Hire a foreign national in Italy: permit checks and steps

In short. To hire a foreign national already in Italy, an employer must first check that the person’s residence document permits the proposed work. If it does, a new entry application under the Flows Decree is normally unnecessary; the usual hiring formalities apply instead. A permit for tourism or medical treatment, for example, does not authorise someone to start a job.

Here you will find how to check a permit, distinguish hiring in Italy from entry from abroad and prepare the formalities before work begins.

Reviewed 8 November 2026. These are general rules, not personalised advice: the right to work depends on the permit category, its validity and the circumstances of the individual case.

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How do I hire a foreign national already in Italy?

The first step is to check the residence title, not automatically apply for a work authorisation. A non-EU national who is lawfully in Italy may be hired if they hold a permit that allows the proposed work and the employer completes the required hiring notifications. Physical presence in Italy alone does not establish a right to work.

The Integration Migrants portal, managed by the competent administrations, explains that permits allowing work usually carry the words “single work permit”, subject to statutory exceptions. It also says that permits for tourism, medical treatment, religious reasons, business or justice do not allow work. The wording is a useful indication, but a special title should be checked against the rules governing it and the actual conditions printed on the document.

This differs from the Flows Decree, which concerns authorisation for a worker abroad to enter Italy for employment. Do not request a new entry simply because the candidate is a foreign national. To compare titles, read Italian residence permit types; Residence Permit Renewal in Italy: When, Costs and Documents (2026) explains renewal and continuity.

Before agreeing a start date, ask the candidate to show the original document and check identity, expiry date, category and any restrictions. Keep records needed for the employer’s obligations, but avoid collecting or sharing irrelevant personal data. If the card is expired, unclear, being updated or accompanied only by a receipt, do not decide from a photograph or message: check which procedure was filed and what effect it has.

The rules are not identical for every title. Some permits allow work directly; others may be convertible or have specific conditions, while conversion may be unavailable or require a separate route in other cases. “Lawfully resident” and “allowed to work” are not interchangeable: check both before hiring.

Official further reading: Hiring foreign workers already resident in Italy – Integration Migrants portal (Italian text).

Which permits allow work, and what should be checked?

The residence permit must allow the proposed activity. Many employed-work and self-employment permits say so clearly; some permits granted for another reason can also allow work under their own rules and limits. Do not infer permission solely because the person had a job in the past.

Check the original document and compare the name with the passport or other identity document. Look at the expiry date, permit category and any wording that limits the employer or type of activity. If the document carries an unclear condition or the person presents a different title from the one expected, ask the competent office or a qualified professional before allowing work to begin.

A permit that allows work does not release the employer from ordinary obligations. The employment relationship must be formalised under the applicable law and collective agreement, mandatory notifications must be made through the relevant channel and contribution and insurance duties must be handled. The competent authority, type of relationship and sector determine the process; there is no single form for every hire.

Article 5(9-bis) of the current Consolidated Immigration Act allows a person, under certain conditions, to remain in Italy and work temporarily while an application for issue, renewal or conversion is pending. The competent office must have issued the official receipt and the other statutory requirements must be met; the possibility may end if the public security authority notifies the employer of grounds preventing the permit. A receipt alone does not prove that every job is authorised.

Legislative Decree 83/2026, in force from 4 June 2026, extended the general period in Article 5(9) to 90 days and set a separate 30-day period from completion of the application for the single permit. The law states that this is a derogation from paragraphs 9 and 9-bis, so do not automatically apply the same rule to every title or application. Pages published before the reform cannot alone establish whether work may start or continue; check the permit, receipt and any notice from the authority.

Official further reading: Article 5 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, current text – Normattiva (Italian text).

Is a Flows Decree application, authorisation or conversion needed?

If the person is already in Italy with a valid title that allows work, hiring normally follows the ordinary rules without a new entry application. Not all conversions depend on Flows quotas: the 2026–2028 instructions confirm outside-quota routes for study permits, seasonal-work permits and EU long-term permits issued by another Member State, subject to the conditions of each route.

If the title does not allow the proposed activity, do not let the person start simply because there is an offer. Check whether the category is convertible and which requirements apply: “outside quota” does not mean automatic conversion. Conversion remains a separate administrative procedure, with its own form, authority and conditions; it is not merely a change to an employment contract.

An expired permit requires particular care. Paragraph 9-bis also covers pending issue, renewal or conversion, but requires an official receipt, the other legal conditions and no notice of grounds preventing the permit. The single-permit route and some categories may follow different rules: check the title, dates and status before setting a start date or allowing work to continue.

Entry from abroad is a different route. In that case, an employer requests an authorisation under the Flows Decree or an applicable outside-quota category, and the worker must obtain a visa before travelling. See Residence Permit Renewal in Italy: When, Costs and Documents (2026) to distinguish renewal from entry and EU Long-Term Residence Permit in Italy: Validity, Renewal and Time Abroad for the long-term title.

What must an employer do before the job begins?

Once the permit has been checked, the employer must formalise the hire under employment law. The Integration Migrants portal says an ordinary hire of a foreign national who is lawfully resident must be reported to the competent Employment Centre by midnight on the day before work starts. Domestic work follows a separate INPS procedure.

Agree the essential terms in writing: duties, hours, pay, workplace, duration and start date. The document should match the job that will actually be done. Keep proof of notifications and give the worker the information and documents required. If duties, hours or employer later change, check whether another filing is needed or whether the residence title imposes limits.

For domestic work, the hiring notice must be sent to INPS by midnight on the day before work begins, including when that day is a holiday. INPS says that the notification is compulsory for short or intermittent work and for foreign workers too. For other jobs, the employer or an employment consultant should check the applicable notification channel and deadline.

If the worker’s position changes during employment—for example, the permit expires or a refusal is issued—assess promptly whether the person may continue working. Do not discard records or rely only on a verbal explanation. Keep receipts, request clarification through official channels and seek legal advice where a decision is negative or disputed.

Official further reading: Formalising the employment of a domestic worker – INPS (Italian text).

How should an employer handle a renewal or uncertain documents?

Paragraph 9-bis of the current law covers pending issue, renewal and conversion, but a receipt alone does not create an automatic right to work. The receipt must relate to the correct application, other statutory requirements must be met, and no notice preventing the permit can have been issued. The single-permit route and other categories may have specific rules, so check the applicable provision before allowing work.

Ask the worker for a legible official receipt and check the person, application type and filing date. Article 5(9-bis) expressly refers to issue, renewal and conversion; a duplicate or different application should not automatically be treated as one of these. If the title or procedure is unclear, seek confirmation from the competent office or a qualified professional.

If a decision refuses renewal or revokes a permit, an earlier receipt does not by itself resolve the issue. The date, type of decision, any suspensive effect and available remedies need to be assessed. For administrative tracking, see Checking your Italian residence permit status and collecting the card; reviewing a negative decision requires an individual legal assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Can I hire someone who has an Italian residence permit?

Yes, if the permit allows the proposed work and the employer completes the ordinary formalities. Not all titles allow employment: check the category, validity and any conditions before the start date rather than relying only on the person’s lawful presence in Italy.

Do I need a work authorisation if the worker is already in Italy?

Not automatically. An entry authorisation generally concerns a worker abroad; for someone already in Italy, first check whether the current title allows work. Any conversion is a separate procedure and depends on the permit category.

Can someone work while their permit is being renewed?

In some circumstances, yes. Article 5(9-bis) requires the receipt for the relevant application and the other statutory conditions; the possibility may end if the employer receives notice of grounds preventing the permit. The title and procedure matter, so check the specific case before allowing work to start or continue.

Does a tourist permit allow someone to be hired?

No. Ministerial information says a tourism permit does not allow work. Finding an employer or signing a contract does not change the title: establish whether a lawful procedure is available before the job begins.

Official sources

• Hiring foreign workers already resident in Italy – Integration Migrants portal (Italian text)
• Article 5 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, current text – Normattiva (Italian text)
• 2026–2028 Flows and outside-quota conversions – Prefecture of Macerata (Italian text)
• Formalising the employment of a domestic worker – INPS (Italian text)
• Legislative Decree 16 April 2026, No 83 – Normattiva (Italian text)

How can SH Immigration Specialists help?

SH Immigration Specialists offers administrative help to check residence documents, identify the administrative route for hiring and organise steps with the competent offices. Legal advice, appeals and representation are handled by the lawyers of SH Immigration Specialists. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. For an assessment, contact us.

This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.

Which other guides may help you?

• Italian residence permit types
• Residence Permit Renewal in Italy: When, Costs and Documents (2026)
• Checking your Italian residence permit status and collecting the card
• EU Long-Term Residence Permit in Italy: Validity, Renewal and Time Abroad
• Italian citizenship by residence: years required, income, B1 and timing
• Domestic workers: Italy’s 2027 Flows Decree for families
• Work visa after an Italian nulla osta: steps and documents