you are self-employed.

• ✅ Income from your work: fees from clients, or what you draw from your own company for your work, lawful, declared and traceable. The Tbilisi checklist accepts tax returns, payslips or the last three bank statements as proof, and excludes pensions, rents and shares.
• ✅ Highly qualified work: a degree with a Declaration of Value or CIMEA statement, or 5 years of comparable experience. Self-employed experience is proved with contracts, past tax returns, client references and invoices.
• ✅ 6 months in the same activity: current and past service agreements, client letters, tax returns, invoices or platform statements.
• ✅ Clients or a company abroad: service agreements that show your role, the services you perform, your fees and that you work remotely.
• ✅ Accommodation and insurance: a registered lease covering at least 12 months of the visa's validity, and health insurance for the whole stay (consulates usually ask for at least €30,000, as consular guidance).

💡 Pro tip: For the DNV, our practice is to file tax documents for the last year only (for example the US Form 1099 for self-employed income, or the UK self-assessment return). Older years belong in the experience file, not in the income file, unless your consulate asks for more.

Set-up 1: sole trader invoicing in your own name

This is the simplest set-up: you are a freelancer or consultant who signs contracts and invoices clients personally. What decides the file is the quality of the client evidence.

✅ Client contracts or service agreements, ideally for at least 1 year or open-ended, stating your role, services, fees and that you work remotely.

✅ Client reference letters on letterhead, signed, confirming the relationship, its start date and the remote nature of the work.

✅ Invoices for the period your consulate asks for, matched to the payments in your bank statements.

✅ Your last tax return showing the self-employed income. For US applicants, a Form 1099 issued by a US client is strong proof: it comes from the client, not from you.

✅ Business registration where your country has one (for example a trade or professional register), and membership of professional associations where relevant.

👉 Recruiters and agents: if you earn placement fees, file the recruitment agreement with the client, the placement invoice and the matching bank transfer for each placement.

💡 Pro tip: In our experience, London relies on proper contracts. Invoices carry little weight on their own unless the client's written instructions back them, and monthly work reports count only if the client countersigns them (ideally for the last 6 months).

💡 Pro tip for UK applicants: to prove years of experience, we file the National Insurance record (6 to 7 years) together with the HMRC employment history.

⚠️ Common mistake: relying on platform income alone. Upwork, Fiverr or Stripe reports help, but they are not contracts. Add the client agreements or a client letter for your main clients.

Set-up 2: owner of a structured company

You own all or part of a company registered outside Italy that has its own structure (co-founders, directors, staff), and you work in it. The consulate must see a remote role that you perform, not only shares that you hold.

✅ Corporate documents: certificate of incorporation or good standing, articles or bylaws, and proof of your shareholding (share register or equivalent), apostilled and translated.

✅ A remote-working arrangement: a document countersigned by a co-founder or director that sets out your role, your duties, your pay and your authorisation to work remotely from Italy; or a notarised amendment of the bylaws that assigns you a defined area, such as the commercial side of the business.

✅ Evidence that you actually do that work: contracts you signed for the company, client correspondence, reports or other documents that show you running your area.

✅ Company accounts: the company's latest tax return or financial statements and business bank statements.

✅ Your pay: personal bank statements showing what the company pays you for your work, consistent with the arrangement and with your personal tax return.

💡 Pro tip: Write the arrangement around your real expertise. A role described in concrete terms (what you deliver, to whom, how often) reads as remote work; a role described only as "owner" or "director" reads as ownership.

⚠️ This set-up requires legal and tax advice before you file. If you run a foreign company from Italy, Italian tax law may consider the company itself resident in Italy, with consequences for the company, not only for you. We always send company owners to a tax consultation with a commercialista before they move.

Set-up 3: freelancer invoicing through your own LLC or limited company

You work alone, but your clients contract with and pay your company (for example a US LLC or a UK limited company), and you then pay yourself. The file must show the whole chain: client to company, company to you.

✅ Apostilled company documents: certificate of formation or incorporation and a recent certificate of good standing, translated into Italian.

✅ Client contracts in the company's name, plus a letter confirming that you personally perform the services, remotely.

✅ Company invoices to clients for the period your consulate asks for.

✅ Company bank statements showing the client payments, and personal bank statements showing the transfers from the company to you.

✅ Tax returns: the company's and your own for the last year, consistent with each other.

💡 Pro tip: We tie the two sets of statements together with a Payment Summary: each client payment into the company, and each transfer from the company to you, converted into euro. The officer sees one story instead of two piles of paper.

⚠️ Common mistake: filing only the company's statements. The consulate assesses your income; if the money stays in the company, the file shows a profitable company, not a paid professional.

⚠️ Get tax advice before you move. How Italy treats a foreign single-owner company, and the money you take out of it, depends on the type of company and on your situation. That is a question for a commercialista.

Set-up 4: US owner employed on W-2 by your own S-corp

Some US freelancers have an S-corporation that employs them and pays them a W-2 salary. On paper you are an employee; in substance you are self-employed. In our practice we present this set-up like set-up 3.

✅ S-corp documents from the state where it is registered, apostilled by that state's competent authority and translated.

✅ Client contracts in the S-corp's name and a letter confirming that you perform the services remotely.

✅ Company invoices, company bank statements and personal bank statements, tied together as in set-up 3.

✅ Your W-2 and personal tax return for the last year, plus the S-corp's return.

👉 Why the W-2 helps: employer-issued tax forms are among the strongest proof of pay we can file, because they come from a third party and show the period and the amount.

💡 Pro tip: If your consulate treats you as an employee of the S-corp rather than as self-employed, expect it to ask for employee documents too, such as an employment confirmation letter and the employer's declaration of no convictions. We check this with the consulate's checklist before the appointment.

👉 Want a MoveWise Client Manager to check which set-up matches your documents? — we look at how your clients pay you and tell you which documents to collect first.

How to present self-employed income

Self-employed income is judged on consistency: the same figures, in the same periods, across every document. Most requests for more documents we see come from gaps between them.

✅ One figure everywhere: contracts, invoices, bank statements and tax return should tell the same story about how much you earn.

✅ Only work income: client payments, or transfers from your company for your work. Personal transfers, refunds and movements between your own accounts are not earnings and should not be highlighted.

✅ A Payment Summary: MoveWise prepares a document matching each payment to its invoice, with the conversion into euro, so the officer can verify your income at a glance.

✅ A margin above the threshold: exchange rates move. Plan on your consulate's figure plus a visible margin, and add about €3,550 a year for each family member coming with you.

💡 Pro tip: Irregular income is not a problem in itself if the annual total is clearly above the threshold. Explain seasonal or project-based patterns in a short note; an unexplained gap of several months invites questions.

⚠️ Common mistake: one large payment just before the application. A lump sum looks like savings, not income. Show the regular flow of client payments instead.

After arrival: partita IVA, social security and tax questions

Once you hold the permit, you are a self-employed person living in Italy, with Italian obligations. The decree makes compliance part of keeping the visa: the permit can be revoked if tax and contribution rules are not respected (art. 4(4)).

Partita IVA

Digital nomads must apply for an Italian VAT number (partita IVA) under the VAT law (decree art. 6(2)). Our tax guide for Italy explains the procedure and the deadline; a commercialista usually handles the filing. The Questura generates your codice fiscale when it issues the permit (art. 6(1)), although in our files clients usually obtain it earlier, during the visa process.

Social security

The Questura informs the social security institute (INPS) and the workplace insurance institute (INAIL) of your permit (decree art. 5(1)). If a social security agreement exists between Italy and the country whose system covers you, it applies; otherwise Italian social security rules apply (art. 5(2) and (3)). Which scheme you join is a question for your commercialista.

Tax regimes: what exists

Two regimes are often mentioned for self-employed newcomers. We describe them; we do not recommend them.

• Regime forfettario: a simplified regime for individuals with revenue up to €85,000 in the previous year, with a 15% substitute tax, or 5% for some new activities (2026 rules). It has exclusions, including for people who work mainly for a current or recent employer.
• Lavoratori impatriati: a regime for workers who move their tax residence to Italy, with strict conditions on prior non-residence, high qualification and the years of stay.

Both are explained, with official sources, in our Italy tax guide and our guide to Italian tax residency. Whether either applies to you is a question for a commercialista: ask before you open the partita IVA, because some choices are made at that point.

⚠️ Do not start working from Italy before your visa starts. Enter on the DNV and file the residence permit kit within 8 working days; working from Italy on a visa-free stay first creates problems for both your immigration and your tax position.

Changing your set-up later

Some remote workers change their set-up at renewal, for example from employee to self-employed with the same company. A change of set-up changes your category under the decree, your documents and your tax and social security position. Get legal and tax advice before you change anything, and see our Italy DNV renewal and extension guide for how renewals work.

Timeline: what to realistically expect

Typical ranges from our files, not guarantees.

• Company documents, apostilles and translations: typically 1 to 4 weeks; longer if a bylaws amendment must be notarised first.
• Declaration of Value or CIMEA statement: several weeks; start it first if you qualify through a degree.
• Consular appointment: from a few days to several weeks of waiting for a slot.
• Consular decision: typically 30 to 90 days; London has indicated up to 120 days for self-employed applicants.
• After arrival: the residence permit kit within 8 working days, then fingerprints at the Questura and, for digital nomads, the partita IVA.

How much it costs

Official fees:

• National visa fee: set by each consulate and payable per applicant; check the current amount before your appointment.
• Residence permit kit (permit valid 3 to 12 months): €16 revenue stamp, €70.46 payment slip (€40 permit contribution plus €30.46 for the electronic card) and €30 Poste fee, about €116.46 (article 5 of the Consolidated Immigration Act).

Other costs vary, so we do not quote them: apostilles on company and personal documents, a notary for a bylaws amendment or a declaration, translations, the Declaration of Value or CIMEA, health insurance, the lease and deposit, and a commercialista for the partita IVA and your tax position.

Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)

1. Ownership presented as work. Fix: document a concrete remote role with a countersigned arrangement or a bylaws amendment, and evidence that you perform it.
2. Income left in the company. Fix: show the transfers from the company to you, matched to your personal statements and tax return.
3. Passive income presented as work income. Fix: count only client fees and pay for your work; dividends, rents and pensions belong to other routes.
4. Contracts that do not mention remote work. Fix: client letters confirming the services, the fees and the remote nature of the work.
5. Mainly Italian clients. Fix: the DNV is for work for clients abroad; if your business is in Italy, look at another route.
6. Experience not proved by third parties. Fix: contracts, client references, tax records and, for UK applicants, the National Insurance record and HMRC history.
7. Unapostilled or out-of-date company documents. Fix: a recent certificate of good standing, apostilled by the competent authority.
8. Income below your consulate's figure. Fix: plan on the published figure with a margin, plus family increments.

Frequently asked questions

Can freelancers apply for the Italy digital nomad visa?

Yes. The decree of 29 February 2024 calls self-employed applicants "digital nomads" and admits them alongside remote employees. You need highly qualified work, at least 6 months of experience in the activity, lawful income of at least about €24,790 a year in 2026 (often more at consulates), a lease and health insurance. After arrival you must open a partita IVA.

Can I apply if I own my own company?

Yes, if you document the work you do for it, not only your shares. In our files, owners file the corporate documents, a remote-working arrangement countersigned by a co-founder or director (or a notarised bylaws amendment), evidence that they run their area, the company accounts and their own pay. Get tax advice first: the company's tax position can change.

Do I need a partita IVA before I apply?

No. The decree requires digital nomads to apply for an Italian VAT number, and in practice this happens after arrival, once you hold the visa and have filed for the residence permit. Plan it before you move, with a commercialista, because some tax choices are made when the partita IVA is opened.

Can I use my US LLC for the Italy digital nomad visa?

Yes. In our practice a freelancer who invoices through a single-owner LLC files the apostilled company documents, client contracts in the LLC's name, company invoices, company and personal bank statements showing the transfers to you, and the last year's tax returns. How Italy taxes the LLC and your income from it is a question for a commercialista.

Do dividends count as income for the Italy digital nomad visa?

No, not as a rule. The DNV requires income from your highly qualified work, and the Tbilisi checklist states that passive income such as pensions, rents or shares is not taken into account. Owners should show what the company pays them for their work, documented and consistent with their tax return.

Can I have Italian clients on the Italy digital nomad visa?

No, not as your main activity. The DNV is designed for remote work for clients or employers outside Italy, and your income evidence must come from that work. Working mainly for Italian clients needs a different route. If occasional Italian work is part of your plan, ask before you apply.

Do self-employed applicants need the employer's declaration of no convictions?

No, as a rule. Under article 3(5) of the decree, the declaration is signed by the employer of a remote worker. Self-employed digital nomads file client agreements and tax records instead. If you are employed by your own company, for example on W-2 through an S-corp, your consulate may treat you as an employee and ask for it.

How long does the Italy digital nomad visa take for self-employed applicants?

30 to 90 days from the consular appointment is typical, and some consulates allow longer for self-employed files: London has indicated up to 120 days, against up to 30 days for employees. Add several weeks for apostilles, translations and any Declaration of Value or CIMEA statement. Times are not guaranteed.

Can I use the forfettario regime on the Italy digital nomad visa?

No, not automatically. The regime forfettario has its own conditions, including revenue limits and exclusions, for example for people who work mainly for a current or recent employer. Whether it applies to you depends on your history and situation, so ask a commercialista before you open your partita IVA.

How MoveWise can help

A self-employed DNV file is built around evidence: the right documents for your set-up, in the right order, telling one consistent story. That is what our Legal Managers for Italy do every week.

• Module 1, eligibility first: a Legal Manager identifies your set-up, checks your income against your consulate's real figure and maps every document you need.
• Module 2, full preparation and submission: we draft the presentation and motivation letters, the remote-working arrangement where needed, the Payment Summary and the experience note; check every apostille and translation; review the lease; and support you through the residence permit.
• Tax: we do not give tax advice. For the partita IVA, the regimes and your company's position, we can introduce you to independent, qualified tax advisers.
• Our guarantee: a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement.
• More than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot, and free webinars where you can ask about your set-up live.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us how you work and how you are paid, and we will explain which set-up fits and what to prepare.

Sources and legal references

• Decree of 29 February 2024 on digital nomads and remote workers (Official Gazette no. 79, 4 April 2024), full text
• Ministry of Labour integration portal: digital nomads and remote workers
• Embassy of Italy in Tbilisi: digital nomads and remote workers checklist (May 2026)
• Embassy of Italy in Pretoria: digital nomads checklist (August 2026)
• Consulate of Italy in Benghazi: digital nomads checklist (June 2026)
• Consolidated Immigration Act, article 5: residence permit (Brocardi)
• Consolidated Immigration Act (Legislative Decree 286/1998), articles 22(5-bis) and 27-quater; Presidential Decree 633/1972, article 35 (VAT number).

This guide is general information, not legal advice and not tax advice. Immigration rules and consular practice change frequently; the information was verified on 14 November 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional, and to a qualified tax adviser for any tax question.

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The requirements are manageable; assembling the documents and navigating consular practice is where applications go wrong. If you have questions about the Italy Digital Nomad Visa, BOOK TODAY a 100% Free Consultation. We're here to help you at every step.

Buona fortuna!