Can I work in Italy on an Elective Residence Visa?

This visa is designed for financially independent people who want to live in Italy without working there. Employment of any kind is expressly forbidden, and this includes remote work for a foreign employer as well as self-employment, because even remote earnings are treated as active income.

You are expected to support yourself entirely from passive sources such as pensions, dividends, rental income, or other investments. If your plan involves continuing to work in any capacity, the Elective Residence Visa is not the right route, and a work-based or digital nomad visa would be more appropriate.