Establish a Recruitment Company in Italy

Entrepreneurs who want to open a recruitment company in Italy can opt for the legal services offered by our Italian lawyers. With specialized help in the field, those interested can benefit from complete services for company registration, including the preparation and submission of documents. In the following lines, you can find information about recruitment agencies in Italy and the available options.

Types of Italian recruitment companies

Foreign investors must know there are two types of private employment companies they may establish in Italy:

• a staff-leasing (temporary work) agency (agenzia di somministrazione di lavoro),
• recruitment and selection agencies (agenzie di ricerca e selezione del personale); intermediation and outplacement agencies are further authorised categories.

Temporary employment agencies are usually found in smaller cities, while executive recruitment and search companies can be found in large cities, such as Rome and Milan, where large Italian companies are also located. Large corporations are also the main clients of Italian search companies.

How can a recruitment agency be registered in Italy?

Opening a recruitment company in Italy requires, first of all, selecting the structure. The limited liability company (SRL) is the most popular business structure in Italy that can be established with a minimum share capital of EUR 1, with the Italian Companies Registry. Next follows the registration of the company for the payment of taxes and social contributions. Once the tax ID and Certificate of Incorporation are issued, the agency must still obtain authorisation and entry in the national register of employment agencies kept by the Ministry of Labour (Legislative Decree No. 276/2003) before it can start; minimum paid-in capital applies (e.g., EUR 25,000 for recruitment and selection, EUR 50,000 for intermediation, EUR 600,000 for general staff-leasing agencies). This whole process can be supervised by our lawyers in Italy, so we advise you to contact us.

What activities does a recruitment company undertake in Italy?

Recruitment agencies in Italy greatly simplify the work of companies on the market. These businesses can deal with employee recruitment, evaluations, background checks of candidates, interviews, matching workers with companies looking for staff, and onboarding new employees, to name a few.

What is important to know is the fact that recruitment agencies in Italy must familiarize themselves with market trends and also know the requirements of companies that require such services. Moreover, recruiters must act professionally and present a correct image of the company where they want to place new employees.

Other aspects to consider when setting up a recruitment company in Italy

It is recommended that those who want to open a recruitment agency in Italy have a business plan and establish the niche where they want to be active. Here are other important aspects in this endeavor:

• The Employment Law in Italy must be taken into account.
• The roles and responsibilities in the firm must be mentioned in internal company policies.
• It is recommended to implement the necessary technology to be able to run a recruitment agency in Italy.

We invite you to discuss this further with our attorneys in Italy if you want to open a business in the recruitment field.

Statistical data about employment in Italy

We recommend you read some statistical data about the labor market in Italy:

• An increase of about 291,000 jobs year on year was recorded in Italy in August 2026, when employment reached 24.35 million (ISTAT).
• The unemployment rate in Italy in August 2026 was 6.2% (ISTAT, provisional).

In addition to the services for opening a recruitment agency in Italy, our attorneys can also help you in other aspects. For example, we can guide clients in buying a house in Italy. We therefore invite you to contact our law firm in Italy and find out more information about the legal services offered.