If you plan to hire a non-EU worker living abroad in 2027, start as the employer or appoint an authorised intermediary. Before 23 October 2026, check the correct route, SPID or CIE access, registered PEC address, employer and worker information, proposed contract and required documents. For non-seasonal work, also begin the prior check with the Centro per l'impiego (employment centre).
As of 14 October 2026, the next step is to prepare access, conditions and documents: pre-filling opens at 09:00 on 23 October 2026 and closes at 20:00 on 7 December 2026. Save the completed application as DA INVIARE (ready to send); you must then submit it from the appropriate click day. All times in this guide are Italian time.
If you are the worker, agree the correct information and route with the employer. Do not buy a promise of entry. Quotas are not jobs allocated to the reader: the application, nulla osta, visa and residence permit are separate stages. This guide provides information and orientation, without assessing your individual entitlement.
What to prepare first
- Pre-filling
- 23 October 2026, 09:00 → 7 December 2026, 20:00
- Completion only
- 9 December 2026, 09:00 → 13 December 2026, 20:00
- Access
- SPID/CIE; employer's PEC in INI-PEC or INAD as applicable
- Total 2027 quotas
- 165,850: 76,200 non-seasonal, 89,000 seasonal, 650 self-employed
Section 1
Who does what: employer, worker and intermediary
Identify who submits the request and who supplies information. Appointing an intermediary does not remove the employer's obligations.
| Person | Before submission | After submission |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | Selects the contract and form; checks conditions, quota, PEC, employment-centre check where required, certification/accommodation and information. | Monitors ALI and PEC, answers officials, informs the worker, confirms interest and sends the residence contract within the deadlines. |
| Foreign worker | Supplies accurate personal and travel-document information; reports relevant previous stays or seasonal work. | Applies for the visa through the competent consulate; after entry completes residence formalities with the employer. |
| Authorised intermediary | Checks the mandate and ALI profile; prepares the employer's application using their information and documents. Certification requires the competent professional. | Follows the case within the mandate; confirmation and transmission may be handled by the persons specified in Circular 7185. |
An employer using a private-user profile may submit up to three subordinate-work authorisation requests per year in 2026–2028, including seasonal work. The circular distinguishes requests made by employer organisations, qualified/authorised professionals and employment agencies. A generic delegation does not make someone authorised: check their profile and mandate without sharing passwords or SPID codes.
Section 2
2027 calendar: preparation, completion and submission
Pre-filling prepares the application. Each click day opens submission for a specific form and does not replace the required checks.
| Period | Action | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 23 October 2026 at 09:00 – 7 December 2026 at 20:00 | Pre-fill and save DF27 forms; available around the clock, including public holidays. | This is not click-day submission. |
| 8 December 2026 | Section unavailable according to ALI's notice. | Arrange checks before closure. |
| 9 December 2026 at 09:00 – 13 December 2026 at 20:00 | Complete information retrieved later, amend and save existing applications. | No new applications may be started. |
| Date | Route | Form |
|---|---|---|
| 2027-01-12 | Seasonal agriculture | C-STAG DF27 |
| 2027-02-09 | Seasonal tourism and hotels | C-STAG DF27 |
| 2027-02-16 | Non-seasonal work in the listed sectors | B2020 DF27 |
| 2027-02-18 | Family care | A-BIS DF27 in quota |
The ISO dates in the table mean 12 January, 9 February, 16 February and 18 February 2027. From the day after each click day, ALI allows new applications to be prepared and submitted until 31 December 2027, subject to the relevant quota remaining available. Do not leave corrections to a pre-filled application until click day.
Chronological submission order matters for provincial quotas by form. The DPCM also provides for closure of applications that have not entered a quota and authorisations without a visa six months after 31 December of the reference year: for 2027 this means 30 June 2028, rather than the 30 June 2027 date in the previous year's instructions.
Section 3
Quotas, categories and limits
Check the sector, form, applicable nationality/category and reserved quota together. A national total is not the quota available to an individual application.
| Category | Number | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Non-seasonal employment | 76,200 | Includes 14,000 for family care; do not add them again. |
| Seasonal employment | 89,000 | Agriculture and tourism, with the DPCM's reserved quotas and conditions. |
| Self-employment | 650 | Specific categories and conditions; separate from the employer route. |
| Total | 165,850 | National planning, not guaranteed individual places. |
The DPCM distinguishes countries with migration cooperation, agreements taking effect during the three-year period, stateless persons/refugees, family care and other categories. Circular 7185 includes Kenya from 2027 and retains the other reserved allocations. Do not apply one category's country list to every route: check the precise DPCM provision and form.
Seasonal reserved allocations for 2027 include 6,000 multi-year requests and applications through designated employer organisations: 47,000 in agriculture and 14,000 in tourism. These are parts of the 89,000, not additional quotas or an entitlement for every member. Correction 8524 adds Confartigianato Imprese to the tourism organisation list.
Section 4
Seasonal work: agriculture and tourism
Choose the correct C-STAG DF27 branch: agriculture on 12 January 2027, tourism and hotels on 9 February 2027, from 09:00.
- Check the economic activity and eligible ATECO code, work period, contract and quota category. A business's trading name does not establish its sector.
- Circular 8047 excludes seasonal work from the prior employment-centre availability check. Employer checks and other required documents still apply.
- If relying on priority for lawful seasonal work in the previous five years, collect the previous mandatory employment-notification and permit/receipt information as applicable. Lawful return and compliance with the permit conditions are essential.
- Multi-year requests have specific conditions. Designated agricultural and tourism organisations have particular procedures and reserved allocations: check authorisation and any protocol rather than assuming every agency qualifies.
Section 5
Non-seasonal work: B2020 and eligible sectors
B2020 DF27 submission opens at 09:00 on 16 February 2027. First check the sector/ATECO code, entry category and employment-centre procedure.
Article 6 covers agriculture, forestry and fishing; food, beverage and tobacco industries; textiles, clothing and footwear; metallurgy and metal products; other manufacturing; construction; trade; accommodation and catering; tourism; transport, logistics and warehousing; support services for businesses and individuals; healthcare, social care, private health services and other services. The specified ATECO correspondence is required: these descriptions do not allow you to choose freely.
Circular 7185 states that the previously communicated ATECO codes have not changed. The attached table was not obtained in this check: retrieve it from the official links and have the actual code checked before applying. Drivers also need the appropriate equivalent/convertible licence and employer conditions; CQC qualification for actually driving is separate from entry-stage documentation.
Section 6
Family care: A-BIS within the quotas
A-BIS DF27 within-quota submission opens at 09:00 on 18 February 2027. The 14,000 entries concern domestic employment.
Prepare employer details, the person receiving care where requested, duties, hours and domestic-contract pay. The employment-centre check and normally asseverazione certification are required. Other jobs in health or social-care facilities use B2020 quotas where eligible.
For financial capacity, Circular 8047 specifies employer taxable income of at least €20,000 for a one-person household or €27,000 for a household with other cohabiting family members, with expressly permitted income aggregation. Pay must comply with the collective agreement and the applicable social-allowance minimum: the figure quoted for 2025 is not the 2027 amount.
The exemption from income and certification requirements concerns an employer with a condition/disability limiting self-sufficiency who hires someone for their own assistance, supported by an SSN doctor's or public facility's certificate. Do not extend it to every household with an older or disabled person; the employment-centre check still applies.
Section 7
Self-employment: scope and separate procedure
The 650 self-employment quotas do not make a foreign professional a B2020 applicant or automatically require an employer.
Article 6 specifies categories including entrepreneurs with an investment plan and new jobs, professionals meeting the stated conditions, company officers, qualified artists and innovative start-ups. The 500 annual places under paragraph 4 are part of the 650 total; other reserved categories and conditions also exist.
For self-employed entry, start with the statutory category and the competent consulate's visa instructions, including the authorisations and certificates required for the activity. The four DF27 procedures in this guide concern employment. Do not automatically apply employer documents, pre-filling or the B2020 click day to every self-employed applicant.
Section 8
ALI access, PEC and the intermediary's mandate
Prepare the accessing person's identity, correct profile and employer's digital address before opening. An unregistered PEC address can prevent activation.
Check SPID/CIE and the profile
Check credentials and the required device; intermediaries must check their profile and mandate. Do not sign in using another person's identity.
Check the employer and PEC
Check representative and business/entity tax codes, business-register status where relevant and PEC in INI-PEC or INAD for the cases specified by ALI, including individuals.
Open DF27 from 23 October 2026
Area riservata → Sportello Unico Immigrazione → Compila domande Decreto Flussi 2026-2028/Click Day. Select the form, read the privacy information and complete preliminary checks. A-BIS distinguishes individuals and legal persons.
Activate the application
Use Verifica utenza e invia PEC. Following a positive check, a code is sent to the employer/representative's PEC; enter it in Verifica codice on the Da validare row. Resolve a negative check before continuing.
Section 9
Information and documents by stage
Organise information before opening. Upload what the active form and your circumstances require; the application file is different from the visa and residence files.
| Stage | What to prepare | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Before opening the form | Employer/representative identity and tax codes, business/entity details, registered PEC, intermediary mandate and profile. | Matching official records; employer can access PEC. |
| Preparation and submission | Worker information matching the travel document; proposed contract, workplace, duties, hours, pay and ATECO; accommodation and certification where required; employment-centre request and applicable outcome declaration for non-seasonal work. | Use the active form's fields and attachment list. Automatically retrieved data do not establish eligibility. |
| Specific cases | Previous employment/permit for seasonal priority; medical certificate for the assisted employer's exemption; drivers' licences. | These are not universal requirements. |
| Visa | Nulla osta and the competent consulate's required documents, including the travel document. | The ALI receipt does not replace a visa. Check the consular instructions for the case. |
| After entry | Border-entry information, signed and transmitted residence contract, later residence-permit application and employment formalities. | Follow SUI/ALI communications and residence instructions. |
Circular 8047 and the Sportello manual consulted specify attachments up to 2 MB; the manual lists PDF/P7M for Flussi applications. Certification and accommodation documents require digital signatures in the specified cases. Check the actual DF27 form's limits; do not upload unreadable files or merely rename their extension.
For accommodation, Circular 7185 refers to updated provisions for hotels/accommodation facilities and permanent construction-site dormitories. The full text of Circular 9859 was not obtained: requiring the same certificate for every accommodation type would be inaccurate. Ask the SUI to check the documentation appropriate to the accommodation.
Section 10
Employment-centre checks, certification and the employer
Checks depend on the route. Prepare the applicable evidence rather than replacing it with a generic declaration.
- For non-seasonal work, including family care, send a staff request to the competent employment centre. No notification of available workers within eight calendar days is one condition. A referred worker's unjustified failure to attend after twenty working days from the request is another. Report the selection outcome and document the actual circumstances.
- The circular refers to annex 3 (request) and annex 4 (outcome declaration), to be attached as instructed. Do not declare an outcome before its conditions are met. The annex files were not obtained during this consultation: use the current official forms.
- Asseverazione is certification by a competent professional or employer organisation of contractual conditions. The circular provides exceptions for protocol-signatory organisations applying for members and for the specified employer needing personal care. Neither is a general exemption.
- For other sectors, the circular specifies taxable income/turnover of at least €30,000 a year and particular financial indicators for agriculture. Adequacy and other requirements are not established by meeting one threshold.
- Examination also checks statutory employer impediments, including previous residence contracts not signed without reasons beyond the employer's control and the specified criminal proceedings. INL may inspect pre-filled applications in advance. False information or documents carry legal consequences.
Section 11
Checklist: before pre-filling
Use this list to organise the file with the employer and intermediary. It is preparation material, not an official declaration to submit.
Before pre-filling
- I have chosen the route, sector/ATECO, DF27 form and applicable category/reserved quota.
- I have checked who applies, SPID/CIE, profile, mandate and private-user application limit.
- I have checked the employer's PEC and correct INI-PEC/INAD registration.
- I have collected consistent employer/worker information, travel-document details and a proposed contract.
- For non-seasonal work, I have started the employment-centre procedure in time and arranged the applicable outcome evidence.
- I have checked financial capacity, certification or a documented exception and the accommodation type.
- I have identified case-specific attachments and who signs them; I am not using another year's conditions or dates.
Section 12
Checklist: before click-day submission
Reaching 100% is insufficient without a final save and DA INVIARE status. Also check information retrieved asynchronously.
Before submission
- I have checked every field, including information from official records, and resolved discrepancies through the competent channel.
- I have checked completeness, legibility, signature and size of required attachments.
- I have saved again after reaching 100% and checked DA INVIARE status.
- If needed, I have used 9–13 December 2026 only to complete an existing application.
- I have recorded the correct click day and 09:00 Italian start time and can access the correct account.
- After sending, I will keep the actual receipt/identifiers and monitor ALI/PEC, distinguishing a draft from a submitted request.
Circular 7185 describes asynchronous retrieval within six days from accessing preparation. Start in time: missing information must not be replaced with invented values. The general manual distinguishes a draft from the submission receipt; check what ALI makes available for the actual case.
Section 13
After submission: authorisation, visa and residence
A receipt proves transmission. Authorised entry requires the later stages and the applicable checks.
Follow quota allocation and examination
Monitor ALI and PEC and answer SUI requests. Non in quota does not reserve a place next year. Procedural time limits start from allocation to a quota, not simply from click day.
Nulla osta and visa
Work authorisation is not a visa. The worker applies through the competent consulate. Circular 7185 requires employer confirmation within 15 days of notification that visa checks are complete; without it the request is refused and any authorisation already issued is revoked.
Entry and residence contract
The employer promptly informs the worker of communications. Within 15 days of entry, employer and worker sign the residence contract and the employer sends it electronically to the SUI for residence-permit formalities, directly or through the specified authorised persons.
Residence permit and employment
Complete the residence-permit request as instructed and check employment formalities with the employer. The 15-day deadline concerns the contract and its transmission; it does not replace all residence deadlines or Questura instructions.
Section 14
Errors, official support and scams
Use ALI's Help Desk for technical issues and the SUI or competent professional for conditions, documents and examination.
| Problem | Check | Useful action |
|---|---|---|
| PEC activation code does not arrive | Registered address, employer contact and preliminary check outcome. | Correct the relevant registration; use Scrivi all'Help Desk through ALI for technical problems. |
| Missing or inconsistent information | Asynchronous fields, tax codes, representation and source records. | Keep the error and request support; do not invent replacements. |
| 100% but still Da completare | Final save and row status. | Save again within the window and check DA INVIARE. |
| Wrong form/year | DF27, category and selected branch's click day. | Correct before closure; do not apply the 2026 manuals' dates to 2027. |
| Submitted but entry not yet authorised | Receipt, quota, communications and case status. | Follow ALI/PEC and authorisation/visa steps; do not travel on the receipt alone. |
Section 15
Frequently asked questions
Answers to doubts that can change your next step.
Can the foreign worker submit the employer's application alone?
For C-STAG, B2020 and A-BIS within the quotas, the employer applies directly or through an authorised intermediary. The worker supplies their information and documents and follows the later visa stage. Self-employment follows a separate route.
Is a pre-filled application already submitted?
No. Saving it as DA INVIARE prepares it for submission; it must then be sent from the applicable click day. Keep the actual submission receipt, which is different from a draft.
Can I start a new application from 9 to 13 December 2026?
No. The reopening from 09:00 on 9 December to 20:00 on 13 December 2026 only allows existing applications to be completed, amended and saved. The section is unavailable on 8 December 2026.
What time do the 2027 click days start?
At 09:00 Italian time: 12 January for seasonal agriculture, 9 February for seasonal tourism, 16 February for non-seasonal B2020 and 18 February for family-care A-BIS within the quotas.
Does submitting the application authorise entry into Italy?
No. Submission, quota availability, examination, nulla osta work authorisation, visa and residence permit are separate stages. An application does not regularise an irregular stay or guarantee approval or a visa.
Is the employment-centre check also required for seasonal work?
Circular 8047, applicable to 2027 where compatible, requires it for non-seasonal work including family care and excludes seasonal work. Keep the request and applicable outcome declaration. Eight calendar days without a response and twenty working days concerning a referred candidate's failure to attend are different conditions.
Can I apply after the click day?
ALI says new applications can be prepared and submitted from the day after each click day until 31 December 2027. The relevant quota must still be available; the annual deadline does not reserve a place.
Are the 14,000 family-care entries additional to the 76,200?
No. They are included in the 76,200 non-seasonal entries. The family-care quota concerns domestic employment; other healthcare and social-care jobs use B2020 in the eligible sectors.
Section 16
Guides for related steps
Read about digital identity and documents. These guides do not replace the Flussi procedure.
Section 17
Sources consulted and limitations
Dates and procedures are linked to sources read on 14 October 2026. Material not obtained is kept separate from evidence consulted.
No authenticated ALI access, submission or personal-case check was performed. The downloaded manual package still contains 2026 technical guidelines: the 2027 calendar comes from ALI's notice and Circular 7185. ATECO/employment-centre annex contents, the full accommodation Circular 9859 and a specific 2027 operational FAQ collection were not obtained. These limits are not presented as completed checks.
- ALI — 2027 notice and access (Italian)9 October 2026 notice read: dates, DF27 forms, SPID/CIE, PEC, activation, data retrieval, saving and new applications after click days. Public area consulted; no authenticated access, application or submission test. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- Joint Circular 7185 of 1 October 2026 (Italian PDF)Eight-page PDF read: 2027 quotas, Kenya, pre-filling, completion, click days and references; new 15-day confirmation and residence-contract deadlines. The retrieved PDF contains no separate annexes; it refers to Circulars 8047/2025, 8524/2025, 9859/2025 and manuals. No personal case verified. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- DPCM of 2 October 2025 — Official Gazette (Italian)Articles 6–9 of the original text read: sectors, categories, reserved quotas, self-employment, dates, allocation and application closure. Text published in Gazette 240 of 15 October 2025; 2027 procedural updates are taken from Circular 7185. Not a live quota counter. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- Circular 8047/2025 — conditions and procedures (Italian PDF)Tables and sections 2–5 read: ATECO, employment-centre checks, certification, income, care, drivers, seasonal priority, application limits, PEC, documents, ranking and later stages. Referred to by Circular 7185 only where compatible. The 2026 dates, former 7/8-day deadlines and 2025 social-allowance amount are not transferred to 2027. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- Circular 8524/2025 — tourism organisation correction (Italian PDF)Correction read: Confartigianato Imprese is added to the tourism organisation list. Does not change the 2027 calendar or authorise every intermediary. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- Labour Ministry — 2027 operational announcement (Italian)1 October 2026 announcement and links to the circular and DPCM read. Summary; conditions and times come from the documents and ALI. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- ALI — manual and documentation package (Italian)Package downloaded: 48-page Sportello manual (updated 2 January 2026), saving, search, attachments and communication passages read; first three pages of the 30-page technical guidelines read. The downloaded technical file names and describes Flussi 2026, not 2027. DF27 dates and forms come from Circular 7185 and ALI's notice. No full manual or 2027-specific FAQ reading attested. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.
- Referenced annexes — ATECO table and employment-centre forms (Italian)Page read and annexes 2 (ATECO), 3 (staff request), 4 (declaration) identified; retrieval attempted from the official page. The three annex contents were not obtained. The Interior Ministry page returned 403 and the dynamic link did not deliver a file. No ATECO table or form reproduced as verified. Consultation or attempt: 2026-10-14.