Vigili del Fuoco

Overview

The Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco, Italy's national fire and rescue service, recruits through separate public competitions (concorsi), each with its own announcement (bando). Its concorsi page lists the entry-level competitions for vigile del fuoco (firefighter) and competitions for other roles, such as vice direttore (management roles) and ispettore (inspector roles), each opened and closed on its own dates.

This page describes the 2026 competition for 400 posts as vigile del fuoco, run by the Department of the Fire Service, Public Rescue and Civil Defence under the Ministry of the Interior. Earlier rounds (for example 350 posts in 2024) followed their own bandi, so check the current one before you apply.

Who can apply

The 2026 bando requires:

• Italian citizenship and enjoyment of political rights.

• Not having turned 26 by the application deadline. The limit is raised by the length of military service actually performed, up to a maximum of 3 years. For volunteer members of the Corps registered for at least one year, the limit is 37.

• An upper-secondary diploma, which may be obtained before the date of the preselection test.

• The physical, mental and aptitude requirements set by the Interior Ministry decree of 4 November 2019, n. 166.

• Good moral conduct. People expelled from the armed forces, dismissed from public office, or finally convicted of an intentional crime are excluded.

Some posts are reserved: 45% for volunteers in prefixed-term military service (under 25, with at least twelve months served), 35% for volunteer firefighters of the Corps (registered for at least three years with at least 120 days of service), and 15% for operatori volontari who completed universal civil service without demerit. Unfilled reserved posts go to other eligible candidates.

Exam pattern

The preselection covers Italian history from 1861 to today, basic chemistry and physics, logical and analytical reasoning, and computer and English knowledge. It is machine-marked, and a number of candidates equal to ten times the posts, plus anyone tied with the last one, go through to the motor-aptitude tests.

The motor-aptitude tests measure strength, endurance, balance, coordination, motor reaction, water skills and aptitude for firefighting work. Details of the modules are in the bando's Annex A. Candidates must bring a medical certificate for competitive sport, issued no more than 45 days before the test.

Marking and results

A test is passed with at least 21 out of 30; where a test has modules, each module needs at least 21 and the test score is their average. The merit ranking adds the three test scores and the title points. Ties are settled by the legal preference titles and, after that, by the younger age. Psycho-physical and aptitude fitness is checked for those placed in the final ranking, and a judgement of unfitness excludes the candidate.

Important dates

For the 2026 competition, the bando was published on the inPA portal on 2 July 2026 and applications ran from 3 July to 3 August 2026. The preselection timetable was published on the Vigili del Fuoco site on 28 September 2026.

How to apply

Applications are online only, through the Vigili del Fuoco competitions portal, signing in with SPID or an electronic identity card (CIE). You declare personal data, an email address and a certified email address (PEC), your qualifications, any reserve and any titles. If you submit more than once, only the last application sent before the deadline counts. Paper applications are not accepted.

Preparation tips

Because two stages are physical, start training for strength, endurance and swimming early, and get the sports medical certificate in time. For the preselection, practise the four subject areas listed above.