Immigraion To Italy

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Starting a Business

Foreigners holding a work visa may start a business in Italy. Under the regular work visa regulations is a section pertaining to people who would like to open their own business, or move an existing business to Italy. There is a limit to the number of people permitted to have this type of visa each year. The price for the visa is readjusted every three months, but is currently $62.50.

Rules to open your business in Italy vary according to the type of business. If it is a type of work which requires licensing, or enrollment in an Italian Board or Registry, you’ll be required to obtain a declaration from the appropriate office which states that there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to get the appropriate license, etc. For certain business you will also need to have your qualifications, in the forms of certificates or diplomas, certified by the relevant Ministries.

If your business has to be listed in the Italian Registry of Businesses, then you’ll also need the particular Chamber of Commerce where you’ll be located to issue a statement that you have, or have access to, the necessary finances to run your business. For new businesses this may just mean a copy of the previous year’s tax returns, which show an income high enough to meet Italian minimums for paying taxes.

After you get your work visa and enter the country, you’ll go to the questura, local police station, for your permesso di soggiorno. If all you’ve done is receive statements that there are no hin- drances to your getting licenses or enrollment in Registries, then you’ll now be able to go about getting your actual documents, and setting up your business. As with everything else in Italy, give yourself more time than you would normally estimate to get all of the paperwork straightened out.

After your business is up and running, you’ll need to see to your taxes and possibly to hiring employees. Most business owners hire someone to take care of bookkeeping and taxes for them. Otherwise, study up on your particular situation to make sure you have all bases covered. There’s more information about taxes in the next chapter.

Employees receive a good deal of benefits in Italy, and even if the employee agrees to work under different terms, employers are legally required to give their employees all of the benefits the law requires. These include specific minimum wages based on the type of work an employee is doing, and various other benefits. All Italian employees receive 13 months of pay, including vacation time and the extra month bonus. Rates for wages take into consideration the extra month’s pay.

Small business website from the British Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.britchamitaly.com/smallbusiness/index/asp?Page=home