If you would like to work in Italy, you must be aged at least 16 years and have completed at least 10 years of compulsory education. If you are over 15 but not yet 16, you can be recruited under an apprenticeship contract to achieve a qualification or professional diploma.
As a citizen of the European Union you can be employed or self-employed without having to obtain a work permit (with the exception of certain activities reserved for Italian citizens) and enjoy equal treatment with Italian citizens.
If you would like to work in the private sector, note that a system of direct recruitment applies in Italy.
An employer:
- Submits a mandatory telematic notice (comunicazione obbligatoria telematica - CO) to the Ministry of Employment and Social Policy (Ministero del lavoro e delle politiche sociali) before you are recruited. That notice is also valid for inspections by the Ministry of Employment and Social Policy, the National Social Welfare Institution (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale – INPS), the Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro – INAIL). It is not required for self-employed individuals.
- When you are recruited, you will be given a copy of the CO and the individual employment contract, containing the information about the financial and legal conditions
You can find more information about types of employment here