Italian citizenship

Italian citizenship: what it is

Citizenship is the State’s recognition of a citizen’s civil and political rights. Here are the main ways to obtain Italian citizenship.

By marriage or civil union

The foreign spouse (or civil partner) of an Italian citizen can apply for citizenship to the Prefect of their place of residence in Italy or to the competent Italian consulate. The application is submitted online on the Ministry of the Interior website, with a fee of 250 euros paid by a dedicated postal payment slip.

Main requirements:

• 2 years of legal residence in Italy from the date of marriage, or 3 years if living abroad (periods halved if the spouses have children born or adopted);
• no dissolution, annulment or legal separation at the time of the decree granting citizenship;
• no relevant criminal record and no grounds related to the security of the Republic preventing it;
• knowledge of Italian at least at level B1 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).

By residence

Foreign nationals can apply after a period of legal residence in Italy: 4 years for EU citizens, 5 years for refugees and stateless persons and 10 years for non-EU citizens (with reductions for some categories provided by law). Here too the application is submitted online on the Ministry of the Interior website, with a payment of 250 euros.

Citizenship is granted after an assessment of:

• economic self-sufficiency;
• compliance with tax obligations;
• no criminal record;
• level of social and cultural integration in Italy;
• knowledge of Italian, at least at level B1.

By law, applications based on marriage and residence must be decided within a deadline that is currently about three years from submission, but in practice waiting times may vary.

By service for the Italian State

Foreign nationals who have worked for at least 5 years for the Italian State, including abroad, can apply for citizenship. In this case residence in Italy is not required. The application is submitted online only, with the 250-euro fee.

By descent (iure sanguinis)

People born abroad who descend from an Italian citizen can request recognition of citizenship by descent. The 2025 reform (Law 74/2025) limited automatic transmission by descent: today you are a citizen by descent if at least one parent or grandparent is or was an Italian citizen and did not lose citizenship, with some exceptions, while more distant descendants qualify only in special cases. The rules are recent and still evolving: check with our advisers whether you meet the requirements.

The application is submitted to the Italian consulate in your country of residence or, in Italy, to the Municipality (Comune) where you live. In Italy you must also:

• declare your presence to the Questura (police immigration office) within 8 days of entry (for regular stays of up to 3 months);
• apply for residence at the Comune, attaching the documents for recognition of citizenship;
• apply for a residence permit pending citizenship (permesso di soggiorno per attesa cittadinanza), to stay in Italy beyond 3 months until the outcome of the application.

You must prove your descent from the Italian ancestor and the uninterrupted transmission of citizenship down to the applicant.

By birth in Italy

People born in Italy to foreign parents who have lived there legally and without interruption until the age of 18 can become Italian citizens by submitting a declaration to their Comune of residence within one year of coming of age.

The rules on citizenship have recently changed and may change again. Fees, requirements and timeframes should always be checked with our advisers before applying.