Will I be able to use the seasonal visa on my own?

No. In Italy, the employer is required to start the application through ALI Portal. The visa can only be applied to at the embassy once the employer receives the Nulla Osta.

What is the case when the quota is completed?

In case the quota of your district or industry is reached, then your submissions will go on a waiting list. Nevertheless, the government redistributes idle quotas in other zones in mid-year.

What are the 2026 countries on the "Priority List"?

The list will contain 38 countries including Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Ukraine.

Italy Seasonal Work Decree Rules 2026

Do you want to be employed in vineyards of Italy in the sun, or in the coastal resorts of the world? 2026 will be the year of international labor. Italy has been admitting almost half a million workers under the new Decreto Flussi 20262028, and seasonal opportunities have become a huge priority.

Italy Seasonal Work Decree 2026

Quotas & Critical Dates (Click-Days)

In 2026, the application is made in a strict chronological system of Click-Day. In case your employer is not prepared right at the moment the portal opens, you will be out of the whole year.

Total 2026 Quota: There has been a record of 164,850 work permits being granted in the year with 88,000 of the same being seasonal labor (agriculture and tourism).
Agriculture Click-Day: The portal will be opened January 12, 2026, at 9:00 AM CET.
Tourism & Hospitality Click-Day: The portal will be used on February 9, 2026, 9:00 AM CET.
Pre-filling Phase: The employers had to complete applications on the ALI Portal between October and December 2025, which required them to pre-fill the applications to prevent technical delays.
Chronological Processing: Timestamps are applied to the applications. The demand of agricultural quota in 2025 was fulfilled within less than 20 minutes; 2026 is experiencing the same demand.

Sector-Specific Allocations

In the 2026 decree, quotas are staggered so that the most labor starved industries in Italy are given a hand.

Farming Industry: The farms have about 40,000 positions that are assigned to the picking, harvesting and rearing of fruits and livestock.
Tourism & Hospitality: The summer and winter seasons will be equipped with about 13,000 slots (hotels, restaurants, and beach clubs).
Priority Countries Quota: 25,000 visas are reserved to the citizens of countries that have a migration agreement, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Multi-year Seasonal Permits: 5,000 places in the quota are allocated to those workers that have previously worked in Italy on a seasonal basis at least once during the past 5 years. This enables a quick-track back of trusted employees.

Monetary and Contractual regulations

The Italian government has also stepped up compliance inspections of 2026 in order to safeguard foreign workers.

Minimum Wage: The employers are obliged to comply with the National Collective Labor Agreement (CCNL). Be prepared to earn between 1200 and 1700 every month depending on the industry.
Accommodation by employer: The employer should demonstrate that he/ she has hired someone with appropriate accommodation. It is not just enough to declare the hospitality anymore; quite often it is necessary to provide a formal housing suitability certificate.
Return Journey Guarantee: The employer is obliged to agree to reimburse the price of the worker going back to his home country.
Nulla Osta (Work Authorization): It is the so-called Nolle impediment certificate of the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione. In the case of seasonal work in 2026, the government hopes to issue them within 20 days of a successful click-day application.

Legal Compliance Between Arrival and Residency

SPID / CIE: This requires your employer to have a verified digital identity (SPID) in order to file your application.
9-Month Limit: Seasonal permit has a time limit of 9 months in 12 months.
Permesso di Soggiorno: Within a period of 8 days after entry to Italy, you would have to visit a local post office where you apply to obtain your physical Residence Permit.
Conversion Rights: One of the most secretive things about the 2026 rules: two successful seasonal periods will qualify you to convert your seasonal permit into a permanent subordinate work permit (Lavoro Subordinato) to remain in Italy all year round.

FAQs

Will I be able to use the seasonal visa on my own?

No. In Italy, the employer is required to start the application through ALI Portal. The visa can only be applied to at the embassy once the employer receives the Nulla Osta.
What is the case when the quota is completed?

In case the quota of your district or industry is reached, then your submissions will go on a waiting list. Nevertheless, the government redistributes idle quotas in other zones in mid-year.
What are the 2026 countries on the “Priority List”?

The list will contain 38 countries including Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Ukraine.

Final Thoughts

The Decreto Flussi 2026 of Italy is the most radical plan of labor migration ever in the history of the country. Now, although the Click-Day system is a very competitive one, the enlarged quotas of agriculture and tourism, along with the way to the permanent residence, make it a golden chance of non-EU workers.

Disclosure

This paper is informational and educational. The Italian government has the right to adjust the Decreto Flossy rules and quotas. All details and deadlines should be checked by the readers with the official Ministry of Labor and Social Policies or a certified Italian consulate and only then the decision is taken.