In short. The EU Blue Card in Italy is a special residence permit for highly skilled non-EU workers hired by an Italian company, governed by Article 27-quater of the Consolidated Immigration Act. The nulla osta can be requested at any time of the year, outside the Decreto Flussi quotas, by workers with a tertiary qualification, a regulated profession or qualifying professional experience. It requires a contract or binding job offer of at least 6 months and pay not below the ISTAT average gross annual salary; the nulla osta is issued within 30 days. Holders can apply for family reunification straight away and change employer, with some restrictions in the first 12 months.
Many companies wonder how they can hire highly skilled foreign staff from abroad. The main answer is the EU Blue Card.
There are other ways to hire foreign staff, whether for workers who are not highly skilled, intra-company transfers or postings, or remote workers (so-called digital nomads), which we cover in other guides.
In this guide we focus on the employment relationship between an Italian company and a highly skilled worker who obtains the well-known Blue Card.
What are the rules governing the EU Blue Card in Italy?
The Blue Card is a special permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) introduced by Directive 2009/50/EC. Later, Legislative Decree no. 152 of 18 October 2023, published in Gazzetta Ufficiale (Official Journal) no. 256 of 2 November 2023, implemented Directive (EU) 2021/1883, which replaced the first directive published in 2009.
The Decree substantially amended Article 27-quater of Legislative Decree no. 286 of 25 July 1998 – the Testo Unico Immigrazione (Consolidated Immigration Act) – which governs the Blue Card residence permit itself.
Finally, the joint circular of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Labour of 28 March 2024 provided the clarifications needed to implement the procedures introduced by the new law.
In short, the TUI, and in particular Article 27, together with the latest available circular, provide everything you need to find your way around the European Blue Card.
Who can get the Blue Card in Italy?
Entry with a visa for highly skilled work, which leads to the Blue Card residence permit, is not subject to the quotas set each year by the Decreto Flussi (Italy’s annual decree setting quotas for foreign workers), nor to the notorious click day (the online application day for quota places).
Essentially, as for the other categories of workers covered by Article 27 TUI, the application for the EU Blue Card nulla osta (work/entry clearance) can be submitted at any time of the year and without numerical limits.
What are the Blue Card requirements?
These are the people eligible for the EU Blue Card:
- (a) holders of a tertiary-level higher education qualification, meaning:
- a higher education course lasting at least three years (bachelor’s degree);
- a post-secondary professional qualification lasting at least three years;
- a post-secondary professional qualification corresponding at least to level 6 of the National Qualifications Framework.
- (b) professionals meeting the requirements of Legislative Decree no. 206 of 6 November 2007 for regulated professions;
- (c) holders of a higher professional qualification attested by at least five years of professional experience at a level comparable to tertiary-level higher education qualifications, relevant to the profession or sector specified in the employment contract or binding job offer;
- (d) holders of a higher professional qualification attested by at least three years of relevant professional experience gained in the seven years before the EU Blue Card application, for managers and specialists in the information and communication technology sector under ISCO-08 classification nos. 133 and 25.
In essence, the introduction of the last two letters means that people without a higher education qualification can also qualify as professionals if they prove experience gained in the sector.
Overcoming this hurdle has been fundamental to better matching the skills and expertise required by the labour market.
What conditions must the employment contract meet?
Besides the worker’s qualification or experience, Article 27-quater sets precise conditions for the employment relationship and fixed deadlines for the procedure:
- Contract length: a proposed employment contract or binding job offer of at least 6 months.
- Pay: not lower than the national collective agreement and in any case not lower than the average gross annual salary recorded by ISTAT. The threshold is updated over time: we check the one in force before the application is filed.
- Timing: the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione issues the nulla osta, or notifies a refusal, within 30 days of the application.
- Companies with a memorandum of understanding: if the employer has signed a protocollo d’intesa with the Ministry of the Interior, the nulla osta is replaced by a notification.
- Permit duration: 2 years with a permanent contract; in other cases, the length of the employment relationship plus 3 months.
If the worker is already employed by a foreign group and only needs to come to Italy for a limited period, an intra-corporate transfer (ICT) may be more suitable. All procedures for companies are compared on the page hiring foreign workers in Italy.
Which documents do you need for the EU Blue Card?
The documents required for the EU Blue Card are those needed to prove the professional requirements and those relating to the company.
Documents from the hiring company
- a recent visura camerale (Chamber of Commerce company extract);
- the employer’s identity documents;
- asseverazione (professional certification of the employer’s eligibility) – therefore DURC (certificate of social security compliance), VAT return and income tax return;
- a declaration that no suitable worker is available following a check with the CPI (Job Centre);
- the proposed contratto di soggiorno (residence contract);
- housing suitability certificate;
- a €16 marca da bollo (revenue stamp).
Documents from the highly skilled worker
- passport;
- educational qualification with a dichiarazione di valore (statement of comparability), or contracts, payslips and a letter from the foreign employer to prove previous experience (translated and legalised).
What is the asseverazione for the EU Blue Card?
The asseverazione for the EU Blue Card, as we explain in our dedicated guide, is a document produced by a qualified professional which authorises the company to hire the foreign worker, after checking that the number of applications is appropriate in light of the company’s economic and financial position.
How do you get the Blue Card residence permit?
After the highly skilled foreign worker enters Italy, within 8 days the employer must request an appointment with the SUI – the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (Immigration Desk) – at the Prefettura (Prefecture), or digitally sign the contratto di soggiorno, which is sent to the authorities through the Portale ALI (the Interior Ministry’s online application portal) on which the EU Blue Card application was completed.
Form 209 will then be issued, to be included in the kit postale (postal application kit) for the EU Blue Card residence permit, which is sent from a Poste Italiane post office together with copies of the documents that were also required for the visa.
Can workers already in Europe get the Blue Card in Italy?
It often happens that a multinational company with offices across Europe requests entry for a worker with a Blue Card.
At this point it is important to stress that a highly skilled worker holding an EU Blue Card issued by another Member State may enter and stay in Italy to carry out a professional activity for a maximum of ninety days in any one-hundred-and-eighty-day period.
If the highly skilled foreign worker is already in another EU Member State with an EU Blue Card or an ICT (intra-corporate transfer) permit held for at least 12 months, they can apply to the Prefettura for the nulla osta to be issued the Blue Card in Italy.
They do not have to submit again the documents proving their qualifications, as these were already checked when the permit was first issued.
Can EU Blue Card holders apply for family reunification?
EU Blue Card holders can apply for family reunification regardless of the length of their residence permit. The eligible family members are those listed in Article 29 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, namely parents, children and spouse.
Unlike with other residence permits, EU Blue Card holders can apply for family reunification before completing two years of legal residence in Italy. Indeed, where the conditions are met and the applications are submitted at the same time, the family reunification nulla osta can be issued together with the EU Blue Card (in this case it is called a visa for accompanying family members).
Can you change jobs with a Blue Card?
Highly skilled foreign workers holding an Italian Blue Card can change employer and even job, but with some restrictions in the first 12 months:
- to change employer, provided you continue to work in a highly qualified profession, you need authorisation from the Ispettorato Territoriale del Lavoro (Territorial Labour Inspectorate);
- it is not possible to move to a profession that is not highly qualified.
Blue Card holders are allowed to carry out self-employed work alongside their main highly skilled job.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EU Blue Card in Italy subject to the Decreto Flussi quotas?
No. Entry for highly skilled work leading to the Blue Card is not subject to the annual Decreto Flussi quotas or to the click day. As for the other categories under Article 27 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, the nulla osta application can be submitted at any time of the year and without numerical limits.
Can I get a Blue Card without a university degree?
Yes, in some cases. Since Legislative Decree 152/2023, a higher professional qualification attested by at least five years of relevant experience can be enough, or three years in the seven years before the application for ICT managers and specialists (ISCO-08 codes 133 and 25).
What must happen after the worker arrives in Italy?
Within 8 days of entry, the employer must book an appointment with the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione at the Prefettura, or digitally sign the contratto di soggiorno on the Portale ALI. Form 209 is then issued and included in the postal kit for the Blue Card residence permit, sent from a Poste Italiane office.
Can my family join me straight away with a Blue Card?
Yes. EU Blue Card holders can apply for family reunification regardless of the length of their permit and before completing two years of legal residence. If the conditions are met and the applications are submitted together, the family nulla osta can be issued with the Blue Card, as a visa for accompanying family members.
What is the minimum salary for the EU Blue Card in Italy?
Gross annual pay must comply with the applicable national collective agreement and cannot be lower than the average gross annual salary recorded by ISTAT. The figure is updated, so it must be checked when the application is filed. The contract or binding offer must last at least 6 months.
How long is the Blue Card residence permit valid?
Two years with a permanent contract; in other cases it lasts as long as the employment relationship plus three months. The Sportello Unico issues the nulla osta within 30 days of the application.
Can I change employer during the first year?
Yes, but with restrictions in the first 12 months. To change employer while staying in a highly qualified profession you need authorisation from the Ispettorato Territoriale del Lavoro, and you cannot move to a job that is not highly qualified. Self-employed work alongside the main job is allowed.
Official sources
- Consolidated Immigration Act (Legislative Decree 286/1998), Article 27-quater — Normattiva
- Legislative Decree 152/2023 — Normattiva
- Directive (EU) 2021/1883 — EUR-Lex
- Joint circular of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Labour, 28 March 2024 — Integrazione Migranti
Sources consulted on 15 October 2026. Laws, procedures and fees can change: always check the current instructions of the competent office.
How can SH Immigration Specialists help?
SH Immigration Specialists helps Italian companies and highly skilled workers with the EU Blue Card: checking which eligibility route applies, preparing company and worker documents, coordinating the asseverazione, filing the application on the Portale ALI and following the contratto di soggiorno and the residence permit. For legal matters such as appeals and legal advice, SH Immigration Specialists works with qualified lawyers. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. For an assessment, contact us. All our services for companies are on the page hiring foreign workers in Italy.
This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
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