Italy
2026-28 quota decree passes into law
The Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 2 October 2025 “Programming of legal entry flows into Italy of foreign workers for the three-year period 2026-2028” was published in the Official Gazette on 15 October 2023.
The decree defines the criteria for determining the entry flows for work reasons, within and outside the quotas, sets the quotas for the three-year period and gives provisions on the procedures.
A total of 497,550 third-country nationalswill be admitted to Italy, for reasons of seasonal and non-seasonal employment and self-employment, divided as follows:
- 164,850foreign nationals for the year 2026;
- 165,850foreign nationals for the year 2027;
- 166,850foreign nationals for the year 2028.
The decree distributes these quotas between production sectors and contractual categories, also indicating the calendar of applications from employers.
For the 2026 quotas, applications can be sentthrough the ALI Portal of the Ministry of the Interior on the flowing “click days”:
- 12 January 2026 for seasonalworkers in theagriculturalsector;
- 9 February 2026for seasonalworkers in the tourism sector;
- 16 February 2026for non–seasonal employees who are nationals of countries that have agreements on cooperation on migration with Italy, or will sign them during the period of validity of the decree;
- 18 February 2026for other non-seasonalemployees.
The submission of the request for work clearance for entries within the quotas is preceded by the pre–completionphase of the application forms, which will take place in the time period defined by the Joint Circular No. 8047 of 16 October 2025, which provides further implementing provisions of the decree.
From 23 October 2025 until 7 December 2025, the pre-completion period for applications for work authorization (nulla osta) under the 2026 Decreto Flussi will be open. During this period, employers, employers’ associations, and authorized professionals intending to submit applications on the click days will be able to pre-complete the forms through the ALI Services Portal of the Ministry of the Interior, using SPID digital identity or CIE (Electronic Identity Card).
For 2026, the 164,850 quotas are allocated between the following categories:
- 88,000quotas for Subordinate Seasonal Work in the sector of agriculture; hospitality and tourism industry reserved to certain nationalities;
- 76,200 for non-seasonal subordinate work – work as an employee;
- In the sectors of freight transportation on behalf of third parties, building, hospitality and tourism, mechanics, telecommunications, food, shipbuilding, transportation of passengers by bus, fishing, hairdressing, electricians, plumbers:
- 25,000 for the following nationalities. Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia Herzegovina, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Japan, Guatemala, India, Jordan, Japan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan;
- 18,000 for citizens of countries with which Italy has cooperation agreements on migration matters.
- 300 quotasreserved to stateless persons and refugees;
- 13,600 quotas for workers in thefamily care and support services;
- 19,300 non-reserved quotas;
- 650 quotas for self-employment;
- 10 quotas Reserved to foreign nationals who have Italian ancestry and reside in Venezuela;
- 40 quotas Reserved to foreign nationals who have Italian ancestry and reside in Countries identified by the decree of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation referred to in Article 27, paragraph 1-octies, of the Consolidated Law on Immigration;
- 20quotas stateless persons and refugees;
- 500 quotas reserved for:
- entrepreneurs intending to implement an investment plan of interest for the Italian economy, involving an investment of at least EUR 500.000 and creating at least three new jobs in Italy;
- freelancers/independent contractors who intend to practise:
- regulated or controlled professions (i.e. individuals belonging to a professional association or enrolled with an official/public register); OR
- professions that are not non-regulated but are considered representative at national level and included in the lists edited by the Public Administration;
- holders of corporate offices or administrative/controlling positions in an Italian company, operating for at least three years;
- foreign nationals who intend to set up innovative start-up companies, under certain conditions and who will have a self-employment relationship with the start-up;
- internationally well-known artists, artists of the highest repute, artists of recognised high professional qualification or artists who are hired by well-known Italian theatres, important public institutions, public television or well-known national private televisions companies;
- 80 non-reserved quotas.
Portugal
End of automatic extensions for residence permits
The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) announced that, effective 15 October 2025, expired residence permits will no longer be valid if the holder has not started the renewal process.
On 17 October 2025, AIMA clarified that the right of residence of a foreign national remains valid up to six months after the expiration date of the Residence Permit Card (as provided for in Article º 63.º, No. 14 of Regulatory Decree No. 84/2007).
Non-EU nationals who have not yet applied for renewal of residence will only lose their regular immigration status in Portugal in the following situations:
- six months after 15 October 2025 for cards that expired before 30 June 2025, maintaining the right of residence until 15 April 2026;
- six months after the expiration date for cards that expired after 30 June 2025.
Foreign nationals who have already initiated an application for renewal of a residence permit with AIMA must carry the expired card, as well as the receipt proving that the renewal application has already been submitted.
