Whether a foreigner can work in Italy depends first on whether an employer will apply for you. Ordinary employment goes through annual quotas (Decreto Flussi), and the application is filed online by the Italian employer, not by the worker. Most places are kept for citizens of cooperation countries, and China is not one. People with the right qualifications and a high enough salary can use the EU Blue Card, which sits outside the quotas. As of September 2026 Italy’s employment rate was 63.0% and unemployment 6.3%, but pay is modest: private-sector employees averaged about €24,486 gross in 2024.
Italy has no statutory minimum wage set as a fixed amount. The floor comes from national collective agreements (CCNL), so when you read an offer, the name of the agreement and your grade matter more than the monthly number. This guide is for PRC passport holders planning to work in Italy or already there. It covers job types, pay, the permit process, contract rights and common traps. Rules change quickly: figures below carry dates, and you should check official pages before acting.
The Italian job market: the barrier is the permit, not only the job
Provisional ISTAT data released on 29 October 2026 put employment at about 24.3 million in September, with an inactivity rate of 32.7% among 15–64 year olds. Youth unemployment was 19.9%, so recent graduates without local experience face clearly tougher competition.
For Chinese citizens the hard part is often not finding a vacancy but finding an employer willing to go through the process for a non-EU hire. For a quota job the employer must first check with the job centre (centro per l’impiego) that no suitable local candidate exists, then wait for the filing date. Small firms may not want to carry that time and cost, so ask at interview whether they have sponsored a work permit before.
For life, health care and safety in Italy, see our Italy guide. If you are still comparing countries, read the work guides for Spain, France and Portugal.
Jobs for Mandarin speakers and where to look
The Italian Labour Ministry’s 2025 community report counts 288,661 legally resident Chinese citizens at the end of 2024, up 8.1% on the year. In 2024 their employment rate was 72.6% and unemployment 2.9%, both better than the non-EU average (61.3% and 10.2%). Work is concentrated in industry (30%), hotels and restaurants (28.5%) and commerce (28%), and there are 50,027 sole proprietorships.
By location, Milan province had 44,513 Chinese citizens on 1 January 2025 (ISTAT data compiled by Tuttitalia). The city of Prato had 33,301 Chinese residents on 31 December 2025, or 16.9% of its population (municipal registry, which differs slightly from ISTAT).
Chinese companies and China-facing business are another route. A 2025 report by Forvis Mazars with the China Chamber of Commerce in Italy examined almost 100 Chinese companies in Italy. Mandarin is usually a plus rather than the whole job, though. A document manager post on the Fondazione Italia Cina jobs page asked for an engineering degree, fluent Chinese and English, and proficient Italian.
- Official platform: SIISL, run by the Labour Ministry, opened to the public on 18 December 2024. Foreign citizens with a valid residence permit are reported to be included.
- Job centres: the centro per l’impiego suits people already in Italy with the right to work.
- China-focused: the Fondazione Italia Cina jobs page.
- Commercial sites: LinkedIn, Indeed and similar, for professional roles.
Pay in Italy: no statutory figure, so read the CCNL
As of November 2026 Italy still has no single statutory minimum wage amount. D.L. 92/2026, the “May Day decree”, has been converted into law. It makes the total economic treatment (TEC) set by the leading CCNL in the relevant sector the reference for a “fair wage”, and other agreements may not go below it. The floor therefore varies by sector, grade and type of employer.
| Grade | Average gross annual pay, 2024 | Approx. in RMB |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentices | about €14,600 | about ¥109,000 |
| Manual workers | about €18,200 | about ¥135,000 |
| White-collar staff | about €27,800 | about ¥207,000 |
| Executives (dirigenti) | about €163,700 | about ¥1,217,000 |
RMB figures use the ECB reference rate of 30 October 2026, €1 = ¥7.4326. These are average amounts actually paid, and the average employee had only 247 paid days in 2024, so do not read them as full-time salaries. That applies especially to hotels and restaurants.
Ask four things about any offer: which CCNL applies, your grade (livello), how many monthly payments a year (mensilità), and actual weekly hours. Offers are usually quoted as RAL, gross annual pay. For what you take home after contributions and income tax, see our Italy tax guide.
Work permit routes for Chinese citizens
Quotas for 2026–2028 were set by a prime ministerial decree of 2 October 2025: 497,550 places over three years, with 164,850 in 2026 and 165,850 in 2027. See the Italian Labour Ministry notice.
| Route | Who it suits | Main conditions | Quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-seasonal employment (Flussi) | Staff in farming, manufacturing, construction, commerce, restaurants, logistics, health care and similar sectors | Resident abroad; employer applies | 76,200 a year, mostly reserved by nationality (see below) |
| EU Blue Card (art. 27-quater) | Highly skilled employees | Three-year tertiary degree, or five years of comparable experience, or for ICT staff three years within the last seven; contract of at least six months | Outside quotas |
| Executives, highly specialised staff (art. 27 a) | Secondments and senior roles | Employer applies for nulla osta | Outside quotas |
| Intra-company transfer (art. 27 i-bis, 27-quinquies) | Staff posted by Chinese or multinational groups | Employed by a related company abroad | Outside quotas |
| Translators, interpreters (art. 27 d) | Chinese-Italian language professionals | Apply under that category’s rules | Outside quotas |
Chinese citizens and the quotas: China is not on the decree’s list of cooperation countries. Listed countries have a reserved 25,000 places a year, and 26,000 more are set aside in 2027 for countries with new agreements. Chinese citizens can use neither. The seasonal quota (art. 7) is limited to the same countries. Art. 6(1) states no nationality limit, but the Labour Ministry’s 2026 allocation of non-seasonal places lists only three blocks: listed countries 25,000, new-agreement countries 18,000, and stateless people and refugees 300. It has no share for other nationalities, and several Italian media say these places are only for cooperation countries. On the decree’s figures about 11,000 remain in 2027 (our own arithmetic, after the 14,000 family-care places). A law firm calls this part unreserved without saying who can use it, and sources contradict each other on whether family-care places are limited by nationality. We found no official basis for Chinese citizens using the non-seasonal quota, so treat the chance as small, and the employer must confirm with the Sportello Unico or a labour consultant before filing.
Blue Card pay: art. 27-quater requires pay no lower than the CCNL or the ISTAT average gross annual pay. Law firm Arletti Partners puts the current threshold at about €36,300 gross a year, about ¥270,000 (page updated June 2026; not an official source), up from about €35,500. That is about 1.5 times the national private-sector average, so ordinary office staff will rarely reach it. The card lasts two years on an open-ended contract, otherwise the contract term plus three months. In the first 12 months, changing employer needs prior authorisation.
For where to apply and which documents you need, see our Italy visa guide. If your degree or documents need legalising, see the apostille guide. If the consulate asks for a criminal record check, see the police certificate guide.
The quota process: from employer to residence permit
These dates apply to the 2027 entry quotas (joint circular no. 7185 of 1 October 2026). Art. 27 routes and the Blue Card have no filing day and run all year, with a similar second half.
- Checks and certificationThe employer asks the job centre about local candidates, and the centre has 8 days to reply. A professional such as a labour consultant certifies the employer (asseverazione), unless the application goes through an employers’ association
- Pre-fillingFrom 23 October to 20:00 on 7 December 2026, the employer pre-fills on the Interior Ministry’s ALI portal and receives an activation code once checks pass
- FilingForm B2020 opens at 09:00 on 16 February 2027. Places go in order of filing, and applications stay open until 31 December 2027 if places remain
- Nulla ostaThe Sportello Unico consults the police and labour inspectorate, with a 60-day legal term. The employer must confirm within 15 days of notice or the request lapses
- VisaThe nulla osta is valid for no more than six months. In that period you apply for a type D work visa at an Italian mission in China
- Entry and contractTrade press reports that circular 7185 extends the deadline for the residence contract (contratto di soggiorno) from 8 to 15 days after entry. Both sides sign digitally and the employer submits it online within the same period
- Residence permitApply to the Questura within 8 working days of entry, usually through the post office kit, then attend for fingerprints
Published guidance on art. 27 still says 8 days, so follow the wording of your nulla osta and the Sportello Unico’s notices rather than working it out yourself. The first permit follows your contract: up to one year on a fixed-term contract, up to two years on an open-ended one. Work permit renewals run for up to three years and must be requested in advance (the renewal clause was amended in May 2026, so ask the Questura for the exact deadline).
Employment contracts and core rights
Foreign employees have the same labour rights as Italian employees. These are the general rules. Your CCNL has the detail.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Hours | Standard 40-hour week, shorter under some CCNLs; overtime generally capped at 250 hours a year |
| Annual leave | At least four paid weeks, which cannot be waived |
| Thirteenth month | Paid with the December salary; some CCNLs add a fourteenth, usually in June |
| TFR severance | Accrues at 1/13.5 of annual pay and is paid when employment ends for any reason |
| Probation | Must be agreed in writing. ICE gives a statutory 3 months for non-managers and 6 for others, and CCNLs often differ. Either side can end it at any time |
| Fixed-term contracts | Must be written. Up to 12 months needs no reason, longer needs a legal reason, generally 24 months at most with up to four extensions. Breaches convert the contract to open-ended |
| Notice | Set by the CCNL, varying with grade and seniority |
Watch out for scams and illegal work
Do not buy a “work slot” or nulla osta from an agent. Only the employer can apply. In June 2024 Prime Minister Meloni filed a complaint about the quota system with the national anti-mafia prosecutor, saying that in Campania in 2023 fewer than 3% of those given work visas went on to sign a job contract. Without a real employer the nulla osta is revoked and you get no residence permit.
The Prato garment trade is contested. Il Post reported in June 2025 that, according to the union, small garment workshops there often run 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with off-the-books work and part-time contracts that do not match real hours. These are union claims and do not describe every firm.
Get a written contract before you start, confirm that the employer has registered your hire, keep your payslips, and do not accept a verbal deal of room and board in place of wages. If your rights are breached, go to a union or the labour inspectorate.
FAQ
Can I find work in Italy without Italian?
Yes, but the choice is narrow. Chinese-run businesses, some Chinese companies and international roles may not require Italian, while most local jobs do. Even the Chinese-language post mentioned above asked for proficient Italian, so start learning before you leave.
Can Chinese citizens use the Decreto Flussi?
It is difficult. China is not a listed cooperation country, so the reserved shares and seasonal work are closed, and the Labour Ministry’s 2026 allocation has no share for other nationalities. The decree does not expressly exclude China, but we found no official confirmation, so the employer must check with the Sportello Unico.
Can I enter on a tourist visa and look for work?
No. A short-stay Schengen visa carries no right to work, the quotas are for people living abroad, and once the nulla osta is issued you apply for the work visa at a mission in China. You can travel for interviews, but the process must be finished before you start work.
Sources
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- Ministero del Lavoro: Flussi 2026-2028, DPCM da 500mila ingressi (accessed November 2026)
- DPCM 2 ottobre 2025, testo (copia su FiscoeTasse) (accessed November 2026)
- Arletti Partners: Pubblicato il Decreto Flussi 2026-2028 (accessed November 2026)
- Ascom Bologna: DPCM flussi e circolare 8047/2025 (accessed November 2026)
- Euroconference News: circolare n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 (accessed November 2026)
- Informazione Fiscale: Decreto Flussi 2027, come fare domanda di nulla osta (accessed November 2026)
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- Assolombarda: Decreto flussi, procedura (accessed November 2026)
- Assolombarda: Casi particolari art. 27 (accessed November 2026)
- Assolombarda: Art. 27, procedura (accessed November 2026)
- Prefettura: Vademecum art. 27 (accessed November 2026)
- Camera dei deputati: Dossier sul D.L. 146/2025 (accessed November 2026)
- Brocardi: art. 27-quater T.U. Immigrazione (accessed November 2026)
- Brocardi: art. 5 T.U. Immigrazione (accessed November 2026)
- Arletti Partners: EU Blue Card minimum salary threshold updated (accessed November 2026)
- Fisco7: Il salario giusto è legge (D.L. 92/2026) (accessed November 2026)
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- Informazione Fiscale: i lavori più pagati nel privato, dati INPS (accessed November 2026)
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- Tuttitalia: cinesi in Lombardia (dati ISTAT) (accessed November 2026)
- Comune di Prato: analisi demografica, 2025 (accessed November 2026)
- Il Post: Scioperare a Prato è servito (accessed November 2026)
- Forvis Mazars: Rapporto sullo sviluppo delle imprese cinesi in Italia 2025 (accessed November 2026)
- Fondazione Italia Cina: Jobs (accessed November 2026)
- Altroconsumo: piattaforma SIISL aperta a tutti (accessed November 2026)
- Avvenire: Meloni, sul decreto flussi numeri anomali (accessed November 2026)
- ECB: euro reference rate, Chinese yuan renminbi (accessed November 2026)
- Edotto: Labour Ministry allocation of non-seasonal quotas (2026) (accessed November 2026)
- Arletti Partners: guide to Decreto Flussi visas 2026-2028 (accessed November 2026)
- Dequo: Decreto flussi (accessed November 2026)
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