Factory Jobs in Italy for Foreign Workers: Pay, Rules and How to Apply (2026)

Factory and warehouse work is one of the most common jobs for people without a degree. In Italy, factories, food plants and warehouses need people to pack, sort and move goods every day. This guide shows what the work is like, what it pays in Italy, which papers you need and the safe way to apply.

Read this first: you cannot ask for an Italian work visa alone. An employer in Italy must ask for a place for you in the yearly quota, and the places are limited. This guide shows how it really works.

Legal minimum pay	None by law; set by the collective agreement of the sector
Payments	13 a year, 14 in some sectors
Education	No degree needed
Visa	A place in the yearly quota, asked for by the employer
Language	Basic Italian

See how to apply

What the work is like

In a factory you may work on a production line, pack products into boxes, check that goods have no faults, or clean machines at the end of a shift. In a warehouse you load and unload trucks, move boxes, pick orders with a hand scanner and keep the shelves in order. Some workers drive a forklift after training.

The work is physical and it repeats. You stand or walk for most of the day, and you may lift boxes many times an hour. Many sites run day and night, so shifts can start early in the morning, in the afternoon or late in the evening. Food plants can be cold and wet. Other plants can be loud, so you wear ear and eye protection.

Common job titles are warehouse worker, material handler, packer, picker, production worker, machine operator and general labourer.

Who can do this job

You do not need a degree, and many employers train new workers in the first days. What employers look for is simple:

You are fit enough to stand, walk and lift for a full shift.
You come on time, every day. This matters more than anything else.
You can follow safety rules and understand simple instructions.
You are ready to work shifts, nights or weekends.

Past work in a factory, a shop storeroom or a farm helps. A forklift licence or experience with machines can bring better pay. Men and women both do this work.

How much you can earn in Italy

Italy has no legal minimum wage. Pay is set for each sector by a national collective agreement between employers and unions, and your contract must follow it. Most workers get 13 payments a year, and some sectors pay 14. Factory and warehouse helpers are paid by the agreement of their sector, for example food, metal, textile or logistics. The agreement sets the lowest pay for each level, and your level is written in your contract.

See how to apply

Night shifts, Sundays and extra hours bring more pay. Ask the employer which agreement and which level apply to you, and look for the pay table of that agreement online.

The visa reality: food, metal and textile factories and logistics are sectors that the yearly quota covers. The employer must ask for a place for you on the click day. Without a place there is no visa.

Hours and shifts

A normal week is about 40 hours, often in shifts of eight hours. Busy seasons, such as the months before the end of the year, bring extra hours. Ask how overtime is paid before you sign. Also ask how you get to the site, because many factories and warehouses are outside the city and public transport may not run at night.

What you need before you can work in Italy

Italy lets in a fixed number of workers from outside Europe each year. The law that sets the number is called the Decreto Flussi. For the three years 2026 to 2028 it opens about 497,550 places. For 2027 there are 165,850 places: 89,000 for seasonal work and 76,200 for other work. The steps are:

A job offer from an employer in Italy, in a sector that the quota covers.
The work authorisation (“nulla osta”). The employer asks for it online, on the portal of the Ministry of the Interior. First the employer must check with the public job centre that no worker in Italy is free for the job.
The click day. Requests are sent on fixed days, at 9:00 in the morning. Places are given in the order the requests arrive, so many places are gone in a short time.
The visa. When the authorisation is ready, you ask for the work visa at the Italian embassy or consulate in your country.
After you arrive. You sign the contract of stay within 15 days and ask for your residence permit.

Many places are kept for citizens of countries that have a migration agreement with Italy. The list is published by the Italian ministries, and Kenya was added for the 2027 places. Check the list first. Nobody can promise you a place: it depends on the employer, the sector and the order of the requests.

Costs to plan for

Rent is the biggest cost. It is highest in Milan, Rome, Bologna and Florence, and lower in small towns and in the south. A landlord usually asks for a deposit of two or three months of rent. From your pay, about one tenth goes to social insurance, and income tax comes on top. Seasonal employers in farming and tourism sometimes offer a room, so ask about the price in writing. You pay the visa fee and usually your travel. Learning Italian costs time, but it helps you more than anything else at work.

These are guides, not live vacancies. We are not an employer.

How to apply safely

Read about the yearly quota on Integrazione Migranti, the Italian government’s portal, and check if your country is on the list.
Look for an employer in a sector the quota covers, such as farming, tourism, building, transport or factories.
Ask the employer to prepare the request before the click day. For the 2027 places, employers could fill in requests from 23 October to 7 December 2026.
Wait for the work authorisation. Do not travel before you have it and the visa.
Ask for the visa at the Italian embassy yourself. After you arrive, sign the contract of stay within 15 days.

See how to apply

Mistakes to avoid

Saying yes to a job without knowing the pay per hour and the hours per week.
Hiding a health problem that makes lifting unsafe for you.
Ignoring safety rules to work faster. Most injuries happen this way.
Paying an agent who promises a factory job. Real employers do not sell jobs.

Your rights as a worker in Italy

You must get a written contract that follows the national collective agreement of your sector.
The normal working week is 40 hours. Extra hours must be paid at a higher rate.
You have at least four weeks of paid holiday a year.
With a contract and a residence permit you can join the public health service.
Work without a contract is common in farming and is against the law. Unions and their help offices, called “patronati”, give free advice to foreign workers.

Protect yourself from fake job offers

Never pay for a work authorisation. Selling a “nulla osta” or a place in the quota is a crime, and many people have lost their money this way.
An agent cannot get a place for you alone. Only a real employer in Italy can send the request.
Be careful with offers that come after the click days and still promise “a sure visa”. Most places are gone fast.
Check that the company exists and that the contract names a real address in Italy.

Questions people ask

Do I need experience for factory work in Italy?

Often no. Many packing and warehouse jobs train you at the start. Experience and a forklift licence help you get hired faster and can raise your pay.

Is the work hard?

It is physical. You stand for hours and you may lift boxes all day. If you are healthy and used to manual work, you can do it.

Can I enter Italy as a tourist and then get a work permit?

No. The quota places are for workers who are still in their own country. You wait for the work authorisation and the visa before you travel.

Do I need to speak Italian?

For most factory, building, hotel and driving jobs, yes, at least a basic level. Teams and safety rules are in Italian. Start learning before you apply.

More guides for Italy

Last checked: November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and pay change, so always confirm on the official websites before you decide. We are not a recruiter and we never ask for money.

See how to apply

These are guides, not live vacancies. We are not an employer.