Self-employment / Corporate Role

Article 26 of the Consolidated Immigration Act

Non-EU nationals who intend to hold a corporate position of President, Member of the Board of Directors, CEO or Auditor in a company established in Italy for at least three years.
Application for this visa can be submitted from 2 December until 31 December 2023 and from 5 February until 31 December 2024.

An entry visa for self-employment may also be requested, for the purpose of carrying out one’s activities, by foreign nationals who hold – limited to joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, or limited partnerships limited by shares that have been in business for at least three years – the position of President, Member of the Board of Directors, CEO, Auditor. In such cases, no certification of the financial benchmarks referred to in Article 39(3) of Presidential Decree No. 394/1999, as amended and supplemented, is required. However, possession of:
a) a certificate of registration of the company in the Companies Register;
b) a copy of a formal declaration of responsibility, issued in advance or sent by the legal representative of the company to the competent Ispettorato territoriale del lavoro, indicating that no employment relationship will be established with the foreign national;
c) a declaration by the company’s legal representative guaranteeing, in favor of the applicant, a remuneration of an amount higher than the minimum level provided for by law for exemption from participation in health care expenditure.

Find out here about the attractive tax benefits for foreign nationals transferring their residence to Italy.

The non-EU worker must prove, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 3 of art. 26 of the Consolidation Act no. 286/1998 and subsequent amendments and additions, the possession of:
a) suitable accommodation, either by producing a contract for the purchase or rental of a property, or by means of a declaration made by the foreign national himself in accordance with Articles 46 and 47 of Presidential Decree n° 445 of 28 December 2000, or by means of a declaration made in accordance with the same regulations by an Italian citizen or foreign national legally residing in Italy, stating that he has made suitable accommodation available to the visa applicant;
b) an income, from lawful sources, of an amount exceeding the minimum level stipulated by law for exemption from participation in health expenditure. This minimum income requirement is met in the presence of documentation proving that a similar income has been obtained in the country of residence for the year preceding that in which the visa application is made or in the presence of the declaration provided for in point 2.c;
c) provisional nulla osta for entry purposes, issued – in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5 of Article 39 of Presidential Decree No 394/1999 and subsequent amendments and additions – by the competent Territorial Police Headquarters, to which a copy of the declarations and statements, or of the substitute documentation indicated above, must also be submitted.

The declarations and attestations – or the substitute documentation – indicated above, together with the nulla osta of the Questura, all no more than three months old, must be presented, for their verification and evaluation, to the competent Italian diplomatic-consular Representation, which will, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 of Article 26 of the Consolidated Act no. 286/1998 and subsequent amendments and additions and paragraph 6 of Article 39 of Presidential Decree no. 394/1999 and subsequent amendments and additions, issue the visa.

Cost of the service:
1) Detailed information on requirements and procedures provided by email in English or Italian: no cost;
2) Detailed information on requirements and procedures provided via web calls in English or in another language chosen by the client: a quote will be provided;
3) Assistance with the visa and residence permit application: a quote will be provided.