Do you want to work in Europe? Italy plans to issue half a million visas to foreigners between 2026 and 2028

The Italian government will offer nearly half a million work visas to foreign nationals, according to a statement released by the Council of Ministers, which met on Monday, June 30. The Council approved a decree on migration flows for the 2026–2028 period, outlining plans for the regular entry of non-EU workers into Italy.

The Council explained that the goal of issuing these visas is to “allow the entry into Italy of labor that is essential to the national economic and production system, and that would otherwise be unavailable.”

“In addition,” the statement continued, “by establishing a stable mechanism for legal and controlled immigration, we open key channels of communication with the countries of origin of these migration flows. This also becomes a tool to combat irregular entry and residence in our country, as well as undeclared work and labor exploitation.”

Italy will offer more than 160,000 work visas by 2026

Under the so-called “Decreto Flussi” (Flow Decree), the Italian government has approved 497,550 entries for the 2026–2028 period. Of these, 230,550 will be allocated for non-seasonal and self-employed work, while 267,000 will be reserved for seasonal jobs in the agriculture and tourism sectors. For 2026 alone, 164,850 entries have been authorized.

According to the decree approved by the Council of Ministers, the quotas for the 2026–2028 period were determined based on “the needs expressed by social partners and the applications for work permits submitted in previous years.”

Italy Law Firms notes that during the 2023–2025 period, the decree set a quota of 450,000 entries, 50,000 fewer than the new plan for 2026–2028. In 2025, Italy issued 165,000 visas for foreign workers; in 2024, 151,000; and in 2023, 136,000.

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