Recruiting in Italy does not always require setting up a company there. It does require knowing under which regime a foreign employer is allowed to file returns and pay contributions, and on what conditions.
Three routes generally exist: registration of the foreign employer with the local bodies, the use of an employer of record established on the spot, or the creation of a structure. The first is the least costly but presupposes a local correspondent able to file the returns in the language and to the calendar of the country; the second moves the employment relationship to a third party, which is not neutral in law. The choice is made in the light of the number of employees, the duration envisaged and what local law actually permits.
Three registration strands open an Italian file: INPS (the national social security institute) for contributions, INAIL (the national work injury insurance institute) for work injury cover, with a prior activity declaration before work begins, and the tax authority for withholding. The hire itself must also be notified to the labour administration before the employee starts work.
Employing without incorporating in Italy remains open to a foreign company, which then registers directly as an employer with INPS and INAIL. That route exists, but it removes neither the need for local representation nor the requirement to appoint an authorised professional for the filings.
The collective agreement applied and the grade assigned must appear in the written contract, which is accompanied by written information on employment conditions. That grade sets the contractual minimum salary, since Italy has no general statutory minimum wage.
Each month the payslip must carry prescribed particulars; the employer withholds income tax and carries out a year-end reconciliation. Two country-specific matters are prepared in advance: accrual of the end-of-service allowance owed to the employee on departure, and the dismissal procedure, whose form varies with headcount and grounds. Working time and overtime records are required, and the collective agreement frequently adds reporting duties of its own that a foreign template will not anticipate.
In Italy, running payroll on behalf of third parties is a regulated activity. It is carried on under the title of Consulente del lavoro (à défaut : dottore commercialista, esperto contabile ou avvocato inscrit à son ordre), and a registration in force must be produced to you before any engagement.
Professional body or supervisory authority : Consiglio Nazionale dell'Ordine dei Consulenti del Lavoro
| Local wording | Issuing body | Validity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visura camerale ordinaria (Registro delle Imprese)Chamber of Commerce company extract Demander la visura ordinaria et non la visura storica ou la simple visura ordinaria di società di persone. Pour un dossier de commande publique, la version « con dicitura antimafia » est parfois exigée : elle n'a d'intérêt que pour les marchés publics. | Camera di commercio — Registro delle Imprese, système InfoCamere | 3 months Required | Official website |
| Partita IVA e codice fiscale ; certificato di attribuzione della partita IVAVAT number and tax code, with certificate of attribution Vérifier la partita IVA dans le service de contrôle de l'Agenzia delle Entrate et dans VIES. Demander aussi le codice destinatario ou l'adresse PEC utilisés pour la facturation électronique, obligatoire en Italie via le Sistema di Interscambio. | Agenzia delle Entrate | No expiry Required | Official website |
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