The EU Blue Card is the residence permit for highly qualified workers from outside the European Union who are hired in Italy. The employer files the application, but the part of the file that most often stalls concerns the worker: the foreign degree, its Dichiarazione di valore, the sworn translations and the apostilles on the documents that prove the qualification and the experience. MMW Traduzioni has prepared this documentation since 1995 for professionals relocating to Italy and for the companies that recruit them, and handles in the same way the files for study, work and family reunification visas.
Who qualifies for the Blue Card in Italy
The Blue Card is governed by article 27-quater of the Italian Immigration Act, rewritten by Legislative Decree 152 of 2023, which implemented Directive (EU) 2021/1883. Entry is outside the annual quotas and can be requested at any time of year. The worker needs an employment contract or a binding offer of at least six months for a highly qualified position, with a salary not lower than that provided by the applicable collective agreement, and one of the following: a higher education qualification awarded after a course of at least three years, or a post-secondary professional qualification of at least three years; for regulated professions, the requirements of Legislative Decree 206 of 2007; alternatively, a higher professional qualification proved by at least five years of experience at a level comparable to tertiary education and relevant to the job; or, for managers and specialists in information and communication technology, at least three years of relevant experience in the seven years before the application.
The employer applies for the work authorisation (nulla osta) at the Sportello unico per l’immigrazione of the Prefecture, which decides within thirty days. The worker then applies for the entry visa at the Italian consulate in the country of residence and, within eight working days of arrival, for the residence permit, valid for two years with a permanent contract and for the duration of the contract plus three months otherwise. Blue Card holders may bring their family without the usual waiting periods, may change employer after twelve months with a notification to the Labour Inspectorate, and holders of a Blue Card issued by another Member State for at least twelve months may apply in Italy without resubmitting the documents on their qualification. Workers already legally resident in Italy on a convertible permit may apply without leaving the country.
The degree and the Dichiarazione di valore
For a worker who qualifies on the basis of a degree, the Sportello unico requires the degree to be accompanied by the Dichiarazione di valore issued by the Italian representation in the country where the degree was obtained, or by a statement of comparability issued by CIMEA, with the degree apostilled or legalised and translated into Italian by sworn translation. This is the step that takes longest and should be started before the contract is signed: consular appointments are weeks away, and a degree without the apostille or with the holder’s name spelt differently from the passport is sent back. The firm reviews the documents, indicates the correct route for the country of origin, prepares the sworn translations and, when the consular statement cannot be obtained in time for the hiring, proposes the CIMEA alternative. For regulated professions such as doctors, nurses, engineers and architects, the requirement is the recognition of the professional qualification by the competent ministry, which the firm handles in full.
Professional experience in place of a degree
Workers who qualify through experience must document it with employment contracts, payslips and letters from previous employers stating the sector, the duties and the duration of each position, together with a declaration by the Italian employer that the experience is relevant to the position offered. These documents, issued abroad, must be apostilled or legalised and translated by sworn translation, and they must be consistent with one another: dates, company names and job titles must match across the documents and the CV. The firm organises the file in chronological order, translates and swears the documents and points out to the employer the gaps to fill before filing, so that the Sportello unico does not have to request additions that stretch the thirty days.
Study, work and family visas
The same documents, with their own rules, serve for the other long-stay visas. For the student visa, pre-enrolment through the Universitaly portal requires the school-leaving or academic qualification with the Dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statement, the sworn translation and, for many universities, a language certificate. For employed and self-employed work visas within the annual quotas, translations of professional documents are needed and, for some categories, registration with an Italian professional body after recognition. For family reunification the Italian authorities require marriage, birth and family status certificates issued abroad, legalised and translated, with special rules for the countries whose documents must be verified by the Italian consulate. The firm prepares the sworn translations and legalisations for all these procedures, registers foreign civil status records in Italy once the family has arrived and follows applications for the conversion of permits, for instance from study to work at the end of a degree.
What the firm does and what remains with the employer
The firm provides advice on and handling of the administrative procedures concerning the worker’s documentation: preliminary check of the documentary requirements, Dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA procedure, recognition of regulated qualifications, sworn translations, apostilles and legalisations, preparation of the file for the Sportello unico and the consulate, assistance in the correspondence with the offices. The application for the work authorisation and the employer’s obligations, such as the contract proposal, the housing suitability certificate and the declarations on social security compliance, remain with the employer or its employment consultant, with whom the firm coordinates. Consultations are held in Rome, by video call or in writing, in English, French, Spanish and Italian, and companies recruiting several workers from abroad have a single point of contact and a checklist for each country of origin.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dichiarazione di valore always required for the Blue Card?
For workers who qualify on the basis of a degree the Sportello unico requires it or accepts the CIMEA statement of comparability instead. Workers who qualify through professional experience do not present a degree and do not need it. Practice varies between Prefectures, and the firm checks the instructions of the competent Sportello before starting.
How long does it take to prepare the worker’s documents?
Sworn translations and legalisations take a few days. The Dichiarazione di valore depends on the Italian representation in the country of the degree and takes from a few weeks to a few months; the CIMEA statement normally a few weeks. Recognition of a regulated qualification takes months. The documentation should be started as soon as the candidate is identified.
Does a British degree obtained after Brexit count for the Blue Card?
Yes, like any degree from a third country: with the Dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statement, the apostille of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and a sworn translation. British citizens hired in Italy are themselves subject to the rules for third-country nationals and may apply for the Blue Card.
Can my family join me straight away?
Yes. Blue Card holders may apply for family reunification without the minimum residence period required of other workers, and the family’s authorisation can be requested together with the worker’s. The family’s certificates must be legalised in the country of issue and translated by sworn translation.
Do you work with companies hiring several workers from abroad?
Yes. For companies and employment consultants handling several hires the firm organises the candidates’ documentation with a single point of contact, a checklist for each country of origin and consolidated invoicing, and keeps the employer informed on the status of each file.
Do you need to prepare the documents for a Blue Card or a visa?
Send us a scan of the degree or of the documents on your experience and tell us the country of origin: you receive within one working day the list of steps, the timing and a written quote.
