How much does an Italian work visa cost?
An Italian national work visa costs EUR 116 as a consular fee; that covers processing of the application and does not include visa-centre fees, documents or travel.
Verifiable answer
An Italian national work visa costs EUR 116 as a consular fee; that covers processing of the application and does not include visa-centre fees, documents or travel.
- How much does an Italian work visa cost?
- €116 / application
- €116
- Italy
- 31 August 2026
- Confidence: High
- Administrative processing of the national work-visa application; Consular fee paid to the competent Italian representation; Consular assessment of the entry purpose and submitted documentation
- Work clearance or preparatory documentation required before the visa application; Translations, legalisations, apostilles or document copies; External visa-centre fee where the local office uses one; Travel to a consulate, embassy or visa centre; Residence permit to be requested in Italy after arrival
- Type of work: employed, self-employed or seasonal; Whether clearance is required before applying; Competent consular office and local payment currency; Mandatory or optional use of an external visa centre; Number of documents needing translation, legalisation or supplements
- 3 sources
Short answer
A work visa falls within Italy's long-stay national visas: the consular offices checked list EUR 116. It is an administrative fee, not the full budget for relocating or starting work in Italy.
An Italian work visa is often searched as if it were a single entry tax, but it is only one item in a longer process. For employed or self-employed work in Italy, a national visa is normally required when the stay exceeds 90 days, and the consular offices checked publish a EUR 116 fee for this family of visas. That amount does not buy a positive outcome: it pays for administrative processing, and the application can still be refused if the requirements, clearance, documents or conditions are missing. It is also different from the study visa, which the same tables list at EUR 50, and from the short-stay Schengen visa, which has its own rules. Anyone planning a work move should separate three budgets: the consular visa fee, the documents needed before applying and the residence permit after arrival. This guide measures only the first one, because it is the official, verifiable amount.
What is included
- Administrative processing of the national work-visa application
- Consular fee paid to the competent Italian representation
- Consular assessment of the entry purpose and submitted documentation
What is not included
- Work clearance or preparatory documentation required before the visa application
- Translations, legalisations, apostilles or document copies
- External visa-centre fee where the local office uses one
- Travel to a consulate, embassy or visa centre
- Residence permit to be requested in Italy after arrival
How the price breaks down
| Item | Type | Frequency | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consular fee for a national work visaFee charged for processing a type D national work-visa application, excluding local visa-centre costs and supporting documents. | Compulsory | one-off | €116 |
What the price depends on
- Type of work: employed, self-employed or seasonal
- Whether clearance is required before applying
- Competent consular office and local payment currency
- Mandatory or optional use of an external visa centre
- Number of documents needing translation, legalisation or supplements
Hidden costs
- The consular fee is not a guarantee of issuance: if the visa is refused, the processing fee is normally kept.
- Employed work may require clearance before the visa application, with separate timing and documents.
- External providers and visa centres can charge local service fees on top of EUR 116.
- Payment in local currency follows the quarterly consular exchange rate, so the amount at the counter can change.
- After arrival, the residence permit remains a separate cost from the visa.
Three realistic scenarios
Consular fee only
€116
Application lodged with documents already prepared directly at the Italian representation, with no external provider or fresh supplement.
Ordinary application
€116
The visa fee remains EUR 116, but other non-included costs may appear before and after: documents, travel and the residence permit.
Visa-centre channel
€116
The consular fee remains EUR 116 even if the office uses an external centre; the centre's local service fee is separate.
How to spend less
- Do not pay intermediaries promising shortcuts: the consular fee remains EUR 116 and the outcome depends on the requirements.
- Before the appointment, check whether clearance is already required for your type of work so the application is not incomplete.
- Check the competent office's page in the quarter when you pay, because the local-currency equivalent can change.
- Keep the visa-centre cost separate from the consular fee: if a provider charges a fee, it is an additional line item.
- Budget for the post-arrival residence permit as well, without confusing it with the visa paid at the consulate.
Frequently asked questions
Does an Italian work visa always cost EUR 116?
The consular fee for a long-stay national visa is listed at EUR 116 by the offices checked, and the Addis Ababa page expressly includes employed work. That does not mean the whole process costs only EUR 116: the applicant may still pay for documents, translations, travel or a visa-centre service fee. The certain number is the consular fee.
Are the EUR 116 refunded if the visa is refused?
Usually no. The Istanbul consular page explains that the amount is due for administrative processing, not for the guaranteed issue of a visa. Refunds are limited to specific cases, such as inadmissibility of the request or incorrect collection. Submitting an incomplete application is therefore costly in both time and money.
Does the work visa include the residence permit?
No. The work visa allows entry to Italy for the authorised purpose, while the residence permit is a later application made in Italy when the stay exceeds 90 days. They are different phases with different sources and payments. A relocation budget should include both, but the verified price in this guide concerns only the visa.
What is the difference between a work visa and a study visa?
Both can be type D national visas for long stays, but the consular tables separate the price. The ordinary national visa, including work, is listed at EUR 116; the national study visa is listed at EUR 50. Using the study price for a work application, or the other way round, creates a wrong budget and can mean paying the wrong amount at the counter.
Why do some offices mention local currency?
The consular fee is stated in euros, but many overseas offices collect payment in the currency of the country where they operate. The local equivalent follows the quarterly consular exchange rate, so it can change on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October even when the EUR 116 fee remains the same. The exact local payment amount comes from the competent consular office's current page.
Sources and methodology
How we worked it out
I checked the consular fee on two Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices opened on 31 August 2026: the Consulate General of Italy in Istanbul and the Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa. Both list EUR 116 for long-stay national visas; the Addis Ababa page expressly includes employed work. The Integration Migrants portal was used to confirm the procedural scope: self-employment and employment are visa categories and issuing responsibility belongs to Italy's diplomatic and consular network. I did not include external provider fees, translations, legalisations, travel or the residence permit because the sources checked do not publish one national amount for those items.
Why this confidence level
Confidence is high for the EUR 116 consular fee: two official Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices report it consistently and one of them expressly mentions employed work. That confidence does not extend to the full relocation budget, because local service fees, documents and the residence permit vary by country, channel and type of work.
Long-stay national visa at EUR 116, separate from the EUR 50 study visa
Quanto costa un visto e come pagare (opens in a new tab)
Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale - Consolato Generale d'Italia a Istanbul · Public authority · Verified on 31 August 2026
Official consular page opened on 31 August 2026. It confirms EUR 116 for long-stay national visas and states that the amount is due for administrative processing, not for guaranteed issuance.
Authority5/5
Independent confirmation: national employment visa at EUR 116
Quanto costa un visto e come pagare (opens in a new tab)
Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale - Ambasciata d'Italia ad Addis Abeba · Public authority · Verified on 31 August 2026
A second consular office was checked. The page expressly lists EUR 116 for national visas including employment, and EUR 50 for national study visas.
Authority5/5
Guide scope: a work visa is a national visa handled by the consular network
Il visto d'ingresso (opens in a new tab)
Portale Integrazione Migranti · Public authority · Verified on 31 August 2026
Used for procedural context. It confirms that self-employment and employment are visa categories, that issuing responsibility belongs to the Foreign Affairs ministry and that employed-work decisions can take up to 30 days.
Authority4/5
Revision history
First published on 2026-08-31 with the consular fee checked against two Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices and procedural scope checked on the Integration Migrants portal.
- 31 August 2026
- 31 August 2026
- 30 November 2026
What did you actually pay?
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