Working in Italy for a Company Abroad: Questions Professionals Ask

A growing share of the people who contact us are not looking for an Italian job. They already have a job, with a company in India, Brazil, the US, Turkey or elsewhere, and they want to do it from Italy. Maybe a partner lives here, maybe they fell for a city, maybe the company wants someone close to European customers.

This is possible and common. It needs a structure, though. Here are the questions we hear most.

Can I just move and keep working remotely?  

Not for long, and not as a non-EU national. To work in Italy you need a permit that allows work. A tourist entry does not. Working from Italy for months also creates income tax and social security obligations, and can expose your company to having a taxable presence in Italy.

Why can my company not sponsor me directly?  

The work authorisation is requested by an employer in Italy. A company with no Italian entity cannot easily file it, and opening an entity just for you takes months and creates ongoing costs.

What is an Employer of Record, from my side?  

A company in Italy that becomes your legal employer. It signs an Italian employment contract with you, files your permit, pays your salary and withholds tax and contributions. Your company abroad pays the EOR a monthly fee plus your employment cost, and keeps directing your work: your manager, your team, your tasks stay the same.

With ItalyBlueCard the fee is €250 per month, invoiced in EUR or USD at the EUR reference rate.

Which permit would I get?  

Usually the EU Blue Card : a degree or qualifying experience, a contract of at least six months, and a salary at or above the threshold (reported at about €36,300 gross a year). Otherwise a quota work permit.

Will my salary stay the same?  

The company decides the salary, but it will be expressed as an Italian gross annual salary (RAL) in euros, paid in 13 or 14 installments. Your net pay depends on Italian tax and contributions. Try the net pay calculator before you agree a number.

Do I lose my benefits?  

Some change shape. You gain Italian ones: INPS pension contributions, public health care, at least four weeks of paid leave, the 13th month and TFR severance. Benefits from home, such as a stock plan, may continue; their tax treatment in Italy depends on the plan and should be checked.

What happens to my pension at home?  

Contributions in Italy build an Italian pension. Whether periods can be combined with your home country depends on social security agreements between the two countries. Ask an adviser in your home country.

Can I work for other clients too?  

A Blue Card allows self-employment alongside the qualified job. Your employment contract will also have confidentiality and IP clauses in favour of your company; check before taking side work.

What if the company stops the arrangement?  

Then Italian rules on dismissal and notice apply, as for any employee. As a Blue Card holder you can look for another job while unemployed. You receive TFR, unused leave and the accrued 13th month in your final payslip.

How do I convince my manager?  

Send them this page and the cost calculator . Most companies worry about legal exposure and cost. An EOR removes the first and makes the second predictable.

Questions worth a minute  

Can I keep my home employment contract too? Two parallel employment contracts for the same work create tax and social security problems. Usually the home contract is suspended or ended while you are employed in Italy.

Who sets my working hours? Your company, within the limits of the Italian contract and CCNL: normal week of 40 hours, average including overtime of no more than 48.

Can I work from home in Italy? Yes. The remote work agreement (lavoro agile) is written into your contract.

Does my company need an Italian bank account? No. The company pays our invoice from its own account, in EUR or USD.

Will I appear on my company’s org chart? That is up to the company. Legally we are your employer in Italy; in practice you are a member of their team, with their tools, their email and their manager. Most people we employ are indistinguishable from colleagues in other countries.

How quickly can we start? As soon as the permit allows. The Blue Card nulla osta has a 30-day legal deadline; documents and the consulate add time. See planning a start date .