The decreto flussi

How many people can enter for work in 2027

The decree for 2026-2028 provides for these entries in 2027:

• 76,200 entries for non-seasonal employed work. Of these, 14,000 are for the family care sector (for example carers and domestic workers).
• 89,000 entries for seasonal work in the agricultural and tourism sectors.
• 650 entries for self-employment.

New: from 2027, citizens of Kenya can also apply. Italy and Kenya signed an agreement on migration and mobility on 2 July 2026.

Pre-filling begins (from 23 October to 7 December 2026)

Before the click day, applications can be prepared. This phase is called pre-filling. It can be done from 9:00 a.m. on 23 October 2026 to 8:00 p.m. on 7 December 2026. It can be done on any day and at any time, including public holidays. It is done online only, on the website of the Ministry of the Interior: ALI Services Portal.

To enter the portal you need a SPID or CIE digital identity.

• For employed work (seasonal and non-seasonal), the application is made by the employer, also through an association or an authorised professional.
• For self-employment and for conversions, it is made by the person concerned.

In this phase, the National Labour Inspectorate can already check the pre-filled applications.

Second phase: the portal reopens (from 9 to 13 December 2026)

This phase is very important, especially for those who fill in the application in the last days.

The portal reopens from 9:00 a.m. on 9 December to 8:00 p.m. on 13 December 2026, 24 hours a day.

During these days, new applications cannot be made. You can only:

• view the information that the system adds to the application by itself in the six days after you started filling it in;
• save the application. When you save it, the application moves from the status “to be completed” to the status “to be sent”.

Warning: if the application is not in the “to be sent” status, it cannot be sent on the click day.

The click day: when applications are sent

There are new rules and new deadlines:

Confirmation of the nulla osta (work authorisation): 15 days.
When the One-Stop Shop for Immigration (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione) finishes the checks on the visa application, the employer has 15 days to confirm the nulla osta request. If the employer does not confirm in time, the request is considered refused. If the nulla osta had already been issued, it is revoked.

The employer must inform you. The employer must tell you immediately about any news they receive on your nulla osta procedure.

Residence contract: 15 days.
You and the employer must sign the residence contract within 15 days of your arrival in Italy. Before, the deadline was 8 days. Within the same deadline, the employer sends it online to the One-Stop Shop to request your residence permit (permesso di soggiorno).

After the application

The steps are the same as in previous years.

The One-Stop Shop for Immigration examines the application:

• if the application is approved, you receive the nulla osta. With the nulla osta you can apply for the visa at the Italian embassy or consulate in your country. With the visa you can enter Italy and apply for the residence permit. The nulla osta is valid for 6 months. You must enter Italy within this time.
• if the application is refused, you cannot get the visa. You can try again the following year, if you meet the requirements of the new decree.

Those who want to apply for international protection do not have to follow this procedure. They must make a different application, the application for international protection.

Where to find help

If you are in Italy and have doubts, you can go to the immigration office of your municipality.

Search the internet for “Immigration office Municipality of + the name of your city”; or to a patronato (a free assistance office for workers and migrants). Search the internet for “patronato + the name of your city”.