Hire in Italy

Typical time to hire

2-4 weeks for contractor, 4-8 weeks for full-time

Entity requirement

Italian SRL or SpA. Registration at Camera di Commercio and INPS.

EOR available

Yes — from $399/employee/month through a Corpshore entity

Contractor of record

Yes — from $39/worker/month

Standard workweek

40 hours

Maximum weekly hours

48 hours

Minimum annual leave

20 working days (4 weeks)

Public holidays

12 per year

Maternity leave

5 months (2 before + 3 after birth), 80% of salary from INPS

Paternity leave

10 days, fully paid (since 2022, made permanent)

Notice period

Varies widely by CCNL (national collective agreement) and seniority; typically 1-4 months

Severance

TFR (Trattamento di Fine Rapporto): ~1 month gross salary per year of service, accrued annually and paid at termination

Probation

Up to 6 months (per collective agreement)

Overtime rules

First 8 hours: minimum 10% premium. Night/Sunday/holiday overtime: typically 30-50% per CCNL. Maximum 250 overtime hours per year.

Income tax range

23% to 43%

Corporate tax

24% (IRES) + 3.9% regional tax (IRAP) = ~28%

Social contributions

Employer: ~30-32%. Employee: ~9-10%.

VAT / GST

22% (standard); 10% reduced; 4% super-reduced

Tax year

Calendar year (Jan-Dec)

Treaty network

Over 90 tax treaties

Worker classification

Subordination (subordinazione) is the key test. Cococo (collaborazione coordinata e continuativa) is an intermediate category. The Jobs Act (2015) reformed employment types and dismissal protections.

Data protection

GDPR + Codice in materia di protezione dei dati personali (D.Lgs. 196/2003, updated). Garante per la protezione dei dati personali enforces.

Right to work

EU nationals: free movement. Non-EU: nulla osta (authorisation) from immigration office + annual quota system (decreto flussi) for most work permits.

Non-compete

Enforceable under Article 2125 of the Civil Code if: compensated, limited to 3 years (5 for executives), and defined in scope. Compensation must be adequate (courts have voided clauses with token payments).

Collective bargaining

CCNL (Contratto Collettivo Nazionale di Lavoro) system is the backbone of Italian employment law. Over 900 active CCNLs cover virtually every sector. They set minimum pay, working conditions, and job classifications.

SEPA is standard for Italian payroll. 13th and 14th month payments (tredicesima and quattordicesima) are common under CCNLs. Monthly payroll is the norm.

• TFR (end-of-service benefit) accrues annually and represents a significant liability for employers
• 13th month salary is mandatory; many CCNLs also require a 14th month
• The Jobs Act (2015) introduced contratto a tutele crescenti (increasing protections contract) for new hires
• Milan is Italy's financial and tech hub; remote work has accelerated hiring from southern regions