Self-employment visa

Self-employed professionals
Business persons, merchants, artisans
Sports persons and athletes
Partners and consultants in Italian firms
Entertainment industry personnel
Managers or highly qualified employees of companies based in Italy or with branches in Italy, or of branch offices of foreign companies headquartered in a member country of the World Trade Organisation, or managers of main offices in Italy of Italian firms or firms of another EU member
University language tutor, university professors and researchers intending to fill an academic position or carry out paid research activities in Italian universities or educational or research institutes, translators and interpreters

Self-employed professionals

1. visa application form (click here)
2. recent passport-style photo
3. passport or travel document valid for at least three months after visa expiry date
4. declaration by the office authorised to issue eventual certifications, licenses and authorisations, or to receive notices of commencement of business activity, or by bodies authorised to oversee professional associations
5. availability of suitable lodgings to be proven according to one of the following means:
   • rental lease or ownership deed;
   • declaration in keeping with articles 2 and 4 of Law no. 15 of 4.1.1968;
   • declaration in keeping with the above regulations by an Italian or foreign citizen legally residing in Italy of having made suitable lodgings available to the visa applicant that fulfil the minimum requirements foreseen by regional legislation for public housing.
6. proof of income, earned during the preceding fiscal period in the country of residence, higher than the minimum level foreseen by the law for exemption from participation in health services contributions (€8,400)
7. “nulla osta” (entry clearance) issued no more than 90 days earlier by the competent Italian Questura (Police Commissary)
8. domestic passport (Russian Nationals) + copy of main page and page with registration
9. consent for processing the personal data.  The form is located in the following section (Application forms)

Be advised:
the Diplomatic or Consular Representation reserves the right to request further documentation

Business persons, merchants, artisans

1. visa application form (click here)
2. recent passport-style photo
3. passport or travel document valid for at least three months after visa expiry date
4. statement describing the parameters of the economic resources required to carry out the said business, commercial or artisan activity, issued by the Chamber of Commerce authorised for the area in which the activity is to be carried out. These resources must not be less than the annual unemployment subsidy (€4,962.36)
5. economic means in Italy sufficient to provide for the resources necessary as per the declaration in point 4 above
6. availability of suitable lodgings to be proven according to one of the following means:
   • rental lease or ownership deed;
   • declaration in keeping with articles 2 and 4 of Law no. 15 of 4.1.1968;
   • declaration in keeping with the above regulations by an Italian or foreign citizen legally residing in Italy of having made suitable lodgings available to the visa applicant that fulfil the minimum requirements foreseen by regional legislation for public housing.
7. proof of income earned during the preceding fiscal period in the country of residence, higher than the minimum level foreseen by the law for exemption from participation in health services contributions (€8,400)
8. “nulla osta” (entry clearance) issued no more than 6 months earlier by the competent Italian Questura (Police Commissary)
9. domestic passport (Russian Nationals) + copy of main page and page with registration
10. consent for processing the personal data.  The form is located in the following section (Application forms)

Be advised:
the Diplomatic or Consular Representation reserves the right to request further documentation

Partners and consultants in Italian firms

1. visa application form (click here)
2. recent passport-style photo
3. passport or travel document valid for at least three months after visa expiry date
4. consultants in Italian firms: statement from the legal representative ensuring autonomous employment for compensation above the minimum level astanblished by law for exemption from healthcare expenses (€8,400)
5. certification of enrolment of the firm, which must have been operating for at least three years, in the Business Registry
6. declaration by the firm’s legal representative ensuring the partner compensation higher than the minimum level foreseen by the law for exemption from participation in health services contributions (€8,400)
7. copy of the latest balance sheet filed at the Business Registry (limited companies) or the latest income declaration (firms made up of individual persons), from which it can be ascertained that earnings or income are sufficient to guarantee compensation of the applicant (see point 4 above)
8. copy of the declaration of responsibility already sent by the Italian contract provider (or by legal representative thereof) to the Labour Inspection Service of the competent Italian DPL (Provincial Labour Office) indicating that, in virtue of the contract stipulated, the applicant will not be employed as a subordinate worker
9. availability of suitable lodgings to be proven according to one of the following means:
   • rental lease or ownership deed;
   • declaration in keeping with articles 2 and 4 of Law no. 15 of 4.1.1968;
   • declaration in keeping with the above regulations by an Italian or foreign citizen legally residing in Italy of having made suitable lodgings available to the visa applicant that fulfil the minimum requirements foreseen by regional legislation for public housing.
10. “nulla osta” (entry clearance) issued no more than 90 days earlier by the competent Italian Questura (Police Commissary)
11. domestic passport (Russian Nationals) + copy of main page and page with registration
12. consent for processing the personal data.  The form is located in the following section (Application forms)

Be advised:
the Diplomatic or Consular Representation reserves the right to request further documentation

Entertainment industry personnel

1. visa application form (click here)
2. recent passport-style photo
3. passport or travel document valid for at least three months after visa expiry date
4. job contract with the original signature of the holder of the license to operate, or impresario or legal representative thereof, ensuring the self-employed person compensation higher then the minimum level foreseen by the law for exemption from participation in health services contributions (€8,400)
5. appropriate professional documentation, issued by government organisations and validated by the Italian Consular Authority, certifying the legal right of the foreign body to issue the certification
6. certification of the firm’s enrolment in the Business Registry
7. copy of the latest balance sheet filed at the Business Registry (limited companies) or the latest income declaration (firms made up of individual persons), from which it can be ascertained that earnings or income are sufficient to guarantee compensation of the applicant (see point 4 above)
8. availability of suitable lodgings to be proven according to one of the following means:
   • rental lease or ownership deed;
   • declaration in keeping with articles 2 and 4 of Law no. 15 of 4.1.1968;
   • declaration in keeping with the above regulations by an Italian or foreign citizen legally residing in Italy of having made suitable lodgings available to the visa applicant that fulfil the minimum requirements foreseen by regional legislation for public housing.
9. copy of the declaration of responsibility, already sent by the Italian contract provider (or by legal representative thereof) to the competent Labour Inspection Service of the Italian DPL (Provincial Labour Office) indicating that, in virtue of the contract stipulated, the applicant will not be employed as a subordinate worker
10. “nulla osta” (entry clearance) issued no more than 90 days earlier by the competent Italian Questura (Police Commissary)
11. domestic passport (Russian Nationals) + copy of main page and page with registration
12. consent for processing the personal data.  The form is located in the following section (Application forms)

Be advised:
the Diplomatic or Consular Representation reserves the right to request further documentation

Managers or highly qualified employees of companies based in Italy or with branches in Italy, or of branch offices of foreign companies headquartered in a member country of the World Trade Organisation.

This type of visa involves the secondment of managers and highly qualified employees with at least 6 months of work experience from companies with a head office in Italy or companies with branches in Italy or, at least, with a representative office in the territory of the Italian Republic. Secondment occurs when an employer, in this case a foreign one, temporarily places one or more employees at the disposal of another entity to fulfill a specific work activity, in this case to be performed on the territory of Italy. The main conditions that distinguish the secondment of a legal nature from an illegal one are: time restrictions and the presence of the actual interest of a foreign company in seconding its employees.

1.  visa application form (click here);
2.  recent passport-style photo;
3.  a foreign passport exceeding the validity period of the requested visa for at least 3 months. The passport must be issued no more than 10 years ago;
4.  extract from the Italian Chamber of Commerce (Camera di commercio) of a branch or representative office of a foreign company;
5.  an extract from the register of enterprises of a foreign state (in the case of Russian companies — an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities – ЕГРЮЛ), which displays information about the scope of the organization and its authorized representatives;
6.  documentation that can be used to determine the financial condition, turnover and areas of activity of a foreign company, such as: organizational structure, total number of employees, economic and financial indicators (current balance sheet and profit and loss statement for the last 3 years);
7.  a copy of the employment contract indicating the applicant’s responsibilities in the specified company;
8.  if the employment in a foreign company occurred less than 6 months after the secondment, it is necessary to provide documents indicating previous experience in managerial or highly qualified positions;
9.  a copy of the education document or other documents confirming the applicant’s high qualification and/or ability to perform managerial functions;
10.  an employment contract concluded between the applicant and a foreign company in which the former is appointed head of a branch or representative office in Italy. The contract must clearly specify the tasks assigned to the applicant and the compensation associated with them. If the contract is signed by a representative of a foreign company whose name does not appear in the company statement among the management staff, it is necessary to attach a document showing that the signatory is authorized to sign employment contracts on behalf of a foreign company;
11.  unless specified in the documents listed in the preceding paragraphs, a copy of the foreign company’s decision to send the applicant to its branch or representative office in Italy, indicating the period of stay;
12.  a report compiled by a foreign company detailing the products and/or services it intends to promote in Italy;
13.  certificate issued by the competent local Labour Office (Direzione Provinciale del Lavoro — Servizio Politiche del Lavoro) confirming that the work contract does not constitute subordinate employment;
14.  nulla Osta (entry clearance) issued by the Questura (Police Commissary) in Italy with a validity period of no more than 120 days;
15.  availability of suitable lodgings in possession (for a period not less than the validity period of the requested visa (usually one year). The availability of housing must be confirmed in one of the following ways:
    
    • rental lease or ownership deed
    • application for the provision of housing to the applicant owned or leased by a branch of the company or a representative office in Italy, with attached documents confirming the ownership or lease agreement;
    • contract for the provision of property (or part of it) for free use;

    In the case of a contract of gratuitous use, the applicant must confirm the existence of kinship, friendship or other relations between him and the entity transferring the use, in order to substantiate the reasons for the gratuitous loan;

16.  a statement of the level of proficiency in Italian or another language of communication in Italy, providing, if available, language certificates or, alternatively, confirmation of how the applicant intends to carry out his activities in Italy. If the knowledge of the language is not documented, the Consulate reserves the right to call the applicant for an interview to check the knowledge of the language;
17.  consent for processing the personal data (Application forms)

Please note that all documents drawn up in a language other than Italian must be accompanied by an Italian translation performed by translators accredited by the Consulate General or, otherwise, they must be legalized by the Consular Representation of Italy.

University language tutor, university professors and researchers intending to fill an academic position or carry out paid research activities in Italian universities or educational or research institutes, translators and interpreters

1. visa application form (click here)
2. recent passport-style photo
3. passport or travel document valid for at least three months after visa expiry date
4. Certification, issued by the competent Labour Inspection Service of the Italian DPL (Provincial Labour Office), that the work contract does not constitute subordinate employment
5. availability of suitable lodgings, to be proven according to one of the following means:
   • rental lease or ownership deed;
   • declaration in keeping with articles 2 and 4 of Law no. 15 of 4.1.1968;
   • declaration in keeping with the above regulations by an Italian or foreign citizen legally residing in Italy of having made suitable lodgings available to the visa applicant that fulfil the minimum requirements foreseen by regional legislation for public housing.
6. “nulla osta” (entry clearance) issued no more than 120 days earlier by the competent Italian Questura (Police Commissary)
7. domestic passport (Russian Nationals) + copy of main page and page with registration
8. consent for processing the personal data.  The form is located in the following section (Application forms)

Be advised:
the Diplomatic or Consular Representation reserves the right to request further documentation