Italy’s Working Holiday Visa for Australians
With thousands of years of history and culture, natural beauty from mountains to beaches, great food and more, Italy has always been a popular holiday destination for Australians. But with so much to see and experience, why just visit Italy for a short time when you could stay for a whole year with a working holiday visa?
If you’re an Australian citizen aged 18-35 years old, you are likely to be eligible for an Italian working holiday visa. This allows you to stay in Italy for up to 12 months, while working during some of your stay to help fund your trip.
This is a great opportunity to experience life in Italy and perhaps even learn some Italian. The age limit recently increased from 30 to 35 years old, giving even more Australians the opportunity to enjoy a working holiday in Italy!
With an Italian working holiday visa, you are allowed to work for up to six months in total and not for more than three months with the same employer.
This page contains information about the Italian Working Holiday Visa for Australian citizens. It was last updated on 10 October 2024.
Key facts about Italy
- Population: Approx. 59 million
- Official language: Italian
- Capital city: Rome
- Largest cities: Rome (Roma), Milan (Milano), Naples (Napoli), Turin (Torino), Palermo, Genoa (Genova), Bologna, Florence (Firenze)
- Currency: Euro
Italy Working Holiday Visa requirements for Australians
In addition to Australians, Italy offers working holiday visas to citizens of Canada, New Zealand & South Korea.
The information on this page applies to Australian citizens. Please check with the Italian embassy in your country for information applicable to citizens of other countries.
To apply for an Italian Working Holiday Visa as an Australian citizen, you must meet the following requirements:
- Aged between 18-30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
- Have at least €10,000 (approx. AUD16,500) to support yourself in Italy for one year (if staying a shorter time, this is calculated on a pro-rata basis)
- Have a round-trip plane ticket to Italy, or enough money to buy one
You cannot apply for this visa if you:
- Will be accompanied by dependent children
- Have previously taken part in the Italian working holiday scheme
See the Directorate General for Italians Abroad and Migration Policies website for more information about Italian visas.
Documents needed to apply for this visa
When applying for a working holiday visa for Italy as an Australian citizen, you will need to provide the following documents:
- Australian passport valid until at least 3 months after you intend to leave Italy
- A passport-sized photo
- Bank statement/s showing you have at least the equivalent of €10,000 (approx. AUD16,500) – the statement must be in your name and include at least the previous 30 days of account transactions
- Copy of a return plane ticket to Italy, or proof of enough money to buy one
- Your Australian Medicare card
- Proof of travel/health insurance which is valid in all Schengen countries and covers any time you plan to stay in Italy beyond six months (see below)
- Proof of available lodging in Italy for the initial period of your stay, e.g. a hotel booking or offer of accommodation in your name
- Completed visa application form (PDF)
There is a visa processing fee of €116 (approx. AUD181.70), payable at the time of application. The exact fee is subject to minor adjustments based on the exchange rate.
Please note that the required documentation may vary depending on which Italian embassy or consulate you’re applying at. Check with the relevant embassy or consulate before applying (see below).
Travel insurance
As Australia has a reciprocal health care agreement with Italy, your Australian Medicare card should cover the first six months of your stay in Italy.
However, Medicare will not cover your medical expenses incurred after the first six months. That’s why it is compulsory to show proof of travel insurance covering the last six months of your stay (if you’re planning to stay a full year in Italy) or otherwise for any time you plan to stay beyond the six-month mark.
Your travel insurance must include at least the equivalent of €30,000 (approx. AUD50,000) of coverage for emergency hospital and repatriation expenses. See our guide to working holiday travel insurance for more details.
Although it’s not required, it’s probably a good idea to purchase travel insurance that covers your entire stay in Italy (including the first six months).
How to apply for an Italian Working Holiday Visa in Australia
If you’re in Australia, you’ll need to apply for a working holiday visa before you travel to Italy. You can apply any time up to 90 days before you travel to Italy. It’s recommended to apply at least 3 weeks before you are due to travel as visas can take anything from a few hours to 15 days to process (or longer if there are missing documents or complications).
There are six Italian missions in Australia. You’ll need to lodge your visa application in person at one of these six locations, depending on where you normally live:
- Consulate of Italy in Adelaide – SA residents
- Consulate of Italy in Brisbane – QLD & NT residents
- Embassy of Italy in Canberra – ACT, Queanbeyan & Cooma (southern NSW) residents
- VFS Global on behalf of the Consulate General of Italy in Melbourne – VIC & TAS residents
- Consulate of Italy in Perth – WA residents
- Consulate General of Italy in Sydney – All other NSW residents
Ensure you book an appointment online with the relevant embassy or consulate well in advance.
This PDF document from the Italian Consulate General in Melbourne may also be helpful.
Arriving in Italy
Once your visa has been issued, you’ll have 3 months to travel to Italy. Your visa will be valid for 12 months from the date of entry into Italy.
Within 8 business days of arriving in Italy, you will need to visit the Immigration office (Ufficio Immigrazione) of the local police station (Questura) where you intend to reside in Italy to apply for a residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno). This cannot be done at a post office.
There, you will need to provide the following with your residence permit application:
- Complete an application form, including personal details and the address where you plan to live in Italy
- A duty stamp (Marca da Bollo)
- 4 passport-sized photographs
- Your passport
- Photocopy of your passport’s photo page and the visa sticker given by the Italian embassy/consulate in Australia
- Photocopy of travel/health insurance document (this only needs to cover the period of your stay beyond six months)
- Documentation showing proof of financial means (you will have already presented this when applying for the visa)
After applying for a residence permit, you will be given a receipt (cedolino/ricevuta) and told when you will be able to collect your residence permit. This could be weeks or even months later. But you’ll be allowed to start looking for work once you have that receipt.
You may work up to 3 months for any single employer in Italy, and up to 6 months in total during your working holiday. Once you’ve found a job, your employer will need to request a work permit (Nulla Osta al lavoro) from the Direzione Provinciale del Lavoro (Provincial Employment Department). This is generally issued within 20 days.
These steps are set out in more detail on the Australian Embassy Rome website.
If you’re moving from Australia to Italy, you may also wish to join Facebook groups such as “Australians in Italy – Australiani in Italia”.
While best efforts are made to keep this information updated, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you spot an error, would like to suggest new information to be added or simply have a question, please let us know in the comments and we’ll endeavour to respond or update the article as quickly as possible!
Hi there,
Can I apply for my holiday working visa whilst outside of Australia?
Thanks in advance.
Imogen
This may be possible. Have a look at this website – https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en#BMQuestionario
In the questionnaire, if you enter your nationality as Australia and country of residence as a country outside of Australia (e.g. UK), it should tell you where you can apply.
Note that you cannot apply from within Italy.
If I don’t have $15k Australian saved can I still do anything to get the ball rolling?
Might be best to directly contact your nearest Italian embassy/consulate and ask. If you can show that you have free accommodation in Italy for example, perhaps they might reduce this requirement (but I can’t guarantee this).
Otherwise, it’s worth noting that the amount is pro-rated based on the number of months you plan to stay in Italy. So if you only stay for 8 months, for example, you would only need 8/12 of the full €10,400 if you were to stay a full year (i.e. you’d need around €7,000).
If that doesn’t work, you might just need to save up a little more money before heading over to Italy.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to show your last 3 months of bank statements when applying for this visa, so it may be necessary to show that you’ve had the required savings for at least 3 months.
Has there been any news on the Australian age limit being increased. I couldn’t apply previously because of lockdowns in England and Australia.
I haven’t heard anything yet from the Italian government, but keep an eye out as this should happen at some point in the future.
You may wish to contact your nearest Italian embassy or consulate directly to ask them.
Thanks for the reply!
I’ll give it a shot but last time me and my partner got nothing expect you should ask the other embassy in an endless loop saying it’s the other countries responsibility.
But hopefully things have changed since lockdown.
I asked one of the Italian Consulate Generals, and they said that the official limit is still currently 30. But apparently the Italian government is “considering the matter”.
Does anyone know how long it usually takes for the Italian consulate in Australia to process the visa applications?
Hi. Great article. Thanks. I’m 60y/o and have been offered a consulting position with a company in Italy. I can satisfy every requirement except obviously my age. Is there any available mechanism to allow me to progress my arrangement? Thanks in anticipation.
Unfortunately for you, this visa is only available to people aged 18-30. You would need to look for a different type of visa, such as a work visa. Your employer may be able to sponsor you for this.
We don’t provide info on other visa types, sorry.
Also wondering this – Any ideas?
I ahve applied for the visa 2 weeks ago, still haven’t heard anything back and am due to leave in 1 month.
Hi!
I’ve been super lost with so many things surrounding this visa 🙁
Do you know if I can go to any immigration office in any city in Italy for the residence permit? Is there one in every city? Is this step a quick process will it be done in one day or will I need to have multiple visits?
You have said it could take a month and then you have to go back again and collect the official permit, what if you are staying in a different city then? Is it necessary to pick up and what time frame do you normally have to collect it?
You also need to include the address you will be living, if you plan to move around a lot can you just put your current address?
And for the health insurance, if you don’t plan to stay beyond 6 months do you still need to provide it? Or do you need some kind of proof that you wont be staying beyond 6 months?
Any help would be so appreciated!
I’m sorry I cannot help but have the same questions, so hoping to hear back if anyone else responds!
Hi Maddie,
Within 8 working days of arrival, you would need to go to the city police HQ (“Questura”) in the city in Italy where you intend to live to apply for the “Permesso di Soggiorno” (stay permit). Each city has its own Questura with an immigration office.
Because of this, it would be a good idea to have a plan on where you will (at least initially) live in Italy.
The permit itself is not generally issued straight away, and will probably take several weeks to receive. You may also need to return a few days or weeks later to provide fingerprints. When you return for that, you might be informed of how long the rest of the process will take.
However, after applying initially, you’ll be issued with a receipt (cedolino/ricevuta) proving that you’ve requested the stay permit. Once you have this, you are already allowed to start looking for work.
Once the Permesso di Soggiorno has been processed, you’ll be informed by SMS of when and where you can pick it up. You can also check the status of your application here – https://questure.poliziadistato.it/stranieri/?mime=1&lang=english
Note that the process could vary in different parts of Italy.
On the health insurance question – I can’t say for sure, but if you provide a return plane ticket when applying for your visa that shows you’ll be leaving Italy less than six months after arrival, your visa would most likely only be valid until your intended departure date. If the visa validity is therefore under 6 months, I imagine you would not need to show health insurance.
I haven’t personally applied for this visa, so this is just the situation to the best of my knowledge. If any Australians who’ve been to Italy would like to chime in, feel free 🙂
This was a very useful article! I am looking into gettingg a working holiday visa in Italy, but also travelling through other Schengen countries. I am looking for more information on whether my time in Italy on the working holiday visa would eat into my 90 days in the Schengen zone. Can anybody assist?
I can’t give you a definitive answer on this, sorry, but suggest having a read of this article and its comments – https://workingholiday.au/europe-working-holiday-visa/
hi there does an australian citizen need a working visa if you work at a holiday camp for 60 days in summer
You should probably check with your nearest Italian consulate for the most accurate information, but my understanding is that you would need a visa if you want to do any kind of paid work in Italy (even for a short time).
Hey do you know if you can be on 2 Visas at one time, i’m currently on the UK Youth mobility visa but also wanting to get the Italian Working Holiday visa and wondering if that’s possible
I don’t think there is any specific rule against this.
Is it possible to apply for the Holiday visa outside of Australia? Could I apply in Rome? Because i’m currently living in the UK and want to go there after
As a general rule, you do need to apply from within Australia (and specifically, at the embassy or consulate designated for residents of the Australian state or territory where you normally live).
However, you could perhaps ask the Italian embassy in the UK if they’re able to make an exception and process a working holiday visa application for you there. I don’t know if this is possible, but please let us know if you get an answer. 🙂
Hi Matt!
My friends and I are hoping to spend around 6 months in Europe next year, and we are looking at working in Italy for about 3 months. We are confused with the “Schengen visa.” If we worked in Italy for 3 months, and then travelled in other countries (which are included in the Schengen area) and then went back to Italy, does the 90-day rule for the visa re-start every time we enter Italy? Or does it keep adding up?
Or better yet: if we have a working holiday visa for Italy do we even need a Schengen visa?
Hi there. Firstly, if you’re an Australian citizen, you shouldn’t be looking at “Schengen visas”. They aren’t really a thing for Aussies.
If you plan to work in Italy, you might consider getting an Italian working holiday visa. While your Italian visa is valid, you can travel in other European countries for up to 90/180 days (outside Italy), although note that you can only live & work in Italy. In your case, it probably makes sense to get an Italian working holiday visa that’s valid for at least six months. Just make sure you’re spending the majority of your time in Italy and not more than 90 days outside Italy.
Before your Italian visa expires, you should leave the Schengen Area.
Hi Matt thank you for the reply!!
Let’s say I didn’t do a working holiday in Italy, if I just wanted to backpack around Europe, what visa would I need then? (if the Schengen visa isn’t applicable)
If you’re an Australian citizen, you don’t need a visa to travel to Europe for up to 90 out of every 180 days as a tourist. (It may be different for citizens of certain other countries.)
Hi Matt – we are also looking at an Italian working visa. Re travel insurance; just wanted to confirm again that it is 30,000 euros for repatriation and 30,0000 for hopsital expenses, or 30,000 total?
Thanks again for all your help.
It’s the same for all of the European visas with the €30,000 minimum requirement for travel insurance. Your policy needs to provide at least €30,000 of cover in each (all) of the specified categories – hospital, medical evacuation and repatriation of mortal remains.
Hi! What are the rules for leaving and re-entering Italy on this visa? I cant find anything online. Is it free travel in and out of Italy during the course of the visa? (assuming time spent in the schengan zone outside of italy counts towards 90 days allowable time in schengan zone).
Also – on this working holiday via, would it be suitable/allowable to do remote work based outside of Italy? Thank you!
You can leave and re-enter Italy/the Schengen zone as many times as you like while your visa remains valid. Just be careful not to spend too much time in other Schengen countries outside of Italy.
I can’t advise you on the second question but I would suggest it would probably be fine. Maybe just chat to an accountant about possible tax implications.
Thanks Matt!! I have some more questions that are very specific but I am hoping you could help me with? 🙂 My partner and I are planning on both applying for this visa, and we are hoping to travel in South East Asia before heading to Italy.
1. Do you know how long does this visas take to be approved, once we have attended the visa appointment at the consulate? (Sydney)
2. If we apply at the Sydney consulate right before we leave to travel, can we receive our approval for our visa if we are outside of Australia?
3. Is it okay if the flight booked into Italy on first arrival, is not leaving from Australia? (as we would already be travelling overseas)
4. Would it be a problem if the booked flight into Italy ends up being amended to a different date, after the application is approved? We would likely book a flight into Italy so we can apply for the visa, but dependent on how long the approval takes, we may change the flight booking so we can arrive in Italy sooner, or later. I understand that once the visa is approved, we need to arrive within 90 days.
Thanks again 🙂
Hi Sarah. The best place to ask would be the Italian consulate, but I see you already did that and they weren’t that helpful.
I can’t give you a definitive answer on the processing time – if all your documents are in order during the visa interview, you may get the visa the same day or within the next week, but I’d allow 2-3 weeks perhaps just in case.
I would suggest it’s best to wait in Australia until you get your visa before travelling.
It should be fine if your flight into Italy isn’t direct from Australia, but when you apply for your visa, show all of your plane tickets that will get you from Australia to Italy. (E.g. show your ticket from Australia to SE Asia and your ticket from Asia to Italy.)
You probably shouldn’t arrive in Italy before the start date on your visa.
Please note that none of this is professional/legal advice!
Hi! Is this page still being monitored or anyone who has had this visa can you see my above comment and see if you can answer any of my questions? I’ve contacted the embassy in sydney to ask all of the above and I did get a response but it didn’t address any of my questions and just sent me to the eligibility page on the embassy website haha. TIA!!!
Hello Matt!
Insightful and concise article – it has helped me immensely as information about this visa is quite limited so thank you!
I do have a couple of questions regarding the permesso di soggiorno which I hope you can help me with as I have been emailing Questures and my local Consulate and have received no reply…
1. Do you know if there would be any repercussions if I am unable to apply for the residence permit after 8 days of arriving in Italy? I am travelling to a few countries within the Schengen zone then coming back into Italy. I am concerned that if I am unable to apply within the 8 days of arriving, leave and then come back, that they won’t let me into Italy.
2. I am planning on going to a Questure in Sicily but see that you have to book an appointment there first. Do you know how to book an appointment? I know that for the WHV you must apply at a Questure but have read online that some immigration offices are not familiar with this type of Visa and tell people to go to the Post Office and obtain a kit (the process for other visas) to book an appointment.
Thank you in advance 🙂
I’m afraid I don’t know the answers to these questions either, sorry. However, I would suggest that you plan your trip so that you are in the right place to apply for your permit within 8 days of arrival. I’m not familiar specifically with the Italian system but there may be fines involved if you don’t. To book an appointment you could try calling the Questure.
Hi,
Thank you for all of your information!
A quick question, my partner and I are planning on getting the Italian WHV next year but we will only have 2 weeks back in Aus (returning from another working holiday) to apply. The plan will be to have everything pre-prepared and any in person meetings booked for the day after we get back to give us the maximum time.
Do they take your passport and return it? Or can it be approved after leaving Aus? We will not be entering Italy until 2 months later.
If anyone has done their Italian WHV what’s the current wait time like?
Thanks again for all of your work on this!
I don’t know for sure whether the embassy/consulate will keep your passport while your visa is processed, but I suspect the answer is “yes” because they need to put a visa sticker in it.
Regarding the processing time, if everything is fine with your application you “should” be able to collect/get back your passport within a few days or a week. But if it’s at all possible, I would suggest maybe allowing 3-4 weeks in Australia.
Applying 2 months before entering Italy shouldn’t be a problem, assuming you already have a flight to Italy booked etc.
Hi there, I am still a while away from travelling so this is just a question I have been thinking about. If I got a working holiday visa in italy, would I be able to enter other schengen countries without the 90/180 rule? Or would it still apply, but italy does not count towards my 90 days? Thanks
Another question, do I have to work in the country while having the visa, or would it be possible working online, with my employer being based in a different country?
This visa does not require you to work in Italy. Working remotely may be OK, but be mindful of any tax implications if you stay in Italy for long enough to be considered a tax resident.
You can travel in other Schengen countries while holding an Italian working holiday visa, although this visa only gives you the right to live and work in Italy (i.e. you can’t work in Spain or France with an Italian visa). You still get 90/180 days as a tourist while outside of Italy.
Hi! the https://conssydney.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Long-Stay_WORKING-HOLIDAY-VISA-2.pdf page, dated April 2024 – does not state anything about arriving in Italy within 3 months of visa approval. But it does say ‘Applications cannot be processed earlier than 180 days prior to the departure date.’
Do you know if there has been a change in the 3 month arrival rule? I can’t find it on any other of the Sydney consulate pages. It still states it on the Australian Rome embassy website but that is not dated.
I also can’t find anywhere on the Syd consulate pages that it states repatriation cover or medical cover amount ($) needed. Do you know where I can find this information?
Grazie 🙂
Hi Sarah, it could be that the 3-month rule no longer applies (since you can apply within 180 days of the planned arrival date) but you could double-check with the consulate if in doubt. In general, there is no reason for most people to apply more than 3 months in advance, though.
Regarding travel insurance coverage, the minimum medical and repatriation cover amount for almost all Schengen visas is €30,000 Euros. This is also the amount stated on the Word document about the working holiday visa provided by the Italian consulate in Perth (for example) – https://consperth.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero/visti/