Less than 48 hours after its publication in the Official Gazette, Italy’s “Simplification Law” (Law 182/2025) is already changing the play-book for companies that hire non-EU talent. The measure, in force from 18 December 2025, slashes the statutory deadline for issuing a nulla osta (work authorisation) from 60–90 days to 30 days for two key categories:
• foreign workers who have completed government-sponsored vocational and language training abroad under Article 23 of the Immigration Consolidated Act; and
• highly-skilled professionals who qualify for the EU Blue Card.
Employers no longer need to wait months before onboarding staff who have already proven their skills in Italy-backed training programmes. The law also lengthens—from six to 12 months—the window in which trainees can request an entry visa after finishing their course, giving companies more flexibility to plan recruitment campaigns abroad.
![Italy’s new “Simplification Law” cuts work-permit processing time to 30 days]()
In practice, HR teams should prepare dossiers well in advance, because the clock now starts as soon as the application is filed online with the Single Immigration Desk. For large multinationals that run annual graduate intakes, the shorter timeline means they can align Italian start-dates with other EU jurisdictions and avoid costly stand-by periods. Legal advisors recommend double-checking housing standards: the new rules shift the benchmark away from public-housing norms to health-ministry guidelines, which may simplify compliance for construction firms and hospitality groups that use staff dormitories.
The reform is part of a wider push to digitalise Italy’s immigration procedures. The Interior Ministry has confirmed that the nulla osta will be issued electronically; once the 30-day limit expires, the permit is deemed granted unless the authorities expressly refuse it. Companies should therefore monitor the online portal daily and be ready to schedule visa-appointments immediately to meet the new, faster deadlines for entry visas (20 days).
Overall, the measure should make Italy more competitive for corporate relocations and STEM recruitment, especially in regions such as Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna where labour shortages are acute. Businesses that rely on intra-EU transfers, however, must still comply with posted-worker notifications and local tax rules, which remain unchanged.
• foreign workers who have completed government-sponsored vocational and language training abroad under Article 23 of the Immigration Consolidated Act; and
• highly-skilled professionals who qualify for the EU Blue Card.
Employers no longer need to wait months before onboarding staff who have already proven their skills in Italy-backed training programmes. The law also lengthens—from six to 12 months—the window in which trainees can request an entry visa after finishing their course, giving companies more flexibility to plan recruitment campaigns abroad.
In practice, HR teams should prepare dossiers well in advance, because the clock now starts as soon as the application is filed online with the Single Immigration Desk. For large multinationals that run annual graduate intakes, the shorter timeline means they can align Italian start-dates with other EU jurisdictions and avoid costly stand-by periods. Legal advisors recommend double-checking housing standards: the new rules shift the benchmark away from public-housing norms to health-ministry guidelines, which may simplify compliance for construction firms and hospitality groups that use staff dormitories.
The reform is part of a wider push to digitalise Italy’s immigration procedures. The Interior Ministry has confirmed that the nulla osta will be issued electronically; once the 30-day limit expires, the permit is deemed granted unless the authorities expressly refuse it. Companies should therefore monitor the online portal daily and be ready to schedule visa-appointments immediately to meet the new, faster deadlines for entry visas (20 days).
Overall, the measure should make Italy more competitive for corporate relocations and STEM recruitment, especially in regions such as Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna where labour shortages are acute. Businesses that rely on intra-EU transfers, however, must still comply with posted-worker notifications and local tax rules, which remain unchanged.
