Italy has quietly bolstered its 2026 "Decreto Flussi" programme with 8,865 additional seasonal work permits, a move designed to plug critical staffing gaps in agriculture and tourism ahead of the summer rush. Ministry of Labour notes 1433 and 1434—signed on 28 April but published late on 6 May—raise this year’s seasonal quota to 96,865, the largest mid-year top-up since the flows decree was introduced two decades ago. The extra slots are split 5,389 for farming and food processing and 3,476 for tourism-hospitality, two sectors that warned of crop losses and hotel closures if more non-EU workers could not be hired quickly. Unlike regular work permits, seasonal visas can be issued for up to nine months within a 12-month period and do not require a labour-market test for most occupations, making them the fastest legal route to fill short-term jobs. Employers apply through the Interior Ministry’s online “click-day” portal; companies that already filed in the January–February round are automatically considered for the new quota, while newcomers can lodge fresh requests on a rolling basis until the places run out.
![Italy Adds 8,865 Extra Seasonal Work Permits for 2026 to Ease Summer Labour Crunch]()
Companies and individual workers looking to streamline the visa submission can turn to VisaHQ, which offers step-by-step guidance, document checking and appointment booking for Italian seasonal permits. The service’s dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) tracks quota openings in real time and can alert applicants as soon as new slots become available, helping farms and hotels avoid missing critical deadlines.
Provincial Single Immigration Desks must issue the “nulla osta” work authorisation within 30 days. Once granted, Italian consulates abroad can place the visa in the worker’s passport, allowing entry and immediate registration with INPS social security. Farms in Puglia, Sicily and Veneto say they expect the first wave of extra pickers to arrive by mid-June, in time for grape and tomato harvests; hotel associations in the Amalfi Coast and Lake Garda report that recruiters in Albania, Morocco and the Philippines have already scheduled group appointments at embassies. For multinational companies operating resorts, vineyards or food-processing plants, the top-up offers a last-minute alternative to costly overtime or subcontracting. HR teams are being urged to check whether previous applications are automatically upgraded and to book medical insurance and accommodation in advance to avoid delays at border control. While business lobbies welcomed the measure, unions cautioned that without stricter monitoring of pay and housing standards, the influx could widen existing abuses in Italy’s informal labour market. The government has hinted that further micro-adjustments to quotas may occur throughout the summer if demand outstrips supply, signalling a more flexible, data-driven approach to labour migration.
Companies and individual workers looking to streamline the visa submission can turn to VisaHQ, which offers step-by-step guidance, document checking and appointment booking for Italian seasonal permits. The service’s dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) tracks quota openings in real time and can alert applicants as soon as new slots become available, helping farms and hotels avoid missing critical deadlines.
Provincial Single Immigration Desks must issue the “nulla osta” work authorisation within 30 days. Once granted, Italian consulates abroad can place the visa in the worker’s passport, allowing entry and immediate registration with INPS social security. Farms in Puglia, Sicily and Veneto say they expect the first wave of extra pickers to arrive by mid-June, in time for grape and tomato harvests; hotel associations in the Amalfi Coast and Lake Garda report that recruiters in Albania, Morocco and the Philippines have already scheduled group appointments at embassies. For multinational companies operating resorts, vineyards or food-processing plants, the top-up offers a last-minute alternative to costly overtime or subcontracting. HR teams are being urged to check whether previous applications are automatically upgraded and to book medical insurance and accommodation in advance to avoid delays at border control. While business lobbies welcomed the measure, unions cautioned that without stricter monitoring of pay and housing standards, the influx could widen existing abuses in Italy’s informal labour market. The government has hinted that further micro-adjustments to quotas may occur throughout the summer if demand outstrips supply, signalling a more flexible, data-driven approach to labour migration.
