Farm Jobs in Italy

Farm Jobs in Italy Italy’s agricultural sector is one of Europe’s largest employers of foreign workers, offering thousands of legal opportunities every year through the government’s Decretory Flosi program. Whether you’re interested in olive harvesting, vineyard work, fruit picking, or dairy farming, this guide walks you through everything you need to know.

Italy is globally renowned for its agricultural products, from world-class wines and olive oil to fresh fruits, tomatoes, and dairy. Because of the massive scale of its agricultural sector, the country relies heavily on seasonal and full-time farm workers. Whether you are an EU citizen or a non-EU national looking to work abroad, the Italian agricultural sector offers numerous opportunities.

Why Consider Farm Jobs in Italy?

 Italy is facing a labor shortage in agriculture, which has opened doors for international workers. From fruit picking in vineyards to olive harvesting and livestock management, there are plenty of opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers, and many employers are willing to provide visa sponsorship, making it easier for foreigners to work legally in Italy. 15 Agriculture has been hit hard, with reports of unharvested crops in regions such as Puglia, Sicily, Campania, and Veneto due to insufficient workers. This shortage translates into real hiring demand for foreign workers.

Types of Farm Jobs Available

9 Fruit and vegetable picking, grape harvest (vendemmia), olive collection, packing and sorting produce, greenhouse planting, field irrigation work, and general farm maintenance all qualify under this category.

Common roles include:

• Fruit & Vegetable Pickers — 9Picking apples, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, and citrus fruits by hand. Expect 8–10 hour shifts, often in the sun. Seasons typically run from June to October, depending on the region and crop. No formal education needed, but physical fitness is essential.
• Packing & Sorting Workers — 9After harvest, produce moves to packing stations, where workers sort fruit by size, check quality, and package goods for shipment. These roles can be indoors, which is a relief in summer heat, and require attention to detail and steady hands.
• General Farm Hands — 9Includes planting seedlings, weeding, irrigation support, pruning vines, and general farm maintenance. Contracts range from 2 to 5 months.
• Vineyard Workers — 2Cultivating grapes in regions like Tuscany & Piedmont for wine production.
• Dairy & Livestock Workers — Year-round positions in Northern Italy.

Top Farming Regions in Italy

2 Tuscany & Piedmont are known for vineyards and wine production; Sicily & Calabria for citrus fruits, olives, and vegetables; and Emilia-Romagna & Lombardy for dairy farming and cheese production. 5 Italy’s primary crops include tomatoes, olives, and wine grapes. Regions of Northern Italy also produce wheat, sugar beets, soybeans, corn, barley, rice, meat, and dairy products in large fields and ranches, while Southern Italy primarily grows fruits, including apples, oranges, and lemons.

Salary Expectations

2 The average salary for farm workers in Italy ranges between €900 – €1,600 per month depending on role, region, and experience. Some seasonal jobs may also offer overtime pay and free accommodation.

Understanding the Decreto Flussi (Flow Decree) 2026

9 The Decreto Flussi (literally “Flows Decree”) is Italy’s annual immigration shopping list. Each year, the Italian government decides exactly how many non-EU workers can enter for specific job categories — construction, tourism, caregiving, domestic work, and seasonal agriculture. The 2026–2028 framework expanded quotas significantly compared to previous years, and for 2026 the seasonal agriculture allocation sits at 40,075 permits, making it one of the largest accessible legal pathways for non-EU workers entering Italy. 13 Parliament converted the Decreto Flussi into law in December 2025, authorising a record 497,550 foreign-worker entries between 2026 and 2028. Seasonal labour dominates the scheme (267,000 slots over three years) because farms, vineyards and coastal resorts have struggled to hire enough staff since the pandemic.

Important Click-Day Dates for 2026

16 The Click Day schedule was: 12 January 2026 for seasonal agricultural work; 9 February 2026 for seasonal tourism/hotel work; 16 February 2026 for non-seasonal work (selected countries); and 18 February 2026 for other non-seasonal work and care work. All applications for the 2026 quota must be submitted by 31 December 2026.

How to Apply for Farm Jobs in Italy — Step by Step

Step 1: Secure a Job Offer

16 To apply under the Decreto Flussi, you must have a job offer from an Italian employer (or a legally resident foreign employer).

Step 2: Employer Files for Nulla Osta

16 Your employer must agree to hire you and start the online procedure to request the nulla osta for employment via the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (SUI). Your employer must access the Portale Servizi — ALI (via SPID or CIE) opening the section “Decreto Flussi 2026-2028 Click Day / Precompilation” and upload the required documents.

Required documents include:

• 16 Copy of the passport (main ID page); worker’s personal data for the application; housing proof (Dichiarazione di ospitalità, cessione di fabbricato, or rental contract); employer’s identity and tax details; and the Certificato di asseverazione, when required.

Step 3: Apply for the Work Visa

9 Once the Nulla Osta is approved (which can take 1–3 months), you apply for your national seasonal work visa at the Italian consulate or embassy in your home country. Documents typically needed: valid passport, completed visa application form, Nulla Osta authorization, job contract, proof of accommodation in Italy, and consulate fee payment.

Step 4: Travel to Italy

9 After visa approval, book your travel and arrive in Italy by the entry deadline shown in your authorization documents. Bring all original documents — the visa, Nulla Osta, and job contract — for border checks.

Step 5: Apply for Residence Permit

9 Within 8 days of arriving in Italy, go to a designated post office (Sportello Amico) or your local Questura (police headquarters) to submit your permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) application. Then sign your formal work contract with the employer. Keep copies of everything.

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Where to Find Farm Jobs & Companies Hiring

Italian Agricultural Associations (Best Legitimate Channels)

14 Up to 47,000 visas each year are reserved for the agricultural sector for applications submitted through major farmers’ associations such as Coldiretti and Confagricoltura.

• CIA-Agricoltori Italiani — 1You can register on the CIA-Agricoltori Italiani platform, entering your personal data and information regarding your experience in the agricultural sector. You can also upload your CV so that farms looking for labor can view it and contact you.
• Agrijob (Confagricoltura) — 1Another platform for looking for work in the agricultural sector is Agrijob, created by Confagricoltura. You cannot see the job offers, but you can register on the “Sei un lavoratore” page and will be contacted by the Confagricoltura office in your area if there are opportunities.
• Coldiretti — Italy’s largest farmers’ association, authorized to file bulk permit applications.

Recruitment Agencies

• Ceres Recruitment — 8A specialist recruiter offering vacancies at Bachelor and Master level in Italy and abroad in agriculture, horticulture, feed, green space and the food sector.
• VisaHQ Italy Team — 13VisaHQ’s dedicated Italy team can help employers and individual applicants navigate the click-day environment by pre-screening documents, securing SPID credentials and submitting packets the moment the ALI portal opens.

Top Companies Hiring in Italian Agriculture

7 Top companies hiring now include DR. SCHAR, A. Loacker Spa/AG, Ecolab Inc., Yokohama TWS – Manufacturing, FAO, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Nordson, RINA, REDEN, and NSF International.

Trade Unions That Protect Workers

If workers face issues with contracts or conditions:

• 1 FLAI-CGIL: The Federazioni Lavori Agroindustria (FLAI) is the category within the larger CGIL which specifically works to defend the rights of workers in the agricultural and industrial sector.
• 1 CISL: a large union that defends workers’ rights, with offices in every region and city.
• 1 UILA (Unione Italiana Lavoratori Agroalimentari): the Italian union of Agri-Food workers, part of the UIL union, which deals with workers in the agricultural and food sector.

Avoiding Scams

9 Watch for these red flags: high upfront fees (real employers don’t charge you hundreds of euros to “reserve” a permit slot); no mention of Decreto Flussi or Nulla Osta (any “offer” that skips these official steps is not a legal work permit pathway); guaranteed permanent residency promises (seasonal permits are temporary — no one can guarantee permanent residency from a farm job offer); no written contract offered (always demand a written job offer before paying anything); and unverifiable employers (ask for the company’s Italian VAT number, Partita IVA, and verify it on the Italian Revenue Agency website). 17 Also note: no premium processing or “VIP appointment” exists for agricultural visas — any such offer is a scam.

Path to Long-Term Residency

13 Because seasonal-work permits can be converted into multi-year permits after two renewals, the 2026 intake could become a pipeline for longer-term staffing, but companies will need to invest in language training and integration programmes. 14 Within the seasonal cap, 5,000 of the 2026 visas (6,000 in 2027; 7,000 in 2028) are reserved for foreign seasonal workers who have worked in Italy before, allowing a multi-year clearance for workers who came at least once in the past 5 years.

Key Takeaways

• 11 Italy released 40,075 seasonal-agriculture visas for 2026 under the Decreto Flussi, with the online “click-day” opening on 12 January.
• 15 In May 2026, the Italian government approved an additional 8,865 seasonal work permits under the 2026 Decreto Flussi on a rolling basis to address labor shortages in agriculture, food processing, tourism, and hospitality.
• 10 Farm workers in Italy typically earn between €1,200 and €1,500 per month, depending on experience, region, and the type of farm.
• 15 Workers cannot apply directly — Italian employers or authorized representatives must submit requests for a Nulla Osta via the Ministry of the Interior’s online portal, after which the worker applies for a Type-D National Seasonal Work Visa at the Italian Embassy or Consulate.
• 3 Free housing, meals, and transportation are often included in seasonal farm jobs.

Conclusion

Farm jobs in Italy offer one of the most accessible legal routes into Europe for non-EU workers, with the 2026 Decreto Flussi opening tens of thousands of permits across agriculture. 4Embarking on a farm job adventure in Italy is a fantastic opportunity to combine your love for agriculture with the chance to explore the Italian countryside, learn new skills, and create lifelong memories while contributing to the agricultural legacy of this enchanting nation. The key to success is starting early, using verified employer channels like Coldiretti and Confagricoltura, and never paying suspicious “agents” who promise shortcuts. With proper preparation, a legal contract, and patience through the Nulla Osta process, farm work in Italy can be a rewarding stepping stone to longer-term opportunities in Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Do I need experience to work on an Italian farm?2 Not always. Many seasonal farm jobs like fruit picking and olive harvesting do not require prior experience. However, specialized roles like farm management, cheesemaking, or tractor operations may require experience.

Q2: Can non-EU citizens apply for farm jobs in Italy?2 Yes. Under the Decreto Flussi program, Italy allows thousands of foreign workers every year to work in agriculture with employer-sponsored visas.

Q3: How long does visa processing take?15 Visa processing time is currently averaging around 20 working days after the Nulla Osta is issued.

Q4: How much do farm workers earn in Italy?10 Farm workers in Italy typically earn between €1,200 and €1,500 per month, depending on experience, region, and the type of farm. Wages may also vary based on seasonal work, with some workers earning additional bonuses or overtime pay.

Q5: Can I bring my family with a seasonal farm visa? Seasonal permits are temporary and generally do not allow family reunification. Family visas require different visa categories.