Italy digital nomad visa operational since March 2026

Italy’s digital nomad visa is now fully operational. The implementing decree was published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 2 March 2026, and Italian consulates began accepting applications from 18 March 2026. The minimum income requirement sits at approximately €28,000 per year (€2,333 per month) – derived from three times the threshold for healthcare cost exemption – with applicants required to show 6 to 12 months of remote-work history and contracts or bank statements covering that period.

Why this matters: Italy is the largest EU country to launch a dedicated DNV programme in 2026 and the first to set its income bar materially below Spain’s €2,849/month or Portugal’s €3,680/month. For remote workers prioritising Mediterranean climate plus accessible income thresholds, Italy now competes directly with Spain on visa economics – particularly attractive for solo applicants in the €30k–€50k income band who previously found Spain’s or Portugal’s bars uncomfortable.

The application runs through the Italian consulate covering the applicant’s legal residence (not their choice of consulate). Processing times have varied across consulates since launch, with reports suggesting faster turnaround in lower-volume consulates and longer waits where fingerprint-appointment backlogs persist (specific median figures are anecdotal — applicants should check directly with their assigned consulate). There is no published cap on issuance numbers for 2026.

What to watch: the Interior Ministry has not yet published consolidated approval-rate data for the programme’s first months. Initial reports suggest variation in document requirements between consulates – the Consulate General in New York references €24,789/year minimum, while market practice has aligned closer to €28,000. Applicants should confirm the figure with their specific consulate before filing.