Foreign nationals who can apply for an EU Blue Card Residence Permit are those non-EU citizen workers who are highly qualified and who wish to work independently, or under management or co-ordination from another physical person or legal entity and, as such, can enter and reside in Italy without having to fall within the quotas established by the Immigration Quota.

It is a category of residence permit reserved solely for highly skilled workers whose professional qualifications must be suitable and certified in the country of origin and be equally recognisable as valid qualifications in Italy. 

When an EU Blue Card can or cannot be issued:

The EU Blue Card can be issued to:

• residents from another state;
• foreign nationals who are resident on Italian territory;
• foreign nationals who are resident in another EU member state;
• foreign nationals who are holders of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU member state.

The EU Blue Card cannot be issued to:

• foreign nationals with a residence permit under the category of international protection
• foreign national researchers;
• foreign national family members of EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement;
• foreign nationals who possess an EU Long Term Residence Permit and those who possess same, issued by another member state;
• seasonal workers;
• relocated workers;
• foreign nationals who enter a member state by virtue of committments foreseen by an international agreement that facilitates the entrance and temporary residency of certain categories of physical persons connected to commerce and investments;
• foreign nationals who benefit from the right to free movement equivalent to that of EU citizens in virtue of agreements reached by another third party state and the EU and its member states. 

Procedure

The application for authorisation (nulla osta) for employment for highly qualified foreign national workers must be submitted by the employer to the Immgration Help Desk at the Prefecture, by means of the Ministry for the Interior online system.

The employer can sign an appropriate Memorandum of Understanding and substitute the application for an authorisation (nulla osta), addressed to the Immigration Help Desk (Sportello Amico), for the proposed residency contract. 

The form for application for authorisation for employment to obtain an EU Blue Card is the BC Form. In order to submit the form electronically, one must complete all the obligatory fields:

• educational title and the relative superior qualification. A professional superior qualification, certified by the country of origin, must be recognised in Italy and must fall under the “ISTAT classification levels 1, 2 and 3 of CP 2011 professions”
• the employment contract or the proposed binding employment;
• gross annual income, to be not less than triple the minimum level foreseen by the exemption from participation of health costs.

Foreign nationals who are legally resident in Italian territory can apply for authorisation (nulla osta) for employment irrespective of the requirement for effective residency abroad.

The procedure timeline is 90 days.

EU Blue Card Residence Permit

The highly qualified foreign national, authorised to work, is issued with a EU Blue Card residence permit.

It has a duration of 2 years in cases whereby the employment contract is of a permanent nature or, alternatively,  a duration that is equal to the length of the employment contract. 

The EU Blue Card holder, only for the first 2 years of legal residency on national territory, can exclusively carry out the employment activities, conforming with the admission conditions and with those for which the EU Blue Card was issued.

It is possible however to change employer in the course of the first 2 years, so long as the type of employment remains the same. Changes to employers is subject to authorisation on the part of the relevant Regional Employment Directorate. 15 days after the receipt of paperwork relating to the new employment contract or binding offer, the approval of the Regional Employment Directorate is to be considered acquired.

Family Reunification

Holders of EU Blue Cards can apply for family reunification, in compliance with the regulations laid down by the Immigration Legislation, irrespective of the duration of the residence permit.

EU Blue Cards issued by other EU member states.

A foreign national holder of an EU Blue Card that has been issued by another state, after 18 months of legal residency, can enter Italy without having to obtain a visa to carry out a highly qualified employment activity. The employer, within a month of the foreign national's arrival in Italy, must apply for authorisation (nulla osta) for employment. The application for authorisation for employment can be submitted by the employer even if the EU Blue Card holder is still resident in another member state. 

All information about how to apply for or renew a residence permit