Last Updated on October 24, 2025
The Prime Ministerial Decree regulating entry flows into Italy of foreign employees for the three-year period 2026-2028 was published on 15 October 2025. The measure provides for a total of 497,550 entries, of which 164,850 for 2026, 165,850 for 2027 and 166,850 for 2028, with an increase of 6% compared to the previous three years.
This Prime Ministerial Decree is the natural completion of the regulatory framework amended a few days ago by Decree Law no. 146/2025 (see our newsflash: “New rules for foreign workers entering Italy” of 15 October 2025) and, in continuity with this measure, it aims to combat illegal immigration and strengthen a migration policy based on legal, stable, scheduled entries of foreign workforces.
Programming of the entry flows is based on an articulated set of common specific criteria for entries both within the quotas and over them.
Common criteria include:
- Extension of the economic sectors involved in the programming;
- a significant strengthening of training activities in the countries of origin, aimed at promoting the inclusion of foreigners and raising their professionalism;
- structured cooperation with the countries of origin and transit of migration flows to Italy, in order to make regular immigration channels more effective;
- Incentives for the entry of highly qualified workers, with the intention of closing the gaps in strategic skills in the key sectors of the Italian economy;
- adoption of support measures for the entry of stateless persons and refugees, in line with Italy’s international obligations regarding humanitarian protection.
With specific reference to entries “out of quota”, facilitation is expected for those of foreign workers:
- from countries that have signed cooperation agreements on repatriation with Italy;
- who are stateless refugees who have completed vocational and civic-language training courses in their countries of origin;
- who have taken study and training courses in Italy, whose residence permits may be converted to work permits;
- who will be employed in the sector of family care, or with the disabled or elderly.
Finally, the following specific criteria are identified as reasons for entry.
Non-seasonal employment and self-employment
For 2026, 2027 and 2028, 76,200 units will be allowed into Italy for reasons of non-seasonal employment in certain sectors (e.g. transport and logistics, metallurgy, tourism, agriculture and food) and 650 resources for self-employment. Some of these quotas are reserved for the following subjects:
| Subjects | Year | Non-seasonal employees | Self-employed |
| Workers from countries that promote, also in collaboration with Italy, media campaigns on the risks associated with migration trafficking, expressly identified (e.g. Algeria, India, Morocco, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Peru, Tunisia and Ukraine) or with whom agreements are entered into during the three-year period | 2026 | 43,000 | – |
| 2027 | 51,000 | – | |
| 2028 | 59,000 | – | |
| Workers of Italian descent residing in Venezuela or other specifically identified countries | 2026 | – | 50 |
| 2027 | – | 50 | |
| 2028 | – | 50 | |
| Stateless persons and refugees | 2026 | 300 | 20 |
| 2027 | 300 | 20 | |
| 2028 | 300 | 20 | |
| Workers who will be employed in the family and social-medical care sector | 2026 | 13,600 | – |
| 2027 | 14,000 | – | |
| 2028 | 14,200 | – | |
| Entrepreneurs (with investments of at least €500,000 or innovative start-ups), freelancers, corporate office-holders and artists | 2026 | – | 500 |
| 2027 | – | 500 | |
| 2028 | – | 500 |
Season employment
Entry is also allowed into Italy as seasonal employees in the agricultural and tourism sectors for citizens of the countries that promote, also in collaboration with Italy, media campaigns on the risks associated with migration trafficking, up to the limit of 88,000 units for 2026, 89,000 for 2027 and 90,000 for 2028. Some of these quotas are reserved for the following subjects:
| Subjects | Anno | Subordinato stagionale |
| Workers from countries that have signed migration cooperation agreements | 2026 | 12,600 |
| 2027 | 12,750 | |
| 2028 | 13,000 | |
| Seasonal workers who have already worked in Italy at least once in the previous 5 years (*) | 2026 | 5,000 |
| 2027 | 6,000 | |
| 2028 | 7,000 | |
| Agricultural workers whose applications are submitted by the major relative professional employer associations (*) | 2026 | 47,000 |
| 2027 | 47,000 | |
| 2028 | 47,000 | |
| Tourism workers whose applications are submitted by the major relative professional employer associations (*) | 2026 | 13,000 |
| 2027 | 14,000 | |
| 2028 | 15,000 |
(*) These quotas are reserved for citizens of countries expressly identified in the Prime Ministerial Decree (e.g. Algeria, India, Morocco, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Peru, Tunisia and Ukraine) or with which agreements are entered into over the three-year period.
Procedure
PFor entry within the quotas, a preliminary phase is provided for the pre-fill of applications allowed from 9.00 a.m. on 23 October until 8.00 p.m. on 7 December, as indicated in Interministerial Circular 8047 of 16 October 2025.
Actual presentation of the pre-filled applications for work authorisation will be scheduled according to a differentiated calendar, with openings fixed at 9.00 a.m. on the following days:
- 12 January for seasonal agricultural entries;
- 9 February for seasonal entrances into the tourism sector;
- 16 February for entries for non-seasonal employment;
- 18 February for non-seasonal employees in the family care sector.
In all cases, applications may be submitted until 31 December of the reference year, or in any case until the respective quotas are exhausted. Applications that do not come within the quota within six months of the year end, as well as work authorisations for which an entry visa has not been issued within the same period, are automatically cancelled and officially filed away.
The implementing procedures of the Prime Ministerial Decree are detailed in above-cited Circular 8047 issued by the Ministries of the Interior, Labour, Agriculture and Tourism where the following are specifically indicated: i) the procedure to be followed and the requisites required; ii) the application process and related forms; iii) the processing of applications; iv) the rules for signing the residence and employment contract.
Our Global Mobility team is at your complete disposal for support or clarification.
For further information: comunicazione@toffolettodeluca.it
