Nominations for the 2027 “Star of Merit for Labour” (*Stella al Merito del Lavoro*) may now be submitted; they must reach the Embassy of Italy in Tallinn no later than Monday, December 7, 2026.
In this regard, the following guidelines are provided:
a) the decoration in question is reserved for employees of public or private companies (Art. 1 of Law no. 143 of February 5, 1992);
b) the minimum age for candidates is 50 years, completed by the date the proposal is formally submitted (Art. 3);
c) the decoration is awarded to workers who have been employed continuously for a minimum of 25 documentable years by one or more Italian or foreign companies, provided that the transition from one company to another was not due to personal misconduct or poor performance (Art. 4);
d) in addition to cases where the honor is awarded posthumously (Art. 2), the aforementioned length-of-service requirement may be waived for Italian workers abroad who have demonstrated exemplary patriotism, industriousness, and integrity (Art. 5), as attested by the Head of the Diplomatic Mission;
e) given the quota allocated to workers who began their careers at the lowest contractual levels, it must be explicitly stated whether or not the candidate meets this criterion.
Applications for the award of the decoration for the year 2027 must be accompanied by the following documentation (a single original copy):
- A CV signed by the candidate, containing information that highlights or confirms the merits acquired by the candidate in their professional life, civic life, and—if applicable—military service;
- A certificate of service issued by the employer attesting not only to the length of service for each employment relationship considered but also to the candidate’s exemplary conduct in the workplace, diligence, and integrity;
- A self-declaration regarding birth and citizenship (pursuant to Art. 46 of Presidential Decree no. 445 of December 28, 2000);
- A general criminal record certificate (*Certificato generale del Casellario Giudiziale*), issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office with jurisdiction over the candidate’s municipality of birth. Candidates born abroad must apply to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rome
All documents must be recently issued—specifically, within the fourth quarter of the current year (i.e., dated after October 1, 2026). In the case of nominations previously submitted in earlier years, the documentation must be provided again in full.
It is recommended that the nomination not be submitted by the candidate themselves or by a relative, but rather by individuals with direct knowledge of the merits the candidate has demonstrated in the workplace; the nomination should be addressed to the Embassy of Italy in Tallinn (Vene, 2 – 15075 Tallinn, Estonia).
Please also note that at least 50% of the “Star of Merit for Labour” (*Stella al Merito del Lavoro*) awards available to Italian workers abroad must be allocated to individuals who began their careers at the lowest contractual levels.
You are also invited to watch the video produced by the Directorate General for Services to Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies, available at the following link: Stelle al Merito del Lavoro
