Italy's Job Market for Foreigners 2026

Italy's job market is experiencing expansion in 2026, with sectors like technology, healthcare, and tourism actively seeking skilled labor, including from abroad. For Brazilians with Italian descent, the scenario includes a lesser-known access route: citizenship recognition, which opens doors to the European job market without the visa requirements imposed on non-EU citizens.

A heated job market: what the data shows

According to data from Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica), Italy has reached the highest employment rate in the country's recent history, consolidating an economic recovery that has been underway since the post-pandemic period. The Italian statistics institute has recorded steady growth in formal employment, especially among workers in technical and service sectors.

This recovery, combined with Italy's aging population and labor shortages in certain professions, has driven demand for specialized workers from outside the country. Italian companies, mainly in the northern regions, report difficulty filling vacancies in technical areas, creating real opportunities for qualified foreign professionals.

More details on this scenario can be found in Italy news coverage published regularly by Raízes Italianas.

High-demand sectors in Italy in 2026

Several sectors stand out as currently absorbing the most foreign labor:

• Technology and digital innovation: Milan has established itself as a hub for startups and tech companies, with Rome also gaining ground in this market. Software development, data science, and cybersecurity professionals are in high demand.
• Tourism and hospitality: In coastal regions and historic cities, the tourism season continues to generate demand for hospitality professionals, especially those fluent in multiple languages.
• Construction and engineering: Infrastructure projects, including works funded by European recovery funds, have increased demand for engineers and construction technicians.
• Healthcare and elder care: The nursing and elderly care sector faces a chronic shortage of professionals in Italy, making it one of the most receptive sectors to foreigners, sometimes even with streamlined credential recognition processes.

How the Italy work visa works

For non-European citizens wishing to work in Italy without Italian citizenship, the main route remains the Visto D, a category for long-term stays. This visa is subdivided into modalities according to purpose:

• D1: dependent work (employment by an Italian company)
• D2: self-employment
• D3: other long-term stay purposes, such as study or family reunification related to work

The application process is handled through the Italian consulate with jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence in Brazil. It is important to note that this consular route for work visas is distinct from the citizenship recognition process by descent — the latter follows completely different rules and is now more restrictive following recent legislative changes.

Among the documents typically required for a work visa are:

• Employment contract signed with an Italian employer (for D1) or proof of self-employment activity (for D2)
• Proof of financial capacity
• Valid health insurance on Italian territory
• Proof of residence in Italy

The process also depends on annual entry quotas established by the Italian government through the Decreto Flussi, a document that regulates the number of work visas available for non-EU citizens each year.

Salaries and cost of living in Italy

Italy does not have a single national minimum wage set by law as Brazil does — salary floors are defined by collective bargaining agreements for each professional category (contratti collettivi nazionali di lavoro). This generates significant variations depending on the sector and region.

Generally, salaries in northern Italy — in cities like Milan, Turin, and Bologna — tend to be higher than in the southern part of the country, reflecting historical differences in economic development between regions. Sectors like technology and engineering offer more competitive compensation, while tourism and hospitality typically offer more modest salaries, especially outside high season.

Cost of living also varies considerably:

• Milan is considered one of Italy's most expensive cities, with high rents and a cost of living close to other major European economic capitals.
• Rome, while also expensive, offers a median housing cost lower than Milan.
• Florence presents intermediate cost of living, but with strong pressure on property prices due to tourism.

For those considering relocating, understanding the relationship between salary and expenses is essential before making any decision. Raízes Italianas maintains content focused on professional life and cost of living in major Italian cities, with updated information for Brazilians planning their move.

Italian citizenship: an alternative route to the job market

For Brazilians with Italian ancestry, there is a route that eliminates work visa requirements: Italian citizenship recognition. Since the Decreto Tajani (DL 36/2025, converted into Lei 74/2025) took effect, recognition for more distant descendants — such as great-grandchildren — is no longer possible through the administrative process at the consulate or comune, remaining available in eligible cases only through judicial proceedings before Italian courts.

It is important to emphasize that the decree brought significant restrictions to citizenship rights by descent, and the discussion regarding the effects of this change, including its retroactivity on a person's material right to citizenship, remains under review by the Sezioni Unite da Corte di Cassazione, whose decisions are binding on all judges in the country.

Those who successfully complete Italian citizenship recognition through judicial proceedings become, as European citizens, with unrestricted access to the job market throughout the European Union — without need for visas, work permits, or annual quotas. This also includes access to professional mobility programs within the European bloc, expanding career opportunities beyond Italy itself.

It is worth noting that citizenship recognition processes filed before the Decreto Tajani took effect remain protected by the rules in force at the time of filing, as provided for in the norm itself.

How to seek employment opportunities in Italy

For those already authorized to work in the country — whether by citizenship or visa — some practical strategies help in the job search:

• Specialized platforms: websites like LinkedIn Italia and Indeed Italia concentrate most formal job postings in the country, allowing filtering by sector, city, and experience level.
• Italian language proficiency: while there are postings in English, mainly in multinational tech companies, proficiency in Italian significantly increases placement chances, especially outside major urban centers.
• Local networking: contacts and referrals remain one of the main hiring channels in Italy, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent the bulk of the country's business fabric.

Challenges for those seeking work in Italy

Despite the favorable scenario in certain sectors, those planning to move to Italy should be aware of some challenges:

• Bureaucracy: work visa processing times can be lengthy, and required documentation is usually extensive.
• Competition: foreign candidates compete with both local professionals and citizens from other EU countries, who have free access to the Italian job market.
• Cultural and financial adaptation: beyond the language barrier, the initial cost of moving — housing, documentation, adaptation — is often underestimated by those planning to establish themselves in the country.

Final considerations

Italy's job market in 2026 offers real opportunities for foreigners, especially in sectors like technology, healthcare, construction, and tourism, driven by a record employment rate according to Istat. For Brazilians with Italian ancestry, however, citizenship recognition remains the broadest route to accessing the European job market, although today it depends, in most cases, on judicial proceedings given the restrictions imposed by Decreto Tajani. Understanding the current rules — both for work visas and citizenship — is essential for those planning to build a career in Italy.

Want to know if you have the right to Italian citizenship? Speak with a specialized consulting firm.