Freelancers Moving to Italy: How To Choose the Right ATECO Code

For any freelancer, consultant, or self-employed professional applying for the Italian Lavoro Autonomo visa, you will inevitably encounter the ATECO code. This code is far more than a simple tax label; it defines your entire legal and administrative identity in the Italian system.

Choosing the wrong code can damage your Nulla Osta application, jeopardise your Partita IVA (VAT number) setup, and create serious complications later. This guide provides a concise but practical ATECO code Italy guide to help you choose the best ATECO code for freelancers moving to Italy.

ATECO: Your Legal Identity's Blueprint

The ATECO code is Italy's standard classification system for economic activities, derived from the European NACE framework. It is the blueprint Italian authorities use to understand exactly what type of work you do.

What does the ATECO code determine?

Area of impact	ATECO's role
Immigration (Nulla Osta)	Determines the required financial parameters for your Chamber of Commerce attestation. If the code does not match your CV and professional history, the Chamber cannot approve you.
Tax regime (Partita IVA)	Affects your tax rate and can influence eligibility for regimes such as Regime Forfettario (flat tax).
Social security (INPS)	Dictates whether you must register with Gestione Separata (the freelancer fund) or another specific fund.
Regulation	Identifies whether your profession is regulated and requires mandatory enrolment in a professional body (Ordine Professionale).

Put simply: choosing the wrong ATECO code can quietly destroy your Lavoro Autonomo application.

Examples of Common Freelancer ATECO Codes

ATECO codes identify what you actually do, not just the industry you feel part of. Below are examples frequently used by self-employed visa applicants:

ATECO code	Description of activity
62.01.00	Software design / Web development and programming
74.10.21	Graphic design and creative design activities
70.22.09	Business, management, and strategic consulting
85.51.20	Private lessons and educational coaching (not linked to schools)
93.13.00	Fitness instruction, personal training, and coaching

How Italian Authorities Evaluate Your ATECO Choice

The Chamber of Commerce (Camera di Commercio) is the first gatekeeper. When assessing your Nulla Osta application, they look for alignment across three main vectors:

• Professional coherence: Does your CV, portfolio, and previous professional income match the activity described by the ATECO code?
• Financial thresholds: Do your projected financials meet the minimum economic parameters established for that specific ATECO category in that province?
• Regulatory compliance: Does the ATECO code indicate a regulated profession? If so, have you met the Italian requirements (e.g., enrolment in an Ordine Professionale)?

If the Chamber finds a mismatch between your identity and the code, they cannot issue the vital Attestazione dei Parametri Finanziari, and your Nulla Osta process stops.

Common Mistakes When Choosing an ATECO Code

The pitfalls in ATECO choose self employment Italy typically come down to misinterpreting how specific the classification must be.

1. Picking a Broad “Consulting” Code for a Regulated Service

The mistake:

Using broad codes such as “Business Consulting” (70.22.09) when your real activity is a heavily regulated service—for example, financial advising or certain types of engineering analysis. Authorities expect a specific, definable activity, not a catch-all label.

How to avoid it:

Be specific. If 80% of your work is web development, use the web development code (62.01.00), even if you occasionally provide strategic advice. Your ATECO code should reflect your primary, revenue-generating activity.

2. Confusing Freelance vs. Commercial Codes

The mistake:

Selecting an entrepreneurial or commercial code (often beginning with 4 or 5) instead of a code suitable for a libero professionista (freelancer). Commercial codes can trigger requirements more appropriate for a full business (impresa), such as Chamber registration, registered capital, and a more complex compliance structure.

How to avoid it:

Ensure your chosen code and documentation clearly position you as a non-commercial, self-employed professional. For many freelancers, the correct route involves registration primarily with the tax authority and INPS Gestione Separata, not as a fully-fledged commercial enterprise.

3. Selecting an ATECO Code That Doesn’t Match Your Income Sources

The mistake:

Submitting tax returns showing years of income from “writing” while choosing an ATECO code for “IT infrastructure management”. The Chamber must see a direct correlation between your documented past work and your proposed future activity in Italy.

How to avoid it:

Base your ATECO choice on your proven, existing income streams and verifiable professional experience. The closer the match, the easier it is for authorities to view your move as a logical continuation of your career, not a speculative leap.

4. Choosing a Regulated Profession Without Credentials

The mistake:

Selecting a profession—such as Architecture, Law, Psychology, or certain health fields—that requires mandatory enrolment in an Italian professional order, without having completed the necessary recognition steps (equipollenza or riconoscimento). This typically leads to an immediate block.

How to avoid it:

If your activity falls into a regulated field, either:

• secure the necessary Italian credentials and order registration first; or
• choose a closely related, non-regulated consulting code that describes your service without using protected professional titles (for example, “management consulting” rather than “certified public accounting”).

How to Choose Correctly

The best ATECO code for freelancers is the one that creates the fewest administrative hurdles and the highest possible consistency score in the eyes of Italian authorities.

Your ideal ATECO code should:

• Match reality: Align perfectly with your real work, documented experience, and existing income streams.
• Be admissible: Fall within categories that are actually viable and admissible for the Lavoro Autonomo route.
• Meet thresholds: Be a category for which you can clearly demonstrate that you meet the required local Chamber financial parameters.