In short
The Decreto Flussi 2027 provides 165,850 entries for work. Pre-filing runs from 23 October 2026, 9:00 to 7 December 2026, 20:00, with a technical reopening from 9 to 13 December 2026. Submission days are 12 January 2027, 9:00 for seasonal agriculture, 9 February 2027, 9:00 for seasonal tourism, 16 February 2027, 9:00 for non-seasonal employment and 18 February 2027, 9:00 for domestic and care work.
How the mechanism works
The Decreto Flussi sets how many non-EU nationals may enter Italy for work in a given year. It is not a merit-based assessment: it is a quota system with allocation by order of arrival.
The process runs in two stages. First a pre-filing window, during which employers prepare applications on the Interior Ministry's portal. Then a submission day, on which all prepared applications are transmitted at the same moment.
The consequence worth understanding before anything else: the decisive work happens during the pre-filing weeks, not on the submission day. An employer who arrives on the day with an incomplete file has nothing to send.
The 2027 quotas
Set by the Prime Ministerial Decree of 2 October 2025, which covers the 2026-2028 period with 497,550 entries in total.
- Non-seasonal employment: 76,200 entries, of which 14,000 entries reserved for domestic and care work.
- Seasonal work in agriculture and tourism: 89,000 entries.
- Self-employment: 650 entries, a very limited quota relative to demand.
The ready-to-send state
The single most important operational rule, and the easiest to miss: only applications completed and saved in the "ready to send" state by the close of pre-filing can be transmitted on the submission day.
An application that was started but not completed does not take part. There is no recovery procedure, and the technical reopening from 9 to 13 December 2026 only allows completing and saving applications already set up — not creating new ones.
The alternative worth checking first
For qualified roles there is a route that bypasses both quotas and submission days: the EU Blue Card. It requires higher education at tertiary level of at least 3 years or, for ICT managers and specialists, 3 years within the previous 7, a contract of at least 6 months and a gross annual salary of no less than €36,278.51.
Where a role meets those requirements, competing for quota places is an inefficient choice: it accepts a timing constraint and a risk of exclusion for no reason. This is worth checking before setting up any pre-filing.
The figures cited on this page
Every amount, threshold and deadline comes from our public register of legal parameters, each recorded with its legal reference and the date we last checked it. When a value changes, this page changes with it.
| Parameter | Value | Legal reference | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total quota for 2027 | 165,850 entries | D.P.C.M. 2 ottobre 2025 (programmazione triennale 2026-2028) | |
| Pre-filing opens | 23 October 2026, 9:00 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Pre-filing closes | 7 December 2026, 20:00 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Pre-filing reopens | from 9 to 13 December 2026 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Click day, agricultural seasonal work | 12 January 2027, 9:00 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Click day, tourism and hospitality seasonal work | 9 February 2027, 9:00 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Click day, non-seasonal work | 16 February 2027, 9:00 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Click day, care and domestic work | 18 February 2027, 9:00 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 | |
| Three-year programme 2026-2028 | 497,550 entries | D.P.C.M. 2 ottobre 2025 | |
| Non-seasonal work quota for 2027 | 76,200 entries | D.P.C.M. 2 ottobre 2025 | |
| Care and domestic work quota for 2027 | 14,000 entries | D.P.C.M. 2 ottobre 2025 | |
| Seasonal work quota for 2027 | 89,000 entries | D.P.C.M. 2 ottobre 2025 | |
| Self-employment quota for 2027 | 650 entries | D.P.C.M. 2 ottobre 2025 | |
| Qualification for the EU Blue Card | higher education at tertiary level of at least 3 years | Art. 27-quater D.Lgs. 286/1998 | |
| Alternative experience for intra-corporate transfer | 3 years within the previous 7 | Art. 27-quater D.Lgs. 286/1998, come modificato dal D.Lgs. 152/2023 | |
| Minimum contract length for the EU Blue Card | 6 months | Art. 27-quater D.Lgs. 286/1998, come modificato dal D.Lgs. 152/2023 | |
| Salary threshold for the EU Blue Card | €36,278.51 | Art. 27-quater D.Lgs. 286/1998, come modificato dal D.Lgs. 18 ottobre 2023, n. 152 | |
| Final deadline for 2027 applications | 31 December 2027 | Circolare interministeriale n. 7185 del 1° ottobre 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2027 click day?
When does pre-filing open?
What do I need to access the portal?
What if my application falls outside the quota?
Professional scope. Italy Immigration Hub is an administrative consultancy, not a law firm, and does not carry out activities reserved to members of the Italian Bar. Legal advice on disputes, court filings and representation before judicial authorities are handled by qualified lawyers we work with, instructed directly by the client. We are a private, independent operator with no affiliation to Italian public authorities, and the outcome and timing of any procedure depend on the competent authority. Legal notice (Italian).
Related pages in English
Full procedural detail in Italian
The Italian pages carry the complete document lists, cost breakdowns, step-by-step procedures and the mistakes that most often cause refusals.