On 20 May 2026 Italy’s Official Gazette published Legislative Decree 83/2026, implementing EU Directive 2024/1233 on a “single application procedure” for third-country nationals who wish to live and work in a member state. The decree, approved by both chambers of parliament last month and effective 4 June 2026, creates a unified Italian permesso unico that replaces multiple overlapping authorisations and aligns Italy with other EU states that have already moved to single-permit models. Under the new rules, employers or foreign nationals will file one digital application that covers both residence and work authorisation. The procedure will be conducted through the Ministry of the Interior’s ALI portal, with back-office coordination between immigration police, labour offices and social-security agencies. Processing times are capped at 90 days, and applicants will receive a combined electronic residence card once approved.
![Parliament Transposes EU ‘Single-Permit’ Directive, Streamlining Work-and-Residence Applications in Italy]()
For applicants who would like help navigating these changes, VisaHQ offers end-to-end support—from document checking to online filing and status tracking—and keeps its clients updated on every regulatory tweak; visit https://www.visahq.com/italy/ for full details.
Key features include automatic permission to change employer after the first 12 months without reapplying, equal treatment with Italian workers in terms of working conditions, education and recognition of qualifications, and simplified family-reunification rules. Existing stay and work permits will remain valid until their natural expiry, after which holders must transition to the new format at renewal. For global mobility teams, the reform promises fewer administrative steps, faster on-boarding of non-EU talent and better visibility over application status via a single online dashboard. Multinationals should update assignment timelines, budget for the slightly higher €130 issuance fee (which consolidates the old residence-card and work-permit charges) and liaise with payroll providers to ensure the correct permit code is recorded for tax and social-security purposes. The decree does not change Italy’s annual Decreto Flussi quota system, but officials at the Ministry of Labour say merging the two processes should reduce the backlog of unprocessed nulla osta requests that plagued seasonal-worker schemes last year. A public portal with real-time statistics on filings and approvals will go live in September 2026, increasing transparency for employers and regional authorities alike.
For applicants who would like help navigating these changes, VisaHQ offers end-to-end support—from document checking to online filing and status tracking—and keeps its clients updated on every regulatory tweak; visit https://www.visahq.com/italy/ for full details.
Key features include automatic permission to change employer after the first 12 months without reapplying, equal treatment with Italian workers in terms of working conditions, education and recognition of qualifications, and simplified family-reunification rules. Existing stay and work permits will remain valid until their natural expiry, after which holders must transition to the new format at renewal. For global mobility teams, the reform promises fewer administrative steps, faster on-boarding of non-EU talent and better visibility over application status via a single online dashboard. Multinationals should update assignment timelines, budget for the slightly higher €130 issuance fee (which consolidates the old residence-card and work-permit charges) and liaise with payroll providers to ensure the correct permit code is recorded for tax and social-security purposes. The decree does not change Italy’s annual Decreto Flussi quota system, but officials at the Ministry of Labour say merging the two processes should reduce the backlog of unprocessed nulla osta requests that plagued seasonal-worker schemes last year. A public portal with real-time statistics on filings and approvals will go live in September 2026, increasing transparency for employers and regional authorities alike.
