Want to work in Europe? Italy is issuing nearly 500,000 work visas starting this year

If working and living in Europe has been on your dream list, Italy is offering one of the biggest overseas work opportunities in years. Starting in 2026, Italy is set to issue nearly 500,000 legal work visas to non-EU citizens, creating a wealth of job prospects, including for Filipinos.

The initiative, recently approved by the Italian cabinet, builds on a similar program from 2023 to 2025, during which over 450,000 work permits were issued. This time, the plan is even more ambitious.

Italy’s Immigration Decree, known as the *Decreto Flussi*, has been authorized to release 497,550 work permits for non-EU citizens from 2026 to 2028. These permits will be divided into two categories: 267,000 will be for seasonal work, mainly in agriculture and tourism, while 230,550 will cover non-seasonal and self-employed work, including longer-term employment and entrepreneurial roles.

For 2026 alone, Italy plans to release 164,850 work permits, with similar numbers expected in the following years. This means plenty of opportunities for overseas workers.

The move comes as Italy faces a labor shortage due to an aging population and declining birth rates. Experts have warned that the country will need millions of immigrants in the coming decades to maintain its population levels. To address this, the Italian government is encouraging legal migration through structured work permits, focusing on sectors like agriculture, tourism, construction, and manufacturing, which rely heavily on foreign workers.

For Filipino workers, this program opens up more legal and varied pathways to work in Europe, whether through seasonal roles or long-term employment. The Philippines is also included in Italy’s priority countries quota, which can mean better access to certain work permits.

Applications for the 2026 visas will roll out through online “click days” starting on January 12 for seasonal agricultural work, followed by February 9 for seasonal tourism work, February 16 for non-seasonal roles from cooperation-agreement countries, and February 18 for all other categories. Employers must submit applications and secure approval before workers can apply for visas.

With nearly half a million work visas up for grabs, Italy is quickly becoming one of the most accessible European destinations for overseas workers—and Filipino jobseekers stand to benefit significantly.