{"id":8712,"date":"2026-10-28T06:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T05:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/working-holiday-visa-italy\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T16:12:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T15:12:16","slug":"working-holiday-visa-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/working-holiday-visa-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Working holiday visa Italy: countries, age, duration and how to apply"},"content":{"rendered":"

In short.<\/strong> The working holiday visa Italy offers is a national long-stay visa (type D) for young citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. It lasts up to one year and allows limited work during the holiday; the upper age limit is 30 or 35, depending on the country. You apply at the consulate covering your place of residence and, once in Italy, you request the residence permit at the Questura. The permit is not usually renewable or convertible.<\/p>\n

Here you will find countries, age limits, duration, requirements, how to apply, costs, work rules and how this visa differs from other routes. Where official sources disagree, we say so.<\/p>\n

Reviewed 26 October 2026.<\/strong> These are the general rules, not advice on your own case: exact requirements and documents depend on your country\u2019s agreement and on the consulate.<\/p>\n

Working holiday visa Italy: what is it and what law governs it?<\/h2>\n

It is the visa \u201cfor vacanze-lavoro<\/em>\u201d (also written vacanza-lavoro<\/em>, or simply working holiday): a national visa of type D, meaning for stays of more than 90 days. Interministerial Decree no. 850\/2011 lists it at point 20 of Annex A for citizens of countries with which Italy has signed specific agreements. It lasts at most one year, and the agreements set the requirements.<\/p>\n

Its basis is article 27(1)(r) of the Consolidated Immigration Act (Legislative Decree 286\/1998, the \u201cTU\u201d), which covers young people on exchange or youth-mobility programmes; the limits on work are in article 40(20) of Presidential Decree 394\/1999. Official pages place it outside the Decreto Flussi<\/em> quotas (the annual limits on entry for work), but each agreement can set a yearly number of visas.<\/p>\n

The visa only authorises entry. For the wider picture, see Types of Italian visa: complete list and guides<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Which countries are covered, and what are the age and duration limits?<\/h2>\n

The list is short: five countries emerge from the agreements, consular sheets and visa pages updated on 25 May 2026; the Ministry of Labour also cites Hong Kong (see below the table).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Country<\/th>\nAge<\/th>\nStay<\/th>\nWork<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Australia<\/td>\n18-35<\/td>\nvisa of up to 365 days (Perth and Brisbane: 365)<\/td>\nusually 6 months in total, 3 with one employer<\/td>\nonce only; a 2023 sheet says 18-30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Canada<\/td>\n18-35<\/td>\nup to 12 months, up to two participations<\/td>\nfor the whole stay, even with one employer<\/td>\nannual number of participants; in force since 1 November 2022<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Japan<\/td>\n18-30<\/td>\none year from entry<\/td>\nup to 6 months, even with one employer<\/td>\nvisa free of charge; in force since 1 April 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New Zealand<\/td>\n18-30<\/td>\n365 days<\/td>\nusually 6 months in total, 3 with one employer<\/td>\nonce only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Korea<\/td>\n18-30<\/td>\n12 months from first entry<\/td>\nup to 6 months, even with one employer<\/td>\ncannot be extended<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The figures come from the agreements and consulate sheets, some from 2023, so check the sheet of your own office. Age is normally counted on the date of application. For Canada, the published diplomatic notes give 2,000 participants for 2023 and 2024, and 1,933 for 2026; for the other countries we found no official figures.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong.<\/strong> The Ministry of Labour lists it among the operative agreements, but the pages of 25 May 2026 do not cite it, and the only consular notice we found (2019) describes an agreement signed but not yet in force. If you live there, ask the Italian Consulate General to confirm.<\/p>\n

Other countries.<\/strong> None appears: without one of these nationalities, this visa is not usually an option. EU citizens may work in Italy without a work permit (Your Europe<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Who can apply?<\/h2>\n

Each agreement sets the conditions (according to Vistoperitalia<\/em>, the Foreign Ministry\u2019s visa portal, it may ease funds, insurance or work procedures) and consulates spell them out. These recur in the sources:<\/p>\n