Work Contract in Italy for Tunisians

You have completed an approved training program in Tunisia. How do you get from there to a work contract in Italy?

This is part 2 of our guide to working in Italy for Tunisians through the training-abroad route. Part 1 explains the training-abroad route, who qualifies, the documents and the training itself. This part covers what comes next: the Italian employer, the work contract, the Nulla Osta, the work visa and your first steps in Italy.

In short: an Italian employer matched with you through an approved program offers the work contract and files the Nulla Osta request. Once the Nulla Osta is issued, you apply for a National Visa D from Tunisia. After you arrive, you ask the Sportello Unico for an appointment within 8 working days to sign the Contratto di soggiorno, and the Permesso di soggiorno procedure follows.

1. What happens after the training in Tunisia is completed?

Once a Tunisian worker finishes the qualifying training program, the hiring stage and the procedures for entering Italy begin.

The Italian employer is the one who files the Nulla Osta request on the worker's behalf. The worker does not file a Nulla Osta request independently.

For workers who met the conditions of the training-abroad route, entry procedures follow the system specific to the training-abroad route, outside the Decreto Flussi quotas.

2. How do Tunisians get a work contract in Italy?

Tunisians on the training-abroad route get a work contract in Italy from an Italian employer matched with them through an approved program, and that employer then files the Nulla Osta request. A legitimate work contract is never something you buy or receive from an intermediary.

Do not confuse two different documents. The work contract (contratto di lavoro) is the agreement between you and the employer. The Contratto di soggiorno is the residence contract you sign at the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione after arriving in Italy.

Before you accept an offer, check that:

• The employer's name and details are given, and you can verify who they are.
• The job, the sector and the program match what you trained for.
• The request goes through an official channel, not a private message.
• Nobody asks you to pay for a contract or a guaranteed visa.

3. What is the Nulla Osta and who files it?

The Nulla Osta al lavoro is the authorization required for a foreign worker to enter Italy to work, and the Italian employer, not the worker, files the request for it.

In simple terms: the worker is qualified → there is an Italian employer → the employer files the Nulla Osta request → after approval, the visa stage begins.

Your employer files this request online, on the Italian Ministry of the Interior's Portale Servizi ALI↗ (opens in a new tab), with the form for workers trained abroad. The portal checks that your name is on the list of workers who completed an approved program, so a Nulla Osta request cannot be filed for someone who is not on it. If your employer needs help, Portale Integrazione Migranti has a step-by-step guide for employers↗ (opens in a new tab).

4. What is SIISL and do you need to register?

SIISL, the Sistema Informativo per l'Inclusione Sociale e Lavorativa, is an Italian system that supports access to inclusion and job opportunities, and workers who completed an approved training program are registered in SIISL automatically, so you do not need to sign up yourself.

The SIISL registration procedures for foreign citizens who completed training programs in their home country under the training-abroad route are an important 2026 update. Because SIISL is a recent addition, you may find older guides online that do not mention it.

The SIISL platform is at siisl.lavoro.gov.it↗ (opens in a new tab).

5. How do you apply for the Italy work visa from Tunisia?

Once the Nulla Osta is issued, you apply from Tunisia for a National Visa D for work, following the information published by the Italian Embassy in Tunisia and its authorized body that processes visa applications.

For a long stay for work in Italy, the visa is a National Visa D, depending on the nature of the case.

Visa information: Italian Embassy in Tunisia: visas↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where to apply for a visa: Where to apply for a visa↗ (opens in a new tab)

Visa applications from Tunisia go through the embassy's service provider, ALMAVIVA (avs.com.tn↗ (opens in a new tab)), which handles appointments. The Italian Embassy in Tunisia itself does not give appointments or accept visa applications by email. Our student visa guide explains how the ALMAVIVA appointment system works in Tunisia, seen from the student side.

6. What is the deadline to apply for the work visa after training?

The work visa deadline is counted from the end of your training, but official sources give different figures, so confirm it with the Italian Ministry of Labour before you plan anything. The figures vary with the date and the step: earlier Ministry guidance stated 6 months for the visa, while the SIISL rules mention 12 months for requesting the Nulla Osta. Check the Ministry of Labour's current FAQ for the exact deadline in your case.

7. What happens after you arrive in Italy with a work visa?

After arriving in Italy, you sign the Contratto di soggiorno at the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione and then complete the Permesso di soggiorno procedure, according to the procedures that apply to your case. Arriving in Italy does not mean the procedures are over.

According to the official guide on Portale Integrazione Migranti↗ (opens in a new tab), within 8 working days of entering Italy you must ask the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione for an appointment to sign the Contratto di soggiorno. When you sign it, the Sportello Unico also issues your tax code certificate and has you sign the Permesso di soggiorno application.

Always keep copies of applications, receipts, appointments, correspondence and official documents.

8. Checklist: from work contract to residence permit

Before you travel, and in your first weeks in Italy, check each step:

• You know who your employer is, and the job matches your approved training.
• Your employer filed the Nulla Osta request through the official channel, and it has been issued.
• You applied for the National Visa D from Tunisia within the deadline that applies to your case.
• You know you must ask the Sportello Unico for an appointment within 8 working days of entering Italy to sign the Contratto di soggiorno, and you have confirmed the current deadline.
• You then complete the Permesso di soggiorno procedure.
• You keep copies of every application, receipt, appointment and official document.

If someone offered you any of these steps in exchange for money, read how to recognise job scams before you go further.