Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines
20 May 2019

Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Table of contents
How does Italia Startup Hub work?.................................................................................... 3
Legal references ............................................................................................................... 3
Focus: What is an "innovative startup"? ...................................................................................... 4
Who is Italia Startup Hub for? ........................................................................................... 5
Application procedure ...................................................................................................... 7
Required documents................................................................................................................... 7
The evaluation procedure ........................................................................................................... 8
After the nulla osta (clearance) issuing: conversion and renewal of the permit ...................... 9
I. Procedure for students, trainees, and long-term residents (so-called residence permit
conversion): ................................................................................................................................. 9
II. Procedure for employees, researchers, or family members of people holding a residence
permit (so-called residence permit update): ............................................................................. 10
Residence permit renewal ........................................................................................................ 10
Availability of the beneficiary of Italia Startup Hub authorisation ............................................ 10
FAQs .............................................................................................................................. 12
Appendix: Italia Startup Visa and Italia Startup Hub in comparison .................................... 13

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

How does Italia Startup Hub work?
The Italia Startup Hub programme (http://italiastartuphub.mise.gov.it/) was launched in December
2014 to facilitate the retention of foreign talents who wish to extend their stay in Italy and set up
an innovative enterprise. ISH draws inspiration from and complements the Italia Startup Visa
programme (ISV), in which since mid-2014 helps to attract innovative entrepreneurs from all over
the world.
Both programmes aim to ease immigration procedures from an administrative point of view.
Whereas Italia Startup Visa focuses on the issue of entry visas, Italia Startup Hub targets theprocedure of residence permit conversion. Non-EU nationals residing in Italy who aim to extend
their stay to set up an innovative startup can convert their residence permit – obtained for study
purposes, for example – into a self-employment type. Hence, there is no need for them to leave the
Italian territory, and they can also leverage a special procedure that is digitalised, centralised, andsped-up.


Digitalisation: applicants send their documentation by e-mail (address:
italiastartuphub@mise.gov.it). This channel represents the only means of communication
with the administration;
Centralisation: the whole procedure of nulla osta issue is centralised. One single
administration (the Ministry of Economic Development, namely the Directorate General for
Industrial Policy, Competitiveness and SMEs, through the Programme Secretariat1) acts asa one-stop-shop for applicants;
Sped-up: The nulla osta for the residence permit conversion is issued within 30 days fromapplication.

Legal references
The Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 11 December 2014 (so-called “Decree on
Immigration Flows for 2015”) set out a legal ground for migrant entrepreneurship policies such as
ISV and ISH. Such provisions have been confirmed in all subsequent Decrees on Immigration Flows(for details, please check www.interno.gov.it, "Flow Procedures" section). The decree is to be readjointly with the attached circular, issued by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour andSocial Policies, which provides detailed information on implementation.
The definition of innovative startup relevant to the purposes of the Italia Startup Hub programmeis set forth by Decree Law 179/2012, the so called “Italian Startup Act” (see following Focus).

1

The Secretariat is managed by Unit VI at the DG for Industrial Policy.

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Focus: What is an "innovative startup"?
Decree-law 179/2012, the “Italian Startup Act”, defines innovative startups as newlyestablished limited liability companies, not listed in the stock market or elsewhere, whichmeet the following requirements:
 they have been incorporated for less than 5 years;
 they have their headquarters in Italy, or in another EU/EEA Member State and at least
one branch in Italy;
 their annual turnover does not exceed €5 million;
 they have not distributed profits yet;
 they do not result from a merger, a split-up or selling-off of a company or branch of it; their company purpose (“oggetto sociale”) refers exclusively or predominantly to the
production, development and commercialization of innovative goods or services ofhigh technological value; moreover, they need to meet one of the following three criteria (“innovativenessindicators”):
o at least 15% of the highest value between company’s costs and annual turnoveris allocated to R&D activities;o at least 1/3 of the total workforce are PhD students, PhD holders or researchers;
alternatively, 2/3 of the total workforce hold a Master’s degree;o the enterprise is the holder, depositary or licensee of a registered patent(industrial property) or the owner of a registered software for computers.
There are no specific restrictions with regard to the entrepreneur’s age or the startup’s businesssector.


For more information: mise.gov.it, "Innovative startups" section (check the policy
summary in English).

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Who is Italia Startup Hub for?
Italia Startup Hub addresses citizens from non-EU countries who are already in Italy and hold aregular residence permit for purposes other than self-employment, and aim to establish, alone orin a team2, an innovative startup in Italy.
To be eligible for the programme, applicants must prove that they have a financial availability of atleast €50 000, either coming from personal resources or conferred by third parties, to be invested
in the entrepreneurial project.
The following types of resident permit are eligible for the sake of the ISH programme:
a. residence permit for study,3b. long-term residence permit issued by another Member State of the European Union,c. residence permit for scientific research,d. residence permit for dependent employment,e. residence permit for investors (Article 26-bis of the Consolidated Act on Immigration),f. residence permit for family reasons.
The residence permit issued under the ISH procedure is a fully-fledged self-employment permit
type: it does not constitute a separate category. This means that all the rights and duties related toa standard self-employment permit are fully applicable under ISH residence permit.
Similar to Italia Startup Visa, Italia Startup Hub application is permitted only to foreign citizens who
intend to set up a new startup and undertake an entrepreneurial role in it. Proof of this role are thepossession of capital shares and, at the same time, being actively involved in business’ tasks.

2

In case of applications from entrepreneurial teams, the threshold of €50 000 applies to the project as a whole, not toeach individual. However, the Italia Startup Visa Committee reserves the right to reject applications that do notdemonstrate a financial availability that is adequate to the proposed scope of activity. Moreover, each applicant must
demonstrate, at the time of the issuing of the new permit, that his/her income of the previous year is not lower than €8500. For further information, please refer to the dedicated section of the ISV Guidelines ("Applications fromentrepreneurial teams").
3

ISH also allows converting residence permits issued for internship and/or vocational training. However, according tocurrent regulations, this is allowed just once the internship/training period has been completed (DPR no. 394/99, art.
14, par. 9).
Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Guidelines

20 May 2019

Warning! If the ISH applicant holds a residence permit for (a.) study, traineeship, and/or
vocational training or (b.) long-term residents issued by an EU country different from Italy,
the participation in the programme is subject to the residual availability of annual conversion
quotas, as set out in the Decree on Immigration Flows valid for the concerned year.
Holders of a residence permit of the above-mentioned types are strongly advised to check inadvance the availability of sufficient quotas with the Single Desk for Immigration of theirprovince of residence. Should quotas be no longer available, the applicant should inform the ISV
Secretariat as soon as possible.

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Application procedure
Required documents
Applications shall include the following mandatory documents:
1. Business project

1a. application form (download here)
For applications supported by a certified incubator4, the application form is replaced by a“declaration of hospitality”.
1b. a pitch deck presenting the main elements of the business activity, with particularreference to the growth potential of the business and its hi-tech character;1c. a business plan containing a detailed forecast of costs and revenues in the shortmedium term, with particular reference to envisaged research and development expenses.

2. Financial resources

2a. a signed cover letter (download: Italian; English) stating financial resources availability
not lower than €50 000, to be invested in the company's activities.
2b. Documentary sources proving the declared financial availability. Pleaserefer to the Italia Startup Visa guidelines for a detailed analysis of the various forms allowed(see section "b. Certification of availability of financial resources").

3. ID documents

3a. a copy of a valid passport (main page only);
3b. a copy of the valid residence permit currently in the applicant's possession.

The application form (1a) and a template of cover letter for financial resources (2a) are published on
the web portal of the programme, "Filing cabinet" section.

4

This type of application is evaluated on a preferential basis by the ISV Committee. The candidate should attach just acurriculum vitae (for statistical purposes) instead of a standard application form. For further details on this type of
application, please refer to the relevant section of the Italia Startup Visa Guidelines.
Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

The evaluation procedure
The administrative procedure leading to the issue of the Italia Startup Hub final clearance (in Italian,“nulla osta”) largely follows the Italia Startup Visa scheme. For the aspects not covered in thefollowing paragraphs, please refer to the corresponding sections of the ISV Guidelines, available inthe "Filing cabinet" section of the ISV portal.
Applications must be sent to the following e-mail address5: italiastartuphub@mise.gov.it. Forms
and other supporting documents can be filled out in Italian or English. Any communication between
the administration and the candidate (including his/her representatives) will take place in thelanguage in which the application form was completed.
An expert group, the Italia Startup Visa Committee, evaluates nulla osta applications. The
assessment, which follows the same criteria applied for Italia Startup Visa (see section "Phase 2:
evaluation" of the ISV Guidelines), is coordinated by the Secretariat of the Committee.
In the event of a positive evaluation issued by the majority of the Committee's members, theDirector General for Industrial Policy of the Ministry, in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee,
will sign a nulla osta authorising the conversion/update of the residence permit.
The authorisation, digitally signed, will be sent to the visa applicant by standard email. A fac
simile of the nulla osta is published in the "Filing Cabinet" section of the ISH portal.
Unlike the Italia Startup Visa programme, ISH does not require a preliminary security clearance
from a Questura (central police office of the concerned territory). In fact, holding a residence
permit proves in itself that the position of the foreign citizen is lawful, making further security
checks unnecessary. The procedure is therefore usually shorter than the 30 days generally requiredby ISV.
In case of a negative assessment by the Committee, the applicant will receive a notice of rejectionof the application, duly justified. In accordance with general provisions on administrative
procedures, the non-EU citizen can submit a written rebuttal within 10 days from the date of receiptof the notice, asking the Committee to re-examine the case (see ISV Guidelines, paragraph "Refusalof application: reasons and safeguards"). In the absence of a reply within the indicated timeframe,
the rejection measure becomes definitive. Any notice of rejection issued after an applicant’s
rebuttal also definitively ends the procedure..

5

The certified e-mail address (PEC) italiastartupvisa@pec.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it is also available.

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

8Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

After the nulla osta (clearance) issuing: conversion and renewal of the permit
According to the type of residence permit held by the non-EU citizen, the Committee's nulla osta
will lead to:I.

II.

Residence permit conversion at the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (Single Desk for
Immigration) in charge for the area of residence of the applicant, in the case of a type of
permit subject to entry quotas, as per the annual Decree on Immigration Flows. This
concerns, in particular, residence permits for study, and long-term residence permits issued
by another EU Member State.
Residence permit update at the Questura responsible for the area of residence of theapplicant, in case of a type of permit other than the previous ones: among these, theresidence permit for dependent work, for scientific research, or for family reasons.

In both cases, the conversion or update procedure will lead to the transformation of the previous
permit into a residence permit for self-employment aimed at the establishment of an innovative
startup.
The following section provides a detailed explanation of the procedure.

I. Procedure for students, trainees, and long-term residents (so-called residence
permit conversion):
1. Once having obtained the ISH nulla osta, the non-EU citizen must book a meeting with theSportello Unico per l’Immigrazione responsible for his/her area of residence on the web portal
nullaostalavoro.dlci.interno.it (registration of a SPID account is required). The applicant shouldclick on “sportello unico immigrazione”, then on “richiesta moduli” and then fill out Form Z(“Domanda di verifica della sussistenza di una quota per lavoro autonomo e di certificazione attestante
il possesso dei requisiti per lavoro autonomo” → ”Soci, amministratori di società”). After receiving an
automatically generated confirmation email with the scheduled date of appointment, s/he should
wait for a call by the local Prefettura (more information on the methods of convocation available
on the website of Prefettura).
2. During the meeting at the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione, the conversion applicant must
provide:a. copy of the Italia Startup Hub nulla osta;b. residence permit currently held;c. documentation proving suitable accommodation in accordance with the law;d. documentation proving an income higher than the minimum level required by the Italian
law for exemption from participation in health care expenditure (€8 500);
e. Italian identity card or passport;f. €16.00 revenue stamp.
Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

9Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

3. After approval by the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione, the non-EU citizen will be allowed tofile, at a qualified post office (“Sportello Amico”), a so-called “conversion kit” (209 model). The
recipient is the Questura responsible for the territory where the application was filed.
4. Finally, Questura convenes the non-EU citizen to issue the residence permit for selfemployment.

II. Procedure for employees, researchers, or family members of people holding a
residence permit (so-called residence permit update):
Once having obtained the authorization, the beneficiary fills out the conversion kit (”Modello 209”)
available at most post offices ("Sportello Amico"). S/he will then send the documentation to the
local Questura and schedule an appointment for the withdrawal of the permit.

Residence permit renewal
Up to 60 days before its expiry date, the residence permit for self-employment can be renewed up
to 2 years, and it can be renewed once more for a further 2-year period. After 5 years of stay, thenon-EU national can apply for a long-term residence permit, which has no fixed expiry date
(permanent residency).
The provisions applicable to participants in the Italia Startup Visa programme are fully applicable
to ISH permit holders (see ISV Guidelines, section "How to renew the residence permit").
In particular, applicants shall be aware that renewal is subjected to an obligation to pay a minimumsocial security (INPS) contribution, which is €3 600 for all the associate workers of the innovative
startup. Similar to ISV, the startup must be already established at time of renewal.

Availability of the beneficiary of Italia Startup Hub authorisation
At the time of the application, the n0n-EU citizen participating in the Italia Startup Hub programme
agrees to make him/herself available for any communication or periodic survey on the progress of
his/her business activities, managed by the Secretariat of the programme. Should the startup
residence permit holder make him/herself unavailable, the Secretariat will notify the competentauthorities of the occurrence.
Within 90 days from the date of the request for an update or conversion, the non-EU citizen
undertakes to communicate the following to the ISH Secretariat (italiastartuphub@mise.gov.it):--the status of the issuing procedure of the self-employment permit, attaching either a copyof the receipt obtained at the post office or, in case it has already been issued, a copy
thereof;the founding of the innovative startup and its legal references (company name, codicefiscale, date of registration in the special section of the Business Register dedicated toinnovative startups, as required by art. 25, paragraph 8 of Legislative Decree no. 179/2012).

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Guidelines-

20 May 2019

If the startup has not been set up yet, the non-EU citizen undertakes to report it as soon as
possible;his/her current contacts (email, phone number) and address.

The non-EU citizen also undertakes to update periodically the Committee's Secretariat on
developments in his/her entrepreneurial career, and to inform the Secretariat of any changes in his
or her contacts. The candidate is also required to notify the Secretariat in case s/he has forgone toestablish an innovative startup in Italy.

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

FAQs
Q: I am a foreign citizen resident in Italy and I want to invest in an innovative startup alreadyin existence. Can I use Italia Startup Hub?
No: Italia Startup Hub is reserved to founders of new innovative startups. Non-EU citizens willingto join startups at a later stage after foundation will apply for a standard self-employment residence
permit, i.e. the ISH procedure will not apply.
Q: I want to establish an innovative startup together with other non-EU citizens who are notresident in Italy and need a visa. Is this allowed?
Yes, an entrepreneurial team may consist of ISV and ISH applicants together. The general rules
governing team applications are applicable: all team members must submit the forms at the sametime.
Q: I signed an agreement (“incubation contract”) with an Italian certified incubator. Are there
any benefits for my ISH application?
Yes. For instance, the value of the in-house services offered by the incubator can be included in thecalculation of the financial resources available to the entrepreneur. For further details, please referto the dedicated section of the ISV Guidelines.
Q: I am currently in Italy with a residence permit for elective residence. Can I use Italia Startup
Hub to change my status into self-employment?
No: the residence permit for elective residence does not allow conversion. To obtain a permit for
self-employment (which includes the “startup” type) you will need to relinquish your previous
residence permit and apply for a new entry visa. In this case, we recommend you to consider the
Italia Startup Visa programme.

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

12Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Appendix: Italia Startup Visa and Italia Startup Hub in comparison
Italia Startup Visa

Italia Startup Hub=≠

Targetpopulation

Non-EU citizens who are in theircountry of origin or in another third
country and want to move to Italy
to establish an innovative startup as
defined by d.l. 179/2012, art. 25, c.
2.

Non-EU citizens who are already in
Italy, hold a regular residence permit,
and want to extend their stay toestablish an innovative startup as
defined by d.l.179/2012, art. 25, c. 2.

≠

Body incharge ofassessment

Italia Startup Visa Committee

Italia Startup Visa Committee=

1. ISV application form
+ presentation deck

1. Application form + presentation
deck + business plan+ business plan

2. Proof of financial resources

2. Proof of financial resources> €50 000

> €50 000

3. Copy of passport

3. Copy of passport

4. Copy of the residence permit

italiastartupvisa@mise.gov.it

italiastartuphub@mise.gov.it≠

Yes, by the Questura responsible
for the applicant’s area of residenceNo, the applicant already holds a
residence permit≠

Issue of a 1-year "startup" selfemployment visa, which then leads
to a one-year "startup" selfemployment permit

Conversion/update of the previous
residence permit into a one-year"startup" self-employment permit≠

Paperwork

Referenceemail
address
Security
check

OutputIssued by…

Website

1. Visa: Italian Embassy/Consulatecompetent for territory
2. Residence permit:
Questura
http://italiastartupvisa.mise.gov.it/#ISVhome

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione(for study/long term permit
conversions);≈≠

Questura (other types)
http://italiastartuphub.mise.gov.it/#ISHhome≈13

Italia Startup Hub
Guidelines

20 May 2019

Find out more:- Visit the portal:
http://italiastartuphub.mise.gov.it/#ISHhome- Write to us:
o italiastartuphub@mise.gov.it
o info.italiastartupvisa@mise.gov.it

Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

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