(Hint: long enough to call it home — If you’ve got the right lease)
One of the first things remote workers ask when planning a move to Italy is, “How long can I stay on a Digital Nomad Visa?”
Here’s the short answer:
Up to one year — renewable.
Here’s the real answer:
It depends entirely on whether you can prove you have a legal, long-term place to live.
Digital Nomad Visa is built around residency — Not tourism
Unlike a tourist visa, which is temporary and restrictive, Italy’s Digital Nomad Visa is a residency permit. That means:
- You can stay 12 months, with the option to renew
- You can sign up for local services
- You can legally live, work remotely, and enjoy Italy — with real legal stability.
But before the Italian government lets you stay that long, they need to see that you’re not just passing through. They want proof you’re setting up a real, registered residence — which brings us to the part most people underestimate:
You can’t stay for 12 months if your lease only covers 3.
Your length of stay depends on your lease — Literally
When you apply for the Digital Nomad Visa, one of the first things the consulate asks for is a registered rental contract that matches the length of your intended stay.
That means:
- If your lease is for 12 months, you can get a 12-month visa
- If your lease is for 6 months, your visa will likely match it
- If you don’t have a lease (or use an Airbnb, hotel, or friend’s apartment)? You’re not going anywhere.
This is why many applications get delayed — or denied altogether. Most digital nomads try to find housing after they apply. But in Italy, you need a house first.
What we offer: the lease that lets you stay
We don’t process visa paperwork. We make the visa possible by helping you secure the one document that can’t be skipped: a long-term, registered lease that matches your intended length of stay.
Here’s what we do:
- Match you with pre-screened, compliant leases across Italy
- Connect you to landlords who are open to renting to digital nomads remotely
- Provide contracts that are already formatted to meet visa requirements (yes, including registration at the Agenzia delle Entrate)
- Help you secure 12-month leases — even if you’re still abroad.
Whether you’re planning to stay for six months in Sicily or a full year in Tuscany, we’ll help you make it official — so the consulate doesn’t question your plans.
The length of your stay starts with the lease
So how long can you stay on Italy’s Digital Nomad Visa?
As long as your lease says you can.
Before you start gathering documents or scheduling your visa appointment, you need one thing in place: a rental agreement that proves you’re serious about living in Italy — not just visiting.
That’s where we come in.
Get started here — tell us where you want to live, how long you want to stay, and we’ll connect you with a fully compliant, visa-ready lease to match.
Because in Italy, it’s not just about working remotely.
It’s about living legally. And it all starts with where you plan to call home.
