AUSTRALIA ITALY WORKING HOLIDAY VISA PROGRAM
INFORMATION SHEET
A Memorandum of Understanding relating to Working Holiday Visas exists between the Government of Australia and the Government of Italy. The principal purpose of visits under the Working Holiday program is a holiday with work being incidental to the holiday.
The Italian Government and its agencies are responsible for administration of the Working Holiday Program in Italy. The Australian Embassy Rome has prepared this information sheet based on the requirements set out in the Agreement itself and on the advised procedures of the Italian government agencies involved in the administration of the program. Specific procedural steps may vary between regions and offices within Italy. The Australian Embassy takes no responsibility if the procedures outlined below are changed or varied in any way by the Italian authorities.
Three basic steps have to be followed in order for an Australian citizen to remain in Italy and work under the Working Holiday Visa Agreement:
1. Obtain the Working Holiday visa from the Italian Consulate which is closest to your place of residence in Australia;
2. Apply at the Immigration office of the Questura (Police headquarters) for a Permesso di Soggiorno ( Permit of residence) within 8 days of arriving in Italy;
3. Using the Permesso di Soggiorno (or the receipt proving that you have submitted an application for a Permesso di Soggiorno) submit a request for a Work Permit to the Labour Office through your prospective employer. These steps are set out in greater detail below:
General Steps for the Working Holiday Program in Italy:
1) Obtain a Working Holiday visa from an Italian Diplomatic or consular office in Australia prior to travelling to Italy. The visa will be valid for 3 months from the date of issue i.e. the visa holder will have 3 months in which to use the visa to enter Italy. The visa will allow a stay of up to 12 months from the date of entry into Italy. Full details on obtaining the Working Holiday visa must be provided by the Italian Embassy or Consulate in Australia.
The following general conditions apply when requesting the Working Holiday visa at the Italian Consulate in Australia:
A) The bearer of a Working Holiday visa will be allowed to work in Italy for no more than a total of 6 months out of the 12 month stay and only for a maximum of 3 months for the same employer.
B) Working Holiday visas will only be issued to Australian citizens who are ordinarily resident in Australia, who are between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive and who have no dependant children.
C) Working Holiday visa cannot be issued more than once to the same person.
D) Visa applicants must have a valid passport and a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket.
E) Visa applicants must have sufficient funds for sustenance during their stay in Italy.
F) Working Holiday visa holders will be covered by the Australia–Italy Reciprocal Health Care Agreement during the first six months of their stay in Italy. Private Health cover is required for any further stay in Italy.
2) Within 8 working days of arriving in Italy, Working Holiday visa holders must go to the Immigration office (Ufficio Immigrazione) of the city Police HQ (Questura), in order to apply for a Permit to Stay (Permesso di Soggiorno).
While Italian Post Offices can act on behalf of the Questura in processing a variety of Permits, the Working Holiday visa has to be dealt with directly by the Questura and NOT the Post office. The Permit of Stay allows the Australian citizen to stay in Italy for the time shown on the visa itself. This is usually a maximum of 12 months from the date of entry. When applying for a Permit to Stay, the visa holder will be given a receipt (cedolino/ricevuta) proving that the Permit has been requested. The Permit itself may take several weeks or months to be issued.
The following documentation is normally required by the Questura in Italy to apply for a Permit to Stay:
a) Application form provided by the Immigration Office at the Questura;
b) 4 passport-size photos;
c) Duty stamp (Marca da Bollo) currently of the value of 16.00 euro;
d) Australian passport with the Working Holiday visa placed inside;
e) photocopy of your passport data page and the Working Holiday visa placed in your passport by the Italian Consulate;
f) photocopy of health insurance cover (Note that the Australia Italy Reciprocal Health Agreement will cover applicants for the first six months of their stay);
3) Once the Australian citizen has requested and/or obtained the Permit to Stay or the receipt (cedolino/ricevuta) they may look for employment. It is the employer’s responsibility to request a Work Permit (Nulla Osta al lavoro) on behalf of the Australian citizen by going to the Labour Office (Sportello Unico). In making the request for a Work Permit, the employer will submit the Permit to Stay, or the receipt given to the visa holder at the time of applying for the Permit. The Italian authorities have stated that the Work Permit should be issued within 20 days.