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Hiring and Managing Japanese Chefs in Italy: Visa, Salary and Retention (2026)

This guide answers the questions restaurant owners in Italy ask us most often before hiring a Japanese chef from Japan. Salary ranges reflect the positions Washoku Agent has handled; visa facts come from official government pages, checked on 2026-11-03.

AT A GLANCE
Typical package
Ask us
per year, converted
Main visa route
Nulla osta al lavoro from the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione under the decreto flussi (DPCM of 2 October 2025 for 2026 to 2028, Japan in the 25,000-place country list, click day 16 February each year), then a type D visa from the Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate in Osaka and a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato; or the new working holiday visa (in force 1 April 2026, 500 a year, 6 months of work) for a cook aged 18 to 30
no chef visa and no out-of-quota letter for cooks in article 27; Italy has no statutory minimum wage, so the floor is the FIPE collective agreement (level 4 cuoco capo partita EUR 1,692.69 a month from 1 June 2026, 14 months a year) and the employer must guarantee housing in the contratto di soggiorno; Japanese nationals enter visa-free for 90 days but cannot apply for the work permit in Italy
Time to hire
about 6 to 9 months, because the calendar decides (pre-filling in the autumn, click day 16 February, nulla osta within 60 days, visa within 30 days)
first call to arrival
English needed
Varies by role
technique comes first

How much do Japanese chefs earn in Italy?

Packages for Japanese chefs in Italy vary with the city, the concept and the chef's seniority, so we do not print a range here. Contact us for current figures for your position.

What restaurants actually offered
Our page What restaurants offered Japanese chefs abroad shows the positions opened since 2025 country by country: role, concept, city, package, housing and the experience asked for, without restaurant names.
Planning an omakase counter?
The chef is the largest fixed cost per seat. Our guide How to Price an Omakase Menu puts published prices from twelve cities in one table and shows how to turn a chef package into a per-guest cost.

Do Japanese chefs need to speak English, and is housing provided?

Whether employers in Italy accept beginner-level English or include housing differs from one restaurant to the next. Ask us for the current picture before you write the job description.

English for the visa, not for the kitchen
None of the permits above tests the chef's Italian or English: the decreto flussi nulla osta, the work visa, the Blue Card and the working holiday visa are granted for the job and the paperwork, and cook is not a regulated profession. Italian matters at four points. The long-term EU residence permit after 5 years needs an Italian test at level A2 (article 9 paragraph 2-bis; decree of 4 June 2010), and citizenship after 10 years needs level B1 (article 9.1 of Law 91 of 1992). Every office the chef meets in the first weeks works in Italian: the Questura for the permit and fingerprints, the Agenzia delle Entrate for the codice fiscale, the Comune for residence, INPS, the bank and the landlord. Food safety training is a regional duty for everyone who handles food (the old libretto sanitario was replaced by a training certificate region by region) and the courses are given in Italian; the exact rules of the chef's region could not be verified on a national official page at the time of writing. Day to day, Italian kitchens run in Italian, with English usable in Milan, Rome and Florence, so a chef who cannot follow the brigade or read a supplier label needs a bilingual colleague for the first months. The spouse joins without a language test and may work on the family permit (article 30 paragraph 2), but only after the chef has 2 years of legal residence.

Which visa lets a restaurant in Italy sponsor a Japanese chef?

A nulla osta al lavoro from the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione under the yearly decreto flussi, then a type D work visa from the Italian Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate General in Osaka and a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato. The DPCM of 2 October 2025 runs to 2028, lists Japan among the countries sharing 25,000 non-seasonal places a year and opens the click day at 9:00 on 16 February each year; restaurants (ATECO 56) are inside the admitted sectors. There is no chef visa and no out-of-quota category for cooks; the Blue Card needs a degree or a proven higher qualification. Permits last 1 year for a fixed-term contract and 2 years for an open-ended one, renewable for up to 3 years. Japanese nationals enter visa-free for 90 days but cannot switch to a work permit in Italy. Since 1 April 2026 a Japanese cook aged 18 to 30 can also work 6 months in a year on the new working holiday visa (500 a year).

  • Salary: no statutory minimum wage in Italy; the FIPE collective agreement for pubblici esercizi sets the floor, EUR 1,692.69 gross a month for a level 4 cuoco capo partita from 1 June 2026 (EUR 1,800.73 level 3, EUR 1,916.34 level 2), paid 14 times a year, with the next step in June 2027; the employer adds about 32 percent in INPS, FIS, CIGS and INAIL contributions, so the Ministry of Labour prices a level 4 cook at EUR 35,081.57 a year from September 2026. What Japanese chefs are paid in Italy is in the salary section above.
  • Chef documents: passport, Japanese residence certificate, photo and the type D form; no diploma, no recognition and no Italian test; the nulla osta is sent by the SUI straight to the embassy and the chef applies in person between 6 months and 15 days before departure.
  • Employer test: Centro per l'impiego check (8 days), asseverazione under article 24-bis, income or turnover of EUR 30,000, pre-filled application on the ALI portal and the 16 February click day, at most 3 applications, no unsigned contract in the previous 3 years; the contratto di soggiorno must guarantee housing and the return journey.
  • Fees and time: visa EUR 116; permit EUR 116.46 to EUR 126.46 all in (EUR 40 or EUR 50 contribution, EUR 30.46 card, EUR 30 postal fee, EUR 16 stamp); nulla osta within 60 days, visa within 30 days, permit within 30 days of a complete application, 60 days in practice; the click day calendar means 6 to 9 months from February to the first shift.
  • Length of stay and family: 1 or 2 years, renewals up to 3 years; long-term EU permit after 5 years with income of EUR 7,101.12 and Italian A2; citizenship after 10 years with B1 and EUR 250; the spouse can be brought over only after 2 years of legal residence, with income of EUR 10,651.68 in 2026 and certified housing, and may then work.
How the application runs
  1. Decide the route: decreto flussi for a cook on a normal contract (the only road for most chefs), working holiday for a cook aged 18 to 30 who wants 6 months of work, Blue Card only if the chef holds a degree or a proven higher qualification.
  2. In the autumn before the click day, run the Centro per l'impiego check (8 days), ask a consulente del lavoro or your association for the asseverazione, prepare the contract at or above the FIPE level for the role, line up housing that meets the 1975 standards, and pre-fill form B2020 on the ALI portal in the window announced by the joint circular (23 October to 7 December 2025 for the 2026 round).
  3. At 9:00 on 16 February send the application; the SUI issues the nulla osta within 60 days of quota assignment and sends it to the Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate in Osaka; confirm the application within 15 days when the embassy says its checks are complete.
  4. The chef books through Prenot@mi and applies in person with the type D form, passport, residence certificate and photo, paying EUR 116 in yen; the visa is due within 30 days; the chef travels within the 6-month validity of the nulla osta.
  5. Within 15 days of arrival sign the contratto di soggiorno digitally and send it to the SUI; the chef files the permit kit at the post office within 8 working days (EUR 116.46 or EUR 126.46), gets the codice fiscale and registers residence; register the chef with INPS and INAIL; renew the permit 90 days before expiry and, after 5 years, support the long-term permit (A2) and, after 2 years, the family reunification.
RouteBest forEmployer mustSalary floorGovernment fees
Decreto flussi, non-seasonal employment (article 22 TUI; DPCM 2 October 2025)Any cook hired by an Italian restaurant on a fixed-term or open-ended contract; Japan is in the article 6 paragraph 2 letter a country list sharing 25,000 places a year in 2026, 2027 and 2028; permit 1 year (fixed-term) or 2 years (open-ended), renewals up to 3 yearsCheck with the Centro per l'impiego (negative after 8 days); asseverazione from a consulente del lavoro or the employer association; income or turnover of at least EUR 30,000; pre-fill form B2020 on the ALI portal in the autumn window and send at 9:00 on 16 February; at most 3 applications; confirm within 15 days of the embassy's notice; sign the contratto di soggiorno with housing guarantee and return travel promise within 15 days of arrivalNo statutory minimum; at least the FIPE collective agreement: level 4 EUR 1,692.69, level 3 EUR 1,800.73, level 2 EUR 1,916.34 gross a month from 1 June 2026, 14 months a year, next step June 2027; employer adds INPS 29.75 percent, FIS 0.53, CIGS 0.60 and INAIL 1.09 percentVisa EUR 116 in yen; permit EUR 40 or EUR 50 contribution plus EUR 30.46 card, EUR 30 postal fee and EUR 16 stamp; nulla osta stamp duty not verified; asseverazione at the professional's rate
EU Blue Card (article 27-quater TUI)A worker with a 3-year university degree or a higher professional qualification proven by 5 years of experience, in a job that requires it; whether a chef's kitchen experience is accepted could not be verified on an official page; permit 2 years for an open-ended contractNulla osta outside the quotas at any time of year; contract or binding offer of at least 6 monthsNot below the collective agreement and not below the ISTAT average gross annual salaryVisa EUR 116; permit EUR 50 contribution plus card, postal fee and stamp
Intra-company transfer (article 27 paragraph 1 letter a TUI)Managers and highly specialised staff moved by a company with a seat or branch in Italy; only for a Japanese group posting its own cook to its own Italian restaurant; posted staff can stay in the Japanese pension system for up to 5 years under the 2024 social security agreementThe nulla osta is replaced by sending the contract proposal to the Sportello Unico (article 27 paragraph 1-ter); the employer must have a seat or branch in ItalyCollective agreement conditions applyVisa EUR 116; permit contribution EUR 100 for this category plus card, postal fee and stamp
Working holiday (Italy-Japan agreement, in force 1 April 2026)Japanese nationals aged 18 to 30 at application, resident in Japan, once in a lifetime, 1 year from entry, 500 visas a year (MOFA, 1 November 2026)No nulla osta; the cook may work for a total of 6 months in the year, full time and for the same employer if wished, under an ordinary Italian contract; whether a job agreed before departure is allowed is not stated on an official page; for a longer stay the restaurant must go through the click day and the cook must apply for the work visa from JapanNo programme condition; the collective agreement and Italian social contributions applyFree of charge under article 1 of the agreement (the Tokyo fee page lists EUR 116 for national visas without a working holiday line, so confirm); proof of EUR 10,400 for a year, a return ticket and insurance of EUR 30,000

Which permit lets an Italian restaurant hire a Japanese chef?

For a chef coming from Japan to work for more than 90 days, a national visa for lavoro subordinato (type D) issued by the Italian Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate General in Osaka, followed by a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato from the Questura. Italy has no chef visa and no points system. Almost every cook enters through the decreto flussi, the yearly quota decree: the restaurant applies to the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (SUI) at the Prefettura for a nulla osta al lavoro under article 22 of the Testo Unico Immigrazione (Legislative Decree 286 of 1998), and the chef applies for the visa once the nulla osta has reached the embassy. The current decree is the DPCM of 2 October 2025 (Gazzetta Ufficiale 240 of 15 October 2025) for 2026 to 2028. It admits 164,850 non-EU workers in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028, of which 76,200 a year for non-seasonal employment. Restaurants are inside the decree: article 1 letter g counts ATECO group 56 (food and beverage service) among the admitted sectors, and the restaurant federation FIPE states in its circular of 23 October 2025 that the decree expressly includes restaurant services. Japan is one of the 38 countries listed in article 6 paragraph 2 letter a, whose nationals share a reserved quota of 25,000 non-seasonal places a year in 2026, 2027 and 2028, with applications sent from 9:00 on 16 February of each year. The Ministry of Labour distributed the 25,000 places across the regions and their provinces in its note 531 of 16 February 2026 (Lombardy 7,126, Campania 3,546, Lazio 2,268, Veneto 2,134, Emilia-Romagna 1,998), and applications are served in order of arrival until the quota is used. Two out-of-quota routes exist on paper but rarely fit a cook: the EU Blue Card under article 27-quater needs a 3-year university degree or a higher professional qualification shown by 5 years of experience, a contract of at least 6 months and pay at or above the collective agreement and the ISTAT average gross annual salary; article 27 paragraph 1 letter a covers managers and highly specialised staff transferred by a company with a seat or branch in Italy, so it only works when a Japanese company posts its own cook to its own Italian restaurant. None of the article 27 letters names cooks. The working holiday visa (article 27 letter r) is the one out-of-quota route open to a Japanese cook aged 18 to 30, for 6 months of work; it is described below.

What does the chef have to show, and what is the salary rule?

Cook is not a regulated profession in Italy, so no Italian licence or recognition of the Japanese 調理師 qualification is needed to work in a kitchen, and the decreto flussi asks for no diploma for non-seasonal employment. The chef shows the embassy a passport valid 3 months beyond the planned return, a Japanese residence certificate, one ICAO photo, the visa form for a type D national visa and the visa fee; the nulla osta is sent by the SUI directly to the embassy, which asks applicants to check by phone or email that it has arrived before booking. The embassy accepts the application only after the nulla osta has been received, in person, between 6 months and 15 days before departure, and keeps the passport during processing. Salary rule: Italy has no statutory minimum wage (Eurostat lists Italy with Denmark, Austria, Finland and Sweden as the 5 EU countries without one, as of 1 July 2026). The pay floor is the collective agreement, and for restaurants that is the CCNL Turismo Pubblici Esercizi signed by FIPE-Confcommercio with Filcams CGIL, Fisascat CISL and Uiltucs on 5 June 2024, in force from 1 June 2024-31 December 2027. The SUI and the asseverazione check that the contract respects it. A cuoco capo partita is level 4, a cuoco unico or sottocapo cuoco level 3, a capo cuoco level 2, a commis di cucina level 6 or 6 super. The monthly minimum for a full-time level 4 cook is EUR 1,692.69 gross from 1 June 2026 (EUR 1,167.75 base pay plus EUR 524.94 contingency), paid 14 times a year, EUR 1,800.73 for level 3, EUR 1,916.34 for level 2, EUR 1,580.09 for level 5 and EUR 1,491.57 for level 6. The 2024 renewal adds EUR 200 a month in total for level 4 in five steps; the next steps are June 2027 (level 4 EUR 1,722.69) and December 2027. The Ministry of Labour's labour cost tables for this contract (decree 63 of 10 July 2025) put the full employer cost of a level 4 cook at EUR 35,081.57 a year from September 2026, or EUR 21.88 an hour on 1,603 worked hours, after INPS contributions of 29.75 percent, FIS 0.53 percent, CIGS 0.60 percent and INAIL 1.09 percent of pay, plus the 13th and 14th month, severance accrual (TFR) and the sector funds. The restaurant itself must show taxable income or turnover of at least EUR 30,000 a year (INL circular 3 of 5 July 2022, as summarised by FIPE). No Italian test is attached to the work visa or the permit; the employer must offer housing that meets the minimum standards of the Health Ministry decree of 5 July 1975 and promise to pay the return journey, both written into the contratto di soggiorno (article 5-bis), otherwise the contract is not valid for the permit.

What does the restaurant have to show?

The restaurant is the applicant. Since the 2024 reform (Decree-Law 145 of 11 October 2024, converted by Law 187 of 9 December 2024, in force 11 December 2024) and the 2025 follow-up (Decree-Law 146 of 3 October 2025, in force 4 October 2025, converted by Law 179 of 2025), the steps are these. First, the restaurant asks the local Centro per l'impiego whether a worker already in Italy is available, using the Ministry of Labour form; if the centre does not answer within 8 calendar days the check counts as negative (article 22 paragraph 2-bis). Second, it obtains an asseverazione from a consulente del lavoro or from its employer association under article 24-bis: the professional certifies that the contract respects the collective agreement and that the number of applications is reasonable given the firm's turnover, staff and type of business; FIPE members whose association signed the protocol with the Ministry of Labour of 1 October 2024 are exempt. Third, it pre-fills the application (form B2020) on the Interior Ministry's ALI portal during the pre-filling window, which for the 2026 round ran from 9:00 on 23 October to 20:00 on 7 December 2025 under the joint circular 8047 of 16 October 2025, and sends it at 9:00 on the click day, 16 February for Japanese nationals in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, with the sector's ATECO code (56 for restaurants) in the contract section. A private employer may file at most 3 applications a round (made permanent by Decree-Law 146 of 2025), and an application is inadmissible if in the previous 3 years the restaurant obtained a nulla osta and then did not sign the contratto di soggiorno, unless it proves the fault was not its own (article 22 paragraph 2-ter); employers on trial or convicted for trafficking, slavery or labour exploitation offences are barred. The SUI must issue the nulla osta within 60 days from the day the application is charged to the quota, and the nulla osta is valid 6 months (article 22 paragraph 5). When the embassy has finished its visa checks the restaurant must confirm the application within 15 days, otherwise it lapses (paragraph 5-quinquies, as amended by Legislative Decree 83 of 16 April 2026, applicable from 22 May 2026). Within 15 days of the chef's arrival the restaurant and the chef sign the contratto di soggiorno with a digital signature and the restaurant sends it to the SUI, which starts the permit file (paragraph 6; the 2024 decree had set 8 days, and the consolidated text read on 3 November 2026 shows 15). The contract must contain the housing guarantee and the return travel promise (article 5-bis). The restaurant also files the hiring notice (UNILAV) and registers the chef with INPS and INAIL like any Italian employee; the Italy-Japan social security agreement, in force since 1 April 2024, covers pensions and only lets a worker posted by a Japanese employer stay in the Japanese system for up to 5 years, extendable to 10 (INPS circular 52 of 27 March 2024), so a chef hired locally pays Italian contributions.

How much are the fees, how long does it take, and how long can the chef stay?

Fees: national visa EUR 116 for a type D visa, paid in cash in yen at the Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate General in Osaka at the quarterly consular rate (the fee page of 30 June 2026 lists EUR 90 for a Schengen visa, EUR 116 for a national visa and EUR 50 for a study visa); permesso di soggiorno: a state contribution of EUR 40 for a permit of up to 1 year, EUR 50 for 1 to 2 years and EUR 100 for the long-term EU permit (MEF decree of 5 May 2017), plus EUR 30.46 for the electronic card, EUR 30 to Poste Italiane for the kit and a EUR 16 marca da bollo, so EUR 116.46 to EUR 126.46 for a first work permit and EUR 176.46 for the long-term permit; renewal costs the same contribution again. Whether the nulla osta application itself carries a EUR 16 stamp duty could not be verified on an official page at the time of writing. The asseverazione is a private service and its price is not regulated. Time: the SUI has 60 days from quota assignment for the nulla osta; the embassy must decide within 30 days for a work visa inside the decreto flussi quota (article 5 paragraph 8 of DPR 394 of 1999, as stated on the Foreign Ministry's page on visa deadlines), against 90 days for other national visas; the Questura must issue the permesso unico within 30 days of a complete application (article 5 paragraph 8.1-bis, from 22 May 2026) and the Polizia di Stato states that issue takes about 60 days on average. The calendar sets the real pace: pre-filling in the autumn, click day on 16 February, so a restaurant deciding in spring 2027 can file in February 2028 and expect the chef in the second half of 2028. Japanese nationals enter Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 (Foreign Ministry list of exempt countries), but that stay cannot be turned into a work permit: the embassy checklist admits only applicants resident in its jurisdiction who already hold the nulla osta, and the chef may not work until the nulla osta, visa and contratto di soggiorno are in place. After arrival the chef applies for the permit within 8 working days (Polizia di Stato) and may work while the first permit is being issued. Stay: the permit lasts up to 1 year for a fixed-term contract and up to 2 years for an open-ended contract (article 5 paragraph 3-bis), each renewal up to 3 years, and the renewal is requested at least 90 days before expiry; the Polizia di Stato states that permits for open-ended work are issued for up to 3 years under its circular of 1 June 2023. After 5 years with a valid permit the chef can apply for the long-term EU residence permit (article 9): income not below the annual assegno sociale (EUR 546.24 a month for 13 months in 2026, EUR 7,101.12 a year, after the 1.4 percent adjustment in INPS circular 153 of 19 December 2025), suitable housing and an Italian test at level A2 (Interior Ministry decree of 4 June 2010). Citizenship by residence needs 10 years of legal residence (article 9 paragraph 1 letter f of Law 91 of 1992), Italian at level B1 (article 9.1), a EUR 250 contribution and sufficient income in the 3 previous years. Family: the chef can apply for ricongiungimento familiare only after 2 years of uninterrupted legal residence (article 28 paragraph 1-bis, added in December 2024), with an income of at least the assegno sociale plus half for each family member (EUR 10,651.68 for a spouse in 2026), housing certified as suitable by the municipality, and a nulla osta issued within 150 days (article 29 paragraph 8, Decree-Law 146 of 2025); the spouse's permit for family reasons allows employed and self-employed work (article 30 paragraph 2) and the family visa is due within 30 days.

Is there a working holiday route?

Yes, and it is new. The Italy-Japan working holiday agreement was signed in Rome on 2 May 2022, ratified by Law 136 of 17 September 2025 (Gazzetta Ufficiale 224 of 26 September 2025) and entered into force on 1 April 2026 (Ministry of Labour, 16 April 2026). Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Italy with a start year of 2026 and an annual quota of 500 visas, one of 33 partner countries and regions on its table as of 1 November 2026. Conditions from the agreement: Japanese nationality and residence in Japan, age 18 to 30 at the time of application, main purpose a holiday, no dependants, a passport valid 3 months beyond the stay, a return ticket or the money for one, enough funds, health insurance, no criminal record, and no earlier working holiday visa from Italy. Article 1 says the visa is issued free of charge; the Tokyo fee page of 30 June 2026 lists no working holiday exemption, so confirm the fee with the embassy. The Consulate General in Osaka's checklist of 2026 adds: apply in person between 6 months and 15 days before departure, show EUR 10,400 for a year under the Interior Ministry directive of 1 March 2000 plus the return ticket or the money for it (or a guarantor's documents), a flight booking, at least one week of accommodation and travel insurance of at least EUR 30,000 valid for Schengen; family members cannot join on a family visa. Employment rules for the restaurant: the holder may stay 1 year from entry and may work without a nulla osta for a total of no more than 6 months, not necessarily with the same employer, as an activity ancillary to the holiday (article 3 paragraph 2 of the agreement; Ministry of Labour). So a restaurant can employ a Japanese cook on a working holiday full time for up to 6 months under an ordinary Italian contract with the collective agreement pay and Italian social contributions, and the cook can spend the other 6 months travelling. Whether a job agreed before departure is allowed is not addressed in the agreement or the consulate checklist and could not be verified on an official page at the time of writing; the agreement only requires that the holiday be the main purpose. Whether the working holiday permit can be converted into a work permit in Italy is also not stated on an official page. The Ministry of Labour notes that entries for occasional work in youth mobility programmes fall under article 27 paragraph 1 letter r, outside the quotas and possible at any time of year. For a longer relationship the restaurant must still go through the decreto flussi click day, and a cook already in Italy on a working holiday would have to return to Japan for the work visa, because the embassy requires the applicant to be resident in Japan.

Official sources used in this section (checked 2026-11-03)

Rules change. We confirm the current requirements with the employer before an offer.

Who can help with the visa in Italy?

Washoku Agent introduces the chef and helps the chef gather the documents the application asks for. The application itself is made by the employer, or by a licensed adviser where the law requires one. When a case is complex, for example a change of status, a refusal in the past or a family member joining, the law decides who may advise you or apply on your behalf. The employer requests the work permit (nulla osta) on the Ministry of the Interior online portal. The employer must later confirm the request and, after the worker arrives, sign the residence contract with the worker and send it online to the immigration desk (Sportello unico). (official source)

  • The employer, or professionals and employer organisations the employer appoints. The employer is responsible for the work permit (nulla osta) steps. On the Ministry of the Interior online portal, the employer can do them directly, or through professionals qualified under Article 1 of Law 12/1979, or through a national employer organisation that the employer appoints or belongs to. (official source)
  • Labour consultants (consulenti del lavoro), lawyers and accountants. Under Article 1 of Law 12/1979, when an employer does not handle its own employment formalities, only registered labour consultants, or registered lawyers and chartered or commercial accountants who have notified the labour inspectorate, may take them on. (official source)
Check the licence before you pay anyone
Official register: Lawyer search (Ricerca avvocati), National Bar Council (Consiglio Nazionale Forense). Public national search of lawyers on the Italian bar registers. The data is kept by each local bar council. Suspended or struck-off lawyers are not shown, so check the local bar's lists for those.
Are you a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer in Italy? Restaurants hiring Japanese chefs ask us who can take on complex cases. Join the Washoku Partner Network → We check the licence on the official register first.
Hiring on a working-holiday visa
Italy has a working-holiday agreement with Japan: the working holiday visa (in force since 1 April 2026, ages 18 to 30, one year, paid work for up to 6 months, 500 visas a year, no sponsor; a pre-arranged job is not provided for in the agreement, so it suits a cook who is already in Italy). Rules for six countries, employer obligations and how to run the twelve months are in our working-holiday hiring guide.

Where do restaurants in Italy find Japanese chefs?

Italy had about 2,160 Japanese restaurants in the agriculture ministry's November 2025 count, down 300 since the previous survey and second in Europe after France (3,390), while the Japanese community is small: 11,937 Japanese nationals lived in Italy in 2024 (MOFA, Italy basic data page of 3 March 2026). The top of the market is thin: the Michelin Guide lists 20 restaurants under Japanese cuisine in Italy, two with one star (IYO and IYO Kaiseki, both in Milan), two Bib Gourmand (Nida in Lucca, Oishi in Teramo) and 16 selected, ten of them in Milan. Most of the postings we saw on 3 November 2026 were for sushi hands at chains, supermarket counters and all-you-can-eat houses: Indeed Italia showed more than 100 'sushi' postings, but the exact phrase 'chef giapponese' returned one ad (Carrara, EUR 2,500 to 3,000 a month) and 'cuoco giapponese' one (Florence). Owners post on Indeed, with temp agencies such as Gi Group and on the hospitality boards Restworld and Lavoro Turismo; InfoJobs closed in 2026. We found no Japanese-language classifieds board for Italy of the kind that exists for Germany or the UK, and no Italian restaurant listing on the boards in Japan that we checked, so Japanese-run kitchens in Milan, Rome and Florence recruit by word of mouth, through the Japanese restaurateurs' association AIRG and through agencies.

JOB BOARD
Searched on 3 November 2026: 'sushi' returned 'oltre 100' (more than 100) postings across Italy over 4 pages, the exact phrase 'chef giapponese' returned 1 and 'cuoco giapponese' 1. The sushi list is led by groups and counters: Hana Group (sushiman in Palermo and Olbia, addetto sushi in Cassina Rizzardi, a category manager in Peschiera Borromeo), Wakame Italy (cooks and packers for its supermarket sushi counters in Bentivoglio near Bologna), the Tao chain in Verona (sushiman and makiman, previous experience compulsory), Ginko sushi in Rome (maki man with hot kitchen skills), Yumeya Srl in Castel Maggiore (aiuto sushi, board and lodging available), Lo Stivale dei Sapori in Tricase (addetto sushi, EUR 290 to 2,200 a month printed) and IYO Srl in Milan, the one-star house, seeking a senior cook with sushi skills to train junior staff. The two Japanese-chef ads were Agilulfo srls in Carrara ('sushi chef giapponese' with proven traditional training, EUR 2,500 to 3,000 a month, full time) and Trattoria ZàZà in Florence ('cuoco giapponese' for sushi, fixed-term, staff canteen). Indeed's own figure for a cuoco in Italy was EUR 1,630 a month on 13 July 2026 from 6,000 reported salaries, with Milan at 1,656, Rome at 1,635 and Florence at 1,603.
TEMP AGENCIES AND GROUP CAREERS PAGES
Line sushi jobs in Italy often run through staffing agencies: Gi Group's Milano Horeca branch advertised a sushiman for a Japanese restaurant at Milan Malpensa airport (Ferno, Varese) on a full-time permanent contract starting 28 September 2026, and its Varese listing on 3 November 2026 carried 47 offers including two cooks. Hana Group, the French sushi-counter operator that entered Italy, recruits on Indeed for several sites at once; Wakame Italy does the same for its supermarket counters. The established kitchens recruit under their own name: IYO Srl in Milan posted a senior cook with sushi skills on Indeed, asking for knowledge of Japanese techniques and the ability to train juniors. Expect Italian-run groups to require experience in the role and Italian; none of the group ads we read required training in Japan.
HOSPITALITY JOB SITES
Restworld, the Italian restaurant job site that prints pay, contract and hours on every ad, carried the Milan handroll restaurant Casanori (Via Pollaiuolo, Porta Romana) seeking a chef de rang at EUR 1,700 to 1,900 net a month over 12 months, open-ended, 6 days a week in split shifts, with meal vouchers and about EUR 200 in fringe benefits; the ad was suspended on 15 June 2026. Its listings also included a sushi chef for a fusion restaurant in Forte dei Marmi and a cuoco capo partita in Capriolo (Brescia). Lavoro Turismo, the hotel and tourism board, returned no sushi posting on 3 November 2026 (its search showed one unrelated waiter ad in Malga Ciapela). Hosco could not be opened from our connection. InfoJobs, once the largest Italian board, displays a closure notice and no longer lists jobs (read 3 November 2026).
JAPANESE-COMMUNITY CHANNELS
Italy has no Japanese-language classifieds board comparable to MixB in Germany or the UK that we could find on 3 November 2026, and the Japanese community of 11,937 people in 2024 is about a quarter of Germany's. The Japanese restaurateurs' association AIRG (Associazione Italiana Ristoratori Giapponesi) runs sushi training with the World Sushi Skills Institute and organised the first Italy Sushi Cup in 2025; Hirotoshi Ogawa, director general of the World Sushi Skills Institute, who teaches in Italy through AIRG, told Gambero Rosso in May 2025 that the Italian sushi cooks he teaches start at a good level and that much of the country's 'Japanese' restaurant trade sells poor-quality food under a Japanese name. For a Japanese-run restaurant the realistic community channels are AIRG, the Japanese associations in Italy and word of mouth among Japanese chefs already in Italy.
JOB BOARDS IN JAPAN
Japanese-run restaurants abroad recruit cooks on boards in Japan with the words 'visa support' and housing in the ad, as German and Australian houses do (SUSHIYA GmbH in Munich on careermap.jp, Queensland restaurants on Nichigo Press). Our searches on 3 November 2026 found no Italian restaurant listing on these boards, which is consistent with the quota calendar: an Italian employer cannot promise a start date until the 16 February click day has gone through, so Japanese boards carry few Italian vacancies. A restaurant that wants a chef from Japan should still write the ad in Japanese with the collective agreement pay, the housing guarantee and the planned click day, because the decreto flussi requires the employer to name the worker in the application.
AGENCIES
Italian recruitment agencies are licensed by the Ministry of Labour and charge the employer; for a chef from outside the EU the agency's work is the search, and the paperwork goes through a consulente del lavoro or the employer association, who must issue the asseverazione under article 24-bis of the immigration code before the nulla osta application can be filed. Agencies that specialise in Japanese chefs are few and work from Japan or from third countries; fees are not regulated and are set by contract.
SPECIALIST
Registered pool of Japanese chefs in Japan and already in Asia; screening, interpreting and work permit paperwork included.

Washoku Agent sits alongside these channels as the specialist route: we hold a registered pool of Japanese chefs, screen for technique and willingness to relocate, interpret interviews and manage the paperwork. You can run local channels in parallel and use us for the chef you cannot find locally.

Hire from Japan or from the local market in Italy?

Italy gives you two pools. Sushi hands are not scarce: Indeed Italia carried more than 100 'sushi' postings on 3 November 2026, most of them at chains, supermarket counters and all-you-can-eat houses, and the pay floor is the FIPE collective agreement, EUR 1,692.69 gross a month for a level 4 cuoco capo partita from 1 June 2026, paid 14 times a year; Indeed's own average for a cuoco in Italy is EUR 1,630 a month (13 July 2026), and ISTAT's 2022 pay survey puts the accommodation and food sector at EUR 10.9 an hour, the lowest of any sector against a national average of EUR 16.4. What is scarce is Japanese technique: the exact phrase 'chef giapponese' returned one ad on Indeed, only 20 restaurants in the whole country are in the Michelin Guide under Japanese cuisine, and the one restaurant that wrote 'sushi chef giapponese' in its title printed EUR 2,500 to 3,000 a month, well above the contract level, which tells you where the market for a chef from Japan starts. A chef from Japan needs a nulla osta under the yearly decreto flussi and a work visa; work permit rules are covered separately.

Hiring directly from Japan
  • Trained hands for the level guests compare against: the Michelin Guide lists 20 Japanese restaurants in Italy, two with one star (IYO and IYO Kaiseki in Milan) and two Bib Gourmand (Nida in Lucca, Oishi in Teramo), and ten of the 20 are in Milan.
  • Budget above the contract floor: a level 4 cook's minimum is EUR 1,692.69 a month (EUR 23,697.66 a year on 14 months) from 1 June 2026, the one 'sushi chef giapponese' ad printed EUR 2,500 to 3,000 a month, and the employer adds INPS 29.75 percent, FIS 0.53 percent, CIGS 0.60 percent and INAIL 1.09 percent plus severance accrual, so the Ministry of Labour prices a level 4 cook at EUR 35,081.57 a year, EUR 21.88 an hour, from September 2026.
  • The employer carries housing by law: the contratto di soggiorno must contain the employer's guarantee of housing that meets the 1975 Health Ministry standards and a promise to pay the return journey (article 5-bis), and the Italian ads that address cooks from outside the area already offer vitto e alloggio (Yumeya, Castel Maggiore).
  • Plan for the calendar and the first weeks of paperwork: the click day is 16 February, so a chef hired from Japan starts in the second half of the year; then the permit kit within 8 working days, the codice fiscale at the Agenzia delle Entrate, residence at the Comune, a bank account and the regional food-safety course, all in Italian.
Hiring inside Italy
  • Plenty of sushi postings and applicants at the contract band (more than 100 'sushi' ads on Indeed, 3 November 2026) and a local hire can start within weeks without a nulla osta, a click day or an embassy appointment.
  • Depth of Japanese training varies: Italian-run ads ask for previous experience in the role (Tao Verona: 'obbligatoria esperienza già pregressa'), knowledge of maki and nigiri (Ginko Rome) or a minimum of experience (Yumeya), not for training in Japan; ISTAT shows the sector's hourly pay at EUR 10.9 against a national median of EUR 13.35, and Indeed's cuoco average of EUR 1,630 a month sits below the level 4 contract minimum, which points to part-time and lower-level hiring.
  • Language and paperwork favour the local hire: Italian is what the Questura, the Agenzia delle Entrate, the Comune and the ASL speak, and a local cook already holds the codice fiscale, the residence and the food-safety certificate.
Our rule of thumb
Post the line positions on Indeed and Restworld and hire locally at the FIPE band for the sushi and kitchen posts. If the menu needs a head chef or sushi chef who sets the standard and trains the line, hire from Japan, write the contract at or above the EUR 2,500 to 3,000 the market already prints for a Japanese chef, budget about a third more for employer contributions, secure the flat before the click day because the contratto di soggiorno requires it, and start the Centro per l'impiego check and the asseverazione in the autumn so the application is pre-filled before 16 February.

Common hiring challenges in Italy, and how to keep the chef

What owners and chefs say in public, in their own words:

“Sushi chef giapponese con provata conoscenza cucina tradizionale; esperienza in ristoranti di alto livello di cucina tradizionale giapponese costituisce elemento di preferenza. Retribuzione: 2.500 - 3.000 euro al mese. Tempo pieno.”
Agilulfo srls, Carrara (Tuscany), in its job advertisement for a Japanese sushi chef: 'Japanese sushi chef with proven knowledge of traditional cuisine; experience in high-level traditional Japanese restaurants is preferred. Pay EUR 2,500 to 3,000 a month, full time.', Company job post on Indeed Italia (exact phrase search 'chef giapponese'), 3 November 2026
“Ricerchiamo personale per aiuto sushi con minimo di esperienza nel campo, per ristorante giapponese. C'è possibilità di vitto e alloggio.”
Yumeya Srl, Japanese restaurant in Castel Maggiore (Bologna), in its job advertisement for a sushi assistant: 'We are looking for sushi assistants with a minimum of experience in the field, for a Japanese restaurant. Board and lodging available.', Company job post on Indeed Italia (search 'sushi'), 3 November 2026
“Da quando, grazie ad AIRG, insegno anche in Italia, devo dire che mediamente ho trovato i vostri sushiman a un buon livello di partenza. In Italia la disinformazione è dovuta prevalentemente a una diffusa ristorazione che sotto un nome giapponese propone prodotti di scarsa qualità e molto lontani dai nostri standard.”
Hirotoshi Ogawa, director general of the World Sushi Skills Institute and director of the All Japan Sushi Association, appointed Japanese cuisine goodwill ambassador by the Japanese government in 2017, who trains sushi cooks in Italy for the restaurateurs' association AIRG: 'Since I started teaching in Italy through AIRG, I have found your sushi cooks at a good starting level on average. In Italy the misinformation comes mainly from a widespread restaurant trade that sells poor-quality products under a Japanese name, far from our standards.', Gambero Rosso, interview by Francesca Ciancio on the first Italy Sushi Cup, 26 May 2025
Italian at work and at the Questura
Problem. Italian-run kitchens ask for experience and run the brigade in Italian, and every office the chef must deal with in the first weeks works in Italian: the post office for the permit kit, the Questura for fingerprints, the Agenzia delle Entrate for the codice fiscale, the Comune for residence, the ASL for the regional food-safety course that replaced the libretto sanitario, the bank and the landlord. No permit tests Italian, but the long-term permit after 5 years needs A2 and citizenship needs B1, so the first year sets the pace.
What works. Make the kitchen language explicit (Japanese plus English or Italian), pair the chef with a bilingual sous chef or manager for the first year, book an Italian course from month one, and send someone with the chef to the post office, the Questura and the Comune appointments.
One click day a year
Problem. A chef from Japan can only be hired through the decreto flussi: applications are pre-filled in the autumn (23 October to 7 December 2025 for the 2026 round) and sent at 9:00 on 16 February, Japan's quota of 25,000 places is shared with 37 other countries and served in order of arrival, a private employer may file at most 3 applications, the Centro per l'impiego check must be run first (negative after 8 days) and a consulente del lavoro or the association must certify the contract. The nulla osta then takes up to 60 days, the visa up to 30 days, so the earliest realistic start is early summer, and a restaurant that misses February waits a year.
What works. Decide in September, run the Centro per l'impiego check and order the asseverazione in October, pre-fill the application with the chef's passport data and the signed contract in the window, and have the consulente send it at 9:00 on 16 February; plan the opening or the season change for the second half of the year.
Pay bands and employer cost
Problem. Italy has no statutory minimum wage; the FIPE collective agreement sets EUR 1,692.69 a month for a level 4 cuoco capo partita, EUR 1,800.73 for level 3 and EUR 1,916.34 for a level 2 capo cuoco from 1 June 2026, paid 14 times a year, with the next step in June 2027 and a further one in December 2027. The market for a Japanese chef prints EUR 2,500 to 3,000 a month (Carrara, November 2026). On top of any gross figure the employer pays INPS 29.75 percent, FIS 0.53 percent, CIGS 0.60 percent and INAIL 1.09 percent, severance accrual and the sector funds, which brings a level 4 cook to EUR 35,081.57 a year in the Ministry of Labour's table from September 2026; an employer who skips the contract minimum fails the asseverazione and the nulla osta.
What works. Price the role against the FIPE level for the real job (a chef who runs the counter is level 2 or 3, not level 4), write the gross monthly figure, the level and the 14 months in the offer, add about a third for employer contributions when you budget, and build the June 2027 and December 2027 steps into the contract so the chef is not asking for them.
Working time, the 14 months and leave
Problem. The collective agreement works on a 40-hour week with 26 days of leave, 12 public holidays and a 13th and 14th month (Ministry of Labour cost table), and Italian restaurants run split shifts six days a week: the Casanori ad in Milan asked for 6 days and 9 services a week. A chef from Japan is often used to longer days and fewer days off, and an Italian payroll inspection is not.
What works. Record hours from day one, plan a two-shift roster with a fixed closing day, pay the 13th in December and the 14th in June as the contract requires, and put the 26 days of leave in writing.
Housing is the employer's legal duty
Problem. Article 5-bis of the immigration code makes the contratto di soggiorno invalid for the permit unless the employer guarantees housing that meets the minimum parameters of the Health Ministry decree of 5 July 1975 and promises to pay the return journey. A chef arriving without an Italian payslip, a codice fiscale or a registered address cannot sign a lease in Milan or Rome in time, and the residence registration that unlocks the rest of the paperwork needs an address.
What works. Rent a room or a company flat before the click day and name it in the contract, as Yumeya does with vitto e alloggio; if you cannot, act as guarantor and lend the deposit, and use the flat for the residence registration in week one.
The permit follows the contract
Problem. The first permit lasts 1 year for a fixed-term contract and 2 years for an open-ended one, and the chef's permission to live in Italy rests on the restaurant's contract; if the restaurant does not sign the contratto di soggiorno after obtaining a nulla osta it is barred from new applications for 3 years. Immigration law lets a worker who loses the job stay registered as unemployed for the remaining validity of the permit (article 22 paragraph 11, not re-read today), but the chef still has more to lose from a late decision than a local hire.
What works. Offer an open-ended contract so the first permit runs 2 years, set written checkpoints during the probation the collective agreement allows, decide early, and if you part ways help the chef with the next employer so the permit question is handled cleanly.
Qualifications and food safety
Problem. Cook is not a regulated profession in Italy, so a Japanese 調理師 licence or culinary diploma is neither required nor formally recognised, and the Blue Card route is closed to most cooks because it needs a degree or a proven higher qualification. What is required is the regional food-safety training for food handlers, which replaced the libretto sanitario region by region and is taught and tested in Italian; the exact rules of each region could not be verified on a national official page.
What works. Ask the ASL or your association which course applies in your region, book it in the chef's first month with an interpreter if the provider allows one, and keep the chef's Japanese certificates and work references on file for the asseverazione and the contract level.
Retention checklist
✓ A company flat or room from day one, written into the contratto di soggiorno as the law requires, and board at the restaurant as Yumeya in Castel Maggiore advertises
✓ An open-ended contract: the first permit then runs 2 years instead of 1, the long-term permit comes after 5 years and the spouse can join after 2
✓ Contract steps applied automatically (June 2027 and December 2027 under the 2024 FIPE renewal) and the elemento economico di garanzia of EUR 140 for levels 4 and 5 paid in November 2027 where no company bonus agreement exists, with pay set against the EUR 2,500 to 3,000 the market prints for a Japanese chef
✓ A visible path: IYO in Milan recruits a senior cook who trains the juniors, and a head-chef title with menu responsibility keeps a trained chef from moving to the next counter
✓ Italian lessons paid by the house and a named colleague for the Questura, the Comune and the ASL course
✓ A fixed closing day, a two-shift roster, the 13th and 14th month on time and 26 days of leave taken, not banked
Sources for this section (checked 2026-11-03)
More guides for employers

How do restaurants in Italy hire a Japanese chef through Washoku Agent?

1
Free consultation
Tell us your concept, the position, your budget and the timeline.
2
Candidate introductions
We present chefs from our registered pool who match the role and are willing to relocate.
3
Video interviews
Interview in Japanese or English; we interpret when needed and arrange trial cooking where practical.
4
Offer and contract
We help you set a package that is competitive in Japan and compliant locally.
5
Visa application
The employer sponsors; Washoku Agent prepares the chef's documents and keeps both sides on schedule.
6
Arrival and onboarding
Housing, first-week orientation and follow-ups during the first months.
Track record
Washoku Agent has placed Japanese chefs in 26 countries, with more than 200 placements to date, and publishes listings in eight languages.

Frequently asked questions

Which visa lets a restaurant in Italy sponsor a Japanese chef?

A nulla osta al lavoro from the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione under the yearly decreto flussi, then a type D work visa from the Italian Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate General in Osaka and a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato. The DPCM of 2 October 2025 runs to 2028, lists Japan among the countries sharing 25,000 non-seasonal places a year and opens the click day at 9:00 on 16 February each year; restaurants (ATECO 56) are inside the admitted sectors. There is no chef visa and no out-of-quota category for cooks; the Blue Card needs a degree or a proven higher qualification. Permits last 1 year for a fixed-term contract and 2 years for an open-ended one, renewable for up to 3 years. Japanese nationals enter visa-free for 90 days but cannot switch to a work permit in Italy. Since 1 April 2026 a Japanese cook aged 18 to 30 can also work 6 months in a year on the new working holiday visa (500 a year).

Which permit lets an Italian restaurant hire a Japanese chef?

For a chef coming from Japan to work for more than 90 days, a national visa for lavoro subordinato (type D) issued by the Italian Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate General in Osaka, followed by a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato from the Questura. Italy has no chef visa and no points system. Almost every cook enters through the decreto flussi, the yearly quota decree: the restaurant applies to the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (SUI) at the Prefettura for a nulla osta al lavoro under article 22 of the Testo Unico Immigrazione (Legislative Decree 286 of 1998), and the chef applies for the visa once the nulla osta has reached the embassy. The current decree is the DPCM of 2 October 2025 (Gazzetta Ufficiale 240 of 15 October 2025) for 2026 to 2028. It admits 164,850 non-EU workers in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028, of which 76,200 a year for non-seasonal employment. Restaurants are inside the decree: article 1 letter g counts ATECO group 56 (food and beverage service) among the admitted sectors, and the restaurant federation FIPE states in its circular of 23 October 2025 that the decree expressly includes restaurant services. Japan is one of the 38 countries listed in article 6 paragraph 2 letter a, whose nationals share a reserved quota of 25,000 non-seasonal places a year in 2026, 2027 and 2028, with applications sent from 9:00 on 16 February of each year. The Ministry of Labour distributed the 25,000 places across the regions and their provinces in its note 531 of 16 February 2026 (Lombardy 7,126, Campania 3,546, Lazio 2,268, Veneto 2,134, Emilia-Romagna 1,998), and applications are served in order of arrival until the quota is used. Two out-of-quota routes exist on paper but rarely fit a cook: the EU Blue Card under article 27-quater needs a 3-year university degree or a higher professional qualification shown by 5 years of experience, a contract of at least 6 months and pay at or above the collective agreement and the ISTAT average gross annual salary; article 27 paragraph 1 letter a covers managers and highly specialised staff transferred by a company with a seat or branch in Italy, so it only works when a Japanese company posts its own cook to its own Italian restaurant. None of the article 27 letters names cooks. The working holiday visa (article 27 letter r) is the one out-of-quota route open to a Japanese cook aged 18 to 30, for 6 months of work; it is described below.

What does the chef have to show, and what is the salary rule?

Cook is not a regulated profession in Italy, so no Italian licence or recognition of the Japanese 調理師 qualification is needed to work in a kitchen, and the decreto flussi asks for no diploma for non-seasonal employment. The chef shows the embassy a passport valid 3 months beyond the planned return, a Japanese residence certificate, one ICAO photo, the visa form for a type D national visa and the visa fee; the nulla osta is sent by the SUI directly to the embassy, which asks applicants to check by phone or email that it has arrived before booking. The embassy accepts the application only after the nulla osta has been received, in person, between 6 months and 15 days before departure, and keeps the passport during processing. Salary rule: Italy has no statutory minimum wage (Eurostat lists Italy with Denmark, Austria, Finland and Sweden as the 5 EU countries without one, as of 1 July 2026). The pay floor is the collective agreement, and for restaurants that is the CCNL Turismo Pubblici Esercizi signed by FIPE-Confcommercio with Filcams CGIL, Fisascat CISL and Uiltucs on 5 June 2024, in force from 1 June 2024-31 December 2027. The SUI and the asseverazione check that the contract respects it. A cuoco capo partita is level 4, a cuoco unico or sottocapo cuoco level 3, a capo cuoco level 2, a commis di cucina level 6 or 6 super. The monthly minimum for a full-time level 4 cook is EUR 1,692.69 gross from 1 June 2026 (EUR 1,167.75 base pay plus EUR 524.94 contingency), paid 14 times a year, EUR 1,800.73 for level 3, EUR 1,916.34 for level 2, EUR 1,580.09 for level 5 and EUR 1,491.57 for level 6. The 2024 renewal adds EUR 200 a month in total for level 4 in five steps; the next steps are June 2027 (level 4 EUR 1,722.69) and December 2027. The Ministry of Labour's labour cost tables for this contract (decree 63 of 10 July 2025) put the full employer cost of a level 4 cook at EUR 35,081.57 a year from September 2026, or EUR 21.88 an hour on 1,603 worked hours, after INPS contributions of 29.75 percent, FIS 0.53 percent, CIGS 0.60 percent and INAIL 1.09 percent of pay, plus the 13th and 14th month, severance accrual (TFR) and the sector funds. The restaurant itself must show taxable income or turnover of at least EUR 30,000 a year (INL circular 3 of 5 July 2022, as summarised by FIPE). No Italian test is attached to the work visa or the permit; the employer must offer housing that meets the minimum standards of the Health Ministry decree of 5 July 1975 and promise to pay the return journey, both written into the contratto di soggiorno (article 5-bis), otherwise the contract is not valid for the permit.

What does the restaurant have to show?

The restaurant is the applicant. Since the 2024 reform (Decree-Law 145 of 11 October 2024, converted by Law 187 of 9 December 2024, in force 11 December 2024) and the 2025 follow-up (Decree-Law 146 of 3 October 2025, in force 4 October 2025, converted by Law 179 of 2025), the steps are these. First, the restaurant asks the local Centro per l'impiego whether a worker already in Italy is available, using the Ministry of Labour form; if the centre does not answer within 8 calendar days the check counts as negative (article 22 paragraph 2-bis). Second, it obtains an asseverazione from a consulente del lavoro or from its employer association under article 24-bis: the professional certifies that the contract respects the collective agreement and that the number of applications is reasonable given the firm's turnover, staff and type of business; FIPE members whose association signed the protocol with the Ministry of Labour of 1 October 2024 are exempt. Third, it pre-fills the application (form B2020) on the Interior Ministry's ALI portal during the pre-filling window, which for the 2026 round ran from 9:00 on 23 October to 20:00 on 7 December 2025 under the joint circular 8047 of 16 October 2025, and sends it at 9:00 on the click day, 16 February for Japanese nationals in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, with the sector's ATECO code (56 for restaurants) in the contract section. A private employer may file at most 3 applications a round (made permanent by Decree-Law 146 of 2025), and an application is inadmissible if in the previous 3 years the restaurant obtained a nulla osta and then did not sign the contratto di soggiorno, unless it proves the fault was not its own (article 22 paragraph 2-ter); employers on trial or convicted for trafficking, slavery or labour exploitation offences are barred. The SUI must issue the nulla osta within 60 days from the day the application is charged to the quota, and the nulla osta is valid 6 months (article 22 paragraph 5). When the embassy has finished its visa checks the restaurant must confirm the application within 15 days, otherwise it lapses (paragraph 5-quinquies, as amended by Legislative Decree 83 of 16 April 2026, applicable from 22 May 2026). Within 15 days of the chef's arrival the restaurant and the chef sign the contratto di soggiorno with a digital signature and the restaurant sends it to the SUI, which starts the permit file (paragraph 6; the 2024 decree had set 8 days, and the consolidated text read on 3 November 2026 shows 15). The contract must contain the housing guarantee and the return travel promise (article 5-bis). The restaurant also files the hiring notice (UNILAV) and registers the chef with INPS and INAIL like any Italian employee; the Italy-Japan social security agreement, in force since 1 April 2024, covers pensions and only lets a worker posted by a Japanese employer stay in the Japanese system for up to 5 years, extendable to 10 (INPS circular 52 of 27 March 2024), so a chef hired locally pays Italian contributions.

How much are the fees, how long does it take, and how long can the chef stay?

Fees: national visa EUR 116 for a type D visa, paid in cash in yen at the Embassy in Tokyo or the Consulate General in Osaka at the quarterly consular rate (the fee page of 30 June 2026 lists EUR 90 for a Schengen visa, EUR 116 for a national visa and EUR 50 for a study visa); permesso di soggiorno: a state contribution of EUR 40 for a permit of up to 1 year, EUR 50 for 1 to 2 years and EUR 100 for the long-term EU permit (MEF decree of 5 May 2017), plus EUR 30.46 for the electronic card, EUR 30 to Poste Italiane for the kit and a EUR 16 marca da bollo, so EUR 116.46 to EUR 126.46 for a first work permit and EUR 176.46 for the long-term permit; renewal costs the same contribution again. Whether the nulla osta application itself carries a EUR 16 stamp duty could not be verified on an official page at the time of writing. The asseverazione is a private service and its price is not regulated. Time: the SUI has 60 days from quota assignment for the nulla osta; the embassy must decide within 30 days for a work visa inside the decreto flussi quota (article 5 paragraph 8 of DPR 394 of 1999, as stated on the Foreign Ministry's page on visa deadlines), against 90 days for other national visas; the Questura must issue the permesso unico within 30 days of a complete application (article 5 paragraph 8.1-bis, from 22 May 2026) and the Polizia di Stato states that issue takes about 60 days on average. The calendar sets the real pace: pre-filling in the autumn, click day on 16 February, so a restaurant deciding in spring 2027 can file in February 2028 and expect the chef in the second half of 2028. Japanese nationals enter Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 (Foreign Ministry list of exempt countries), but that stay cannot be turned into a work permit: the embassy checklist admits only applicants resident in its jurisdiction who already hold the nulla osta, and the chef may not work until the nulla osta, visa and contratto di soggiorno are in place. After arrival the chef applies for the permit within 8 working days (Polizia di Stato) and may work while the first permit is being issued. Stay: the permit lasts up to 1 year for a fixed-term contract and up to 2 years for an open-ended contract (article 5 paragraph 3-bis), each renewal up to 3 years, and the renewal is requested at least 90 days before expiry; the Polizia di Stato states that permits for open-ended work are issued for up to 3 years under its circular of 1 June 2023. After 5 years with a valid permit the chef can apply for the long-term EU residence permit (article 9): income not below the annual assegno sociale (EUR 546.24 a month for 13 months in 2026, EUR 7,101.12 a year, after the 1.4 percent adjustment in INPS circular 153 of 19 December 2025), suitable housing and an Italian test at level A2 (Interior Ministry decree of 4 June 2010). Citizenship by residence needs 10 years of legal residence (article 9 paragraph 1 letter f of Law 91 of 1992), Italian at level B1 (article 9.1), a EUR 250 contribution and sufficient income in the 3 previous years. Family: the chef can apply for ricongiungimento familiare only after 2 years of uninterrupted legal residence (article 28 paragraph 1-bis, added in December 2024), with an income of at least the assegno sociale plus half for each family member (EUR 10,651.68 for a spouse in 2026), housing certified as suitable by the municipality, and a nulla osta issued within 150 days (article 29 paragraph 8, Decree-Law 146 of 2025); the spouse's permit for family reasons allows employed and self-employed work (article 30 paragraph 2) and the family visa is due within 30 days.

Is there a working holiday route?

Yes, and it is new. The Italy-Japan working holiday agreement was signed in Rome on 2 May 2022, ratified by Law 136 of 17 September 2025 (Gazzetta Ufficiale 224 of 26 September 2025) and entered into force on 1 April 2026 (Ministry of Labour, 16 April 2026). Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Italy with a start year of 2026 and an annual quota of 500 visas, one of 33 partner countries and regions on its table as of 1 November 2026. Conditions from the agreement: Japanese nationality and residence in Japan, age 18 to 30 at the time of application, main purpose a holiday, no dependants, a passport valid 3 months beyond the stay, a return ticket or the money for one, enough funds, health insurance, no criminal record, and no earlier working holiday visa from Italy. Article 1 says the visa is issued free of charge; the Tokyo fee page of 30 June 2026 lists no working holiday exemption, so confirm the fee with the embassy. The Consulate General in Osaka's checklist of 2026 adds: apply in person between 6 months and 15 days before departure, show EUR 10,400 for a year under the Interior Ministry directive of 1 March 2000 plus the return ticket or the money for it (or a guarantor's documents), a flight booking, at least one week of accommodation and travel insurance of at least EUR 30,000 valid for Schengen; family members cannot join on a family visa. Employment rules for the restaurant: the holder may stay 1 year from entry and may work without a nulla osta for a total of no more than 6 months, not necessarily with the same employer, as an activity ancillary to the holiday (article 3 paragraph 2 of the agreement; Ministry of Labour). So a restaurant can employ a Japanese cook on a working holiday full time for up to 6 months under an ordinary Italian contract with the collective agreement pay and Italian social contributions, and the cook can spend the other 6 months travelling. Whether a job agreed before departure is allowed is not addressed in the agreement or the consulate checklist and could not be verified on an official page at the time of writing; the agreement only requires that the holiday be the main purpose. Whether the working holiday permit can be converted into a work permit in Italy is also not stated on an official page. The Ministry of Labour notes that entries for occasional work in youth mobility programmes fall under article 27 paragraph 1 letter r, outside the quotas and possible at any time of year. For a longer relationship the restaurant must still go through the decreto flussi click day, and a cook already in Italy on a working holiday would have to return to Japan for the work visa, because the embassy requires the applicant to be resident in Japan.

Can a restaurant in Italy hire a Japanese chef who is still in Japan?

Yes. The employer sponsors the visa and Washoku Agent handles sourcing, screening and the pre-arrival process. See the visa section above for the routes and official sources.

What salary should we budget for a Japanese chef in Italy?

Packages for Japanese chefs in Italy vary with the city, the concept and the chef's seniority, so we do not print a range here. Contact us for current figures for your position.

Does Washoku Agent charge the chef?

No. Registration, consultation and introductions are free for chefs. Employers pay for the recruitment service.

How long does the whole process take?

Typically about 6 to 9 months, because the calendar decides (pre-filling in the autumn, click day 16 February, nulla osta within 60 days, visa within 30 days) from first consultation to the chef's arrival, depending on the visa route and processing times.

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