How long does the Italy digital nomad visa take?
Updated · Income, costs & timing guide · Not legal advice
Once you file, consulates indicate the review can take up to 90 days for remote workers and up to 120 days for digital nomads, and they ask you to apply at least 15 days before travel. Add the time to get an appointment and to collect apostilled, translated documents, and plan for three to six months end to end.
| Stage | Typical time | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Codice fiscale + registered lease | 2-6 weeks | Consulate or Agenzia delle Entrate, landlord |
| Degree recognition (Dichiarazione di Valore / CIMEA) | Several weeks | Issuing office workload |
| Apostilles + Italian translations | 2-8 weeks | State offices, FBI check, translators |
| Consulate appointment | Varies by consulate | Slot release schedule |
| Consulate decision | Up to 90 (remote workers) or 120 (digital nomads) days | File completeness |
| Permesso di soggiorno request | Within 8 working days of arrival | Questura |
How to avoid delays
- Submit a complete file: incomplete applications can be refused or take longer.
- Order the FBI check and degree recognition first; they are the slowest.
- Book the appointment as soon as your income and experience are clearly in place.
Quick answers
- How long does the Italy digital nomad visa take?
- Up to 90 days for remote workers and 120 for digital nomads after filing, per consulate guidance, plus appointment and document time.
- Can I travel to Italy while waiting?
- Your passport is usually kept by the consulate during processing, so plan travel around it.
- Can I speed it up?
- There is no official fast track. A complete file is the best way to avoid extra requests.
What to do next
Get a personal timeline and checklist from the free tool; we review the file for $599 so it goes in complete.
Free eligibility check and checklist. Paid plans are one-time, flat fees for a human review of your full Italy visa file.
Sources
- Embassy of Italy in Chisinau: digital nomad and remote worker visas (IT, PDF)
- Ministero degli Esteri: Visto per l'Italia (visa finder and document lists)
- Prenot@mi: Italian consular appointment booking
Checked: . Rules change; confirm current values on the official pages above before you file.