Any woman who married an Italian man up until April 27, 1983 obtained Italian citizenship in an automatic and immediate manner from the date of the marriage (Law 155/1912 art. 10 par. 2).
The above rule was based on the principle that woman’s status followed her husband’s status. Therefore, women had to share the same citizenship as the one of their spouse.
On 27 April 1983 (Law no. 123) the automatic extension of Italian citizenship through marriage was no longer allowed. From that date, foreign women and foreign men are treated equally when marrying their Italian spouses and they do not receive automatic and immediate Italian citizenship.
If you are a woman and you married your Italian husband before 1983, technically you are already an Italian citizen and your application to be recognized Italian follows a simplified and fast track procedure.
Unlike “standard applications through marriage” (couples married after April 27, 1983), women are not required to pass an Italian language test and the application shall be processed within a few months (instead of 4 years).
You can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage even if your husband is deceased or if you are divorced, as long as the marriage was still valid as of April 26, 1983.
Applications by marriage can either be filed at the Italian Consulate or in Italy, provided that the applicant takes residency in Italy.
The relevant Italian authorities will simply verify if the requirements are met and will grant Italian citizenship retroactively.
Contact us if you need any assistance in the preparation of the applications and supporting documents.
Attorney at law since 2006, specialized in real estate law, inheritance, citizenship and corporate law.
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