Who is eligible to apply for EU Blue Card visa and residence permit?
EU Blue Card is specifically conceived for highly specialized workers with a job offer for employment with an Italian company. This type of visa and residence permit is intended to attract and facilitate the immigration of qualified professionals to address skill shortages and ease the economic development of the host country.
In order to determine if you are eligible for the EU Blue Card Visa & Residence Permit, please review the specific requirements outlined in the following paragraph.
EU Blue Card Requirements
To obtain an EU Blue Card in Italy, non-EU citizens must meet certain requirements:
- The applicant should hold at least a bachelor’s university degree (with a minimum duration of 3 years);
- The applicant should have a job offer for employment by an Italian company with a minimum duration of 12 months and with a gross yearly salary of at least Euros 30,000.00;
- A Declaration of Value of the University degree issued by the competent Italian Embassy or Consulate of the foreign country where the applicant’s degree was awarded (the Declaration of Value is not required if the applicat has obtained a Degree or a Master in the EU).
EU Blue Card application: main procedural steps
If you intend to obtain an EU Blue Card, you must follow the following steps in the order presented below:
- Applying for and collecting the ‘Nulla Osta’ (the Security Clearance issued by the competent Immigration Desk);
- Filing the Visa application at the Italian Consulate;
- Entering Italy and applying for the residence permit at the competent Police headquarter.
Validity of the EU Blue Card
The Eu Blue Card Visa has a validity of 1 year. Within its period of validity, it allows the worker’s entry into Italy and the obtaining of a residence permit.
The Visa is never renewable. On the contrary, the residence permit has a maximum validity of 2 years and it is renewable.
The residence permit is renewable provided that its holder has worked for the Italian Company signatory of the initial job offer and that the foreign national is never absent from the Italian territory for longer than 6 continuous months.
The applicant can renew the residence permit on their own or be assisted by us.
How long does it take to get an EU blue card?
The average time frame to obtain the EU Blue Card Visa is approximately 3/4 months from the application for the Certificate of No Impediment (Nulla Osta). Once the applicant’s Visa has been issued, they can travel to Italy, apply for a residence permit, work, and reside there legally.
EU blue card benefits
The EU Blue Card offers several benefits to highly skilled non-EU nationals who wish to work and reside in an EU member state. Some of the key benefits of the EU Blue Card are:
- Mobility: holders of an EU Blue Card enjoy are allowed to travel across the Schengen area visa-free for a maximum time of 90 days every 6 months.
- Extra-Quota Application: there is no maximum number of EU blue cards that can be issued every year, as for in-quota applications. In other words, this type of application is not subjected to any quantitative restriction.
- Family Unity: the EU Blue Card also facilitates family unity, allowing the visa holder to be accompanied by their spouse and minor dependent children, or to be joined by these family members afterwards.
- Long-Term Residence: after holding the EU Blue Card for five years, individuals who have been civil and tax residents for this time, are eligible to apply for a long-term (also called permanent) residence permit in Italy.
- Social Benefits: EU Blue Card holders are entitled to access social benefits and services likewise national residents, including healthcare, education, and social security.
- Access to the EU Labour Market: the EU Blue Card promotes labour market mobility. After the first 18 months of employment with the Visa sponsor, it enables its holders to change employer within the same member state or move to another EU country and be employed there.
Get in Touch
Do not hesitate to write to us if you wish to have additional information on the requirements for this type of Visa and counselling on your specific case.
FAQ
- Can I apply for a blue card without job offer?
It is not possible to apply for the EU Blue Card without a job offer in Italy. In fact, the EU Blue Card is a work permit that is issued to highly skilled non-EU nationals who have a valid employment contract or a binding job offer from an employer in an EU member state. It is specifically designed to attract and facilitate the migration of qualified professionals to fill in-demand positions. Therefore, in order to apply for the EU Blue Card in Italy, you must secure a job offer from an Italian employer who is willing to sponsor your application. Without a job offer, you would not meet the eligibility criteria for the EU Blue Card.
- Do I need a Visa to work in Italy?
– If you are: A) neither an EU national, B) nor a national of the following countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; The Swiss Confederation; San Marino;
– and you intend to be employed by an Italian company and be physically present in Italy,
Then yes, you need an EU blue card Visa or another type of work Visa.
