Italy has published the operational timetable for its 2027 Decreto Flussi programme, covering seasonal employment, non-seasonal employment and self-employment. Employers preparing to recruit foreign workers can begin pre-filling applications on 23 October 2026, ahead of separate submission dates in January and February 2027.
The announcement implements Italy’s existing 2026–2028 migration programme. It provides a timetable for applications under approved quotas, rather than guaranteeing visas to everyone who applies.
The 2027 Quotas
The authorised allocation is divided as follows:
| Work category | Entries authorised |
| Non-seasonal employment | 76,200 |
| Seasonal agriculture and tourism | 89,000 |
| Self-employment | 650 |
| Total | 165,850 |
These figures represent entry ceilings under the programme. They should not be described as jobs already available or visas already issued. Applications must fit the relevant category and satisfy the applicable requirements.
Four Submission Dates
Employers must use the Interior Ministry’s ALI services portal. The submission opening depends on the type of work:
| Category | Submission opens |
| Seasonal agriculture | 12 January 2027 |
| Seasonal tourism | 9 February 2027 |
| Non-seasonal employment in designated sectors | 16 February 2027 |
| Family assistance | 18 February 2027 |
Applications can continue until 31 December 2027, subject to quota availability. Consequently, the year-end deadline does not mean places will remain available throughout the year.
The underlying decree sets the opening time at 9:00 a.m. for each category. These are Italian local times. Preparing a form and submitting it are separate stages: employers should ensure their application is ready before the relevant opening.
Preparation Starts October
The circular sets the pre-filling window from 9:00 a.m. on 23 October to 8:00 p.m. on 7 December 2026.
A limited reopening runs from 9:00 a.m. on 9 December to 8:00 p.m. on 13 December. It allows existing applications to be completed, corrected and saved; new applications cannot be created during this reopening.
Applicants should check that forms move into the portal’s “ready to send” status. Some information is acquired asynchronously, so leaving preparation until the final days can require follow-up during the reopening.
Eligible Work Sectors
The decree covers a broad range of non-seasonal activities, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food services, tourism, transport, logistics, warehousing, healthcare and social assistance.
However, the presence of an industry in the decree does not establish eligibility for every vacancy. The employer must identify the correct route and quota category for the proposed recruitment.
Pakistani And Indian Applicants
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are among the countries expressly listed in the decree’s cooperation-country provisions.
For 2027, the listed-country non-seasonal allocation contains 25,000 places shared across the countries concerned. It is not a separate 25,000-place quota for each nationality. Another allocation covers countries whose migration cooperation agreements enter into force during the programme.
The decree also reserves 14,000 non-seasonal entries for family assistance in 2027, within the overall employment allocation.
The new circular adds Kenya from 2027, following a migration and mobility memorandum signed on 2 July 2026.
Eligible Countries For 2027
The decree expressly lists:
| Albania | Ghana | North Macedonia |
| Algeria | Guatemala | Pakistan |
| Bangladesh | India | Peru |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Japan | Philippines |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Jordan | Senegal |
| Ecuador | Kenya — added for 2027 | Serbia |
| Egypt | Kosovo | South Korea |
| El Salvador | Kyrgyzstan | Sri Lanka |
| Ethiopia | Mali | Sudan |
| The Gambia | Mauritius | Thailand |
| Georgia | Moldova | Tunisia |
| Morocco | Montenegro | Ukraine |
| Niger | Nigeria | Uzbekistan |
The October 2026 circular additionally confirms Kenya’s inclusion from 2027. These are the countries named in the decree and the new circular for the relevant cooperation-country routes; further countries can qualify when applicable migration cooperation agreements enter into force. This should not be presented as a nationality restriction covering every Decreto Flussi category, because family assistance, self-employment and other reserved routes have separate eligibility provisions.
Seasonal Workers
Seasonal recruitment covers agriculture and tourism, with 89,000 entries in 2027, compared with 88,000 in 2026.
Within that total, the decree provides priority reservations for applications submitted through specified employer organisations: 47,000 agricultural places and 14,000 tourism places in 2027.
It also reserves 6,000 places for qualifying multi-year seasonal authorisations involving workers who previously entered Italy for seasonal work at least once during the preceding five years.
These reservations are components of the seasonal allocation. They should not be added to the 89,000 total as extra places.
Employer Responsibilities
The programme involves an employer’s request for a nulla osta, or work authorisation, to recruit a worker residing abroad.
The decree also addresses the employer’s prior check with the competent employment centre concerning the availability of a worker already in Italy. The applicable documentation and procedure depend on the route.
Quotas are distributed territorially in line with labour-market needs. The national total therefore does not mean that every province or employer has unrestricted access to the full allocation.
Two Important Deadlines
The circular highlights two 15-day deadlines:
- The employer must confirm the nulla osta request within 15 days of notification that visa-application checks have concluded. Failure to confirm leads to rejection of the request and revocation of an authorisation already issued.
- The employer and worker must sign the residence contract within 15 days of the worker’s entry. The employer must transmit it electronically within the same period.
Employers must also promptly inform workers about communications concerning their authorisation procedure.
Self-Employment Route
The 650 self-employment entries form a distinct allocation. They should not be treated as an alternative employment route available to any applicant.
Specified categories include qualifying professionals, certain company officers, recognised artists and innovative start-up founders. One entrepreneur category requires an investment plan using at least €500,000 in personal resources and creating at least three jobs. This is a category-specific investment condition, not a general application fee.
What Is Decreto Flussi?
Italy’s Decreto Flussi is the government’s quota system for admitting non-EU nationals for specified types of work, including seasonal employment, non-seasonal employment and self-employment.
For an employment application, the process normally starts with an employer in Italy offering a job and requesting a work authorisation, known as a nulla osta. The employer prepares the application through the ALI portal and submits it when the relevant category opens.
Approval depends on quota availability and the required checks. Once authorisation is granted, the worker proceeds with the work-visa process through the Italian embassy or consulate and, after entering Italy, completes the required residence formalities. A submitted application does not guarantee approval, and the employment route requires an employer rather than allowing a worker to apply independently for a quota place.
What To Do
Prospective workers should first establish which employment category fits their situation and confirm the employer’s intended application route. Employers should prepare the appropriate form, check supporting evidence and monitor the portal before submission.
The practical distinction is between preparation, submission and approval. Completing a form does not secure a quota place; a quota allocation does not, by itself, complete the visa process.
For cases requiring detailed eligibility assessment, the 2027 circular retains compatible earlier operational instructions and directs users to the ALI portal manual. It does not replace every previous procedural requirement.