Italy | Fingerprint collection now mandatory for certain long-term visas

The Italian government’s policy update regarding biometric data collection for certain long-term visas is now in effect.

Key Points:

• As BAL reported, Decree Law No. 145/2024 came into effect on Oct. 11, 2024, and introduced several provisions regarding the entry of foreign workers and changes in work immigration procedures.
• As part of the Decree Law, effective Jan. 11, it is now mandatory for Schengen visa (type C) and national entry visa (type D) applicants to submit biometric data, including fingerprints, during the application process.
• Applicants are required to appear in person when submitting visa applications and must travel to the nearest Italian Embassy or consular office to have their biometric data collected.

Additional Information: In addition, as part of the Decree Law No. 145/2024, the new requirement for employer confirmation before visa issuance also went into effect Jan. 9. This change requires employers to confirm their effective interest regarding a work permit within seven days of being notified that a worker’s visa application has been examined before the visa is issued.

Now, once a work permit is approved, the Visa Information System will transmit a request to the employer via certified email for confirmation of their interest in the work permit. If confirmation is not received within seven days, the authorization is revoked.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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