Italy

Italy is a country of 58.9 million people where unemployment has fallen fast: from 8.1% in 2022 to 6.1% in 2025 – now only just above the EU average of 6.0%.

Other numbers are less rosy. The employment rate is 67.6% of people aged 20–64, well below the EU average of 76.1%, and youth unemployment is 20.6% among people aged 15–24 (EU: 15.2%). The north has much lower unemployment than the south.

As an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you do not need a work permit – you can move, look for a job and work on the same terms as Italians. The national job platforms and most procedures are in Italian, so the language is a big advantage.

Italian employers have real trouble hiring. In the employers’ survey quoted by EURES (October–December 2024), recruiting was difficult for 49.3% of all job searches – 66.2% for skilled workers and 52.4% for technical professions. The hardest jobs to fill:

• skilled metal trades – foundry workers, welders, tinsmiths, boilermakers, metal carpentry assemblers (79.0% hard to find),
• IT and engineering – software analysts and designers, electronic engineers, programming technicians and specialists in artificial intelligence, data analysis and cybersecurity,
• technicians and construction – specialised technicians, construction workers and mechanics (e.g. in Veneto), STEM professionals (e.g. in Piedmont).

For graduates, the national SIISL platform currently lists accountants, general office staff, nurses, sales and distribution technicians and pharmacists among the most requested profiles.

By volume, tourism offers the most jobs (245,000 hires planned in that survey), followed by trade (207,000). Tourism work is strongly seasonal, especially in the south and on the islands.

Italy’s public employment service is run by the regions through local employment centres (Centri per l’impiego). To use their services you need the Italian digital identity SPID and a declaration that you are available for work (DID). Every centre also offers EURES services. Start here:

• SIISL – the Ministry of Labour’s platform: upload your CV and browse thousands of job and training offers from companies and employment agencies,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Italy,
• inPA – the single recruitment portal of the Italian public administration.

Many companies publish vacancies on their own websites, and speculative applications are common. LinkedIn and professional networks, Chambers of Commerce websites and newspapers are also worth checking.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

An Italian application usually contains:

• an up-to-date CV tailored to the job – the Europass CV is widely used. A photo is not needed unless the employer asks for one, and certificates or references are only sent on request,
• a personalised cover letter (lettera di presentazione) showing your strengths, goals and why you fit the role,
• your consent to the processing of personal data – CVs sent to companies must contain it.

Send your application by email or through the channel named in the ad; in some areas it still helps to hand your CV to the HR manager in person.

Diplomas: for most jobs the employer judges your qualifications. Information on recognising foreign academic qualifications comes from CIMEA, the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre. For regulated professions (e.g. doctors, nurses, teachers) you need formal recognition from the competent Italian authority – see Your Europe on recognition of professional qualifications.

• No statutory minimum wage. The law does not set a minimum wage for all workers – minimum pay is set in national collective agreements (CCNL) for each sector. Check which agreement applies before you sign.
• 13th and 14th salary: depending on the collective agreement, you get one or two additional monthly payments a year.
• Working time: normally 40 hours a week. Including overtime, you may not work more than 48 hours a week on average over a period of up to four months.
• Overtime is limited and paid at a higher rate than normal hours – the details are in the collective agreement.
• Rest and holidays: at least 24 hours of rest in a row every 7 days and at least 4 weeks of paid leave a year.
• Contract: the employment contract is required by law and must be in writing.

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland can work in Italy without any permit, just like Italian students.

• Traineeships (tirocini) outside your study programme: training and guidance traineeships last up to 6 months and are for people who got their qualification in the last 12 months. A traineeship is not an employment contract – you get a participation allowance of at least €400 a month (as stated by EURES, 2026), and you are insured against accidents at work and for third-party liability. Both the sending organisation and the host company appoint a tutor.
• Rules on traineeships differ slightly from region to region.
• Seasonal jobs in tourism and hospitality are common, especially in summer and in the south and on the islands.

Students from outside the EU with a study residence permit may work up to 20 hours a week, with a limit of 1,040 hours a year.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Italy – practical information.

1. Tax code (codice fiscale): get it from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate). You need it for almost everything – your job contract, registering as a resident, the health service and a bank account.
2. Register as a resident (iscrizione anagrafica): if you stay longer than 3 months, go to the registry office of your town (comune) with your ID or passport, your tax code, proof of accommodation (e.g. a rental contract) and documents about your job. Afterwards you can get a residence certificate.
3. Health service: register with the local health authority, choose a family doctor and get your health card (tessera sanitaria).
4. Bank account: you need your tax code and a valid ID to open one.

Problems with your rights as an EU worker? Your Europe Advice and SOLVIT help for free.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence and work permit. The main routes:

• Graduates of Italian universities: after your degree, your study permit can be converted into a permit to look for a job for one year, if you meet the conditions.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified workers with a job offer above the national salary threshold; it is valid for two years.
• Annual quotas (decreto flussi) – most other work permits are issued within yearly quotas, and the employer applies for you. For the 2027 quotas, employers can pre-fill applications on the Interior Ministry portal from 23 October to 7 December 2026.

The government portal integrazionemigranti.gov.it and the EU Immigration Portal (students, EU Blue Card) explain the procedures.

• Eurostat – population on 1 January, unemployment by age, employment rate (data for 2025 and 2026),
• EURES – Living and working conditions: Italy, labour market information: Italy,
• Ministry of Labour – SIISL job platform,
• Department of Public Administration – inPA recruitment portal,
• Agenzia delle Entrate – tax code and health card (English),
• CIMEA – Italian ENIC-NARIC centre,
• Integrazione Migranti – quotas for 2027 (decreto flussi),
• EU Immigration Portal – student in Italy, EU Blue Card in Italy,
• Your Europe – working abroad, recognition of professional qualifications.

Updated: October 2026.