Italian Citizenship By Marriage or Civil Union

Do you think you may qualify for Italian citizenship by Marriage/Civil union? Contact us for an initial assessment by filling out the contact form.

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Who is Eligible for Italian citizenship by Marriage/Civil Union?

People who are married, or join in a civil union, to an Italian are entitled to acquire citizenship (cittadinanza per matrimonio). The qualification requirements vary whether the applicant is domiciled in Italy or abroad and whether the couple has children.

Italian citizenship can be acquired by marriage or civil union (cittadinanza per matrimonio) under the following conditions:


The spouse or partner in a civil union of an Italian citizen who has registered residenza for at least 2 years and holding a valid permesso di soggiorno, can apply for Italian citizenship after 2 years from the date of marriage or civil union, which is reduced to 1 year if the couple has children, also adopted, according to Italian law.

Example 1. George (U.S. citizen) entered into a civil union with Claudio (Italian citizen) in January 2014 and they are legally residing in Italy since then.George can apply for Italian citizenship in January 2016.

Example 2. Marco (Italian citizen) married Mary (Australian citizen) in January 2014 and they are legally residing in Italy since then. They had a child in December 2014, born in Italy. Mary can therefore apply for Italian citizenship in January 2015.

The spouse of an Italian citizen who resides abroad can apply for Italian citizenship after 3 years from the date of marriage or civil union, reduced to 18 months if the couple has children according to Italian law.

Example 1. Sean (Australian citizen) married Giovanna (Italian citizen) in July 2014. They are legally residing abroad and they have a child born on January 2015.Seancan apply for Italian citizenship in January 2016.

Example 2. Ken (New Zealand citizen) entered into a civil union with Claudio (Italian citizen) in July 2014. They are legally residing abroad. Ken can apply for Italian citizenship in July 2017.

Documents Needed for Italian Citizenship By Marriage/Civil Union

Language Test Certificates:

For the acquisition of Italian citizenship by marriage/civil union, an adequate knowledge of the Italian language is required. The law requires knowledge of Italian to at least B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Those (i) who have a long-term EU residence permit (ii) who are already living in Italy and comply with the Integration Agreement provisions or (iii) who have a qualification from an Italian state school or state-recognized private school are exempt from this requirement.

Criminal record background check certificates:

the applicant must submit a criminal record background check certificates (not older than 6 months) issued by the country of origin and by any other countries where she/he resided since the age of 14 years old.

Marriage certificate:

Citizenship by marriage/civil union can only be applied if the couple is still married or joint in a civil union and the bond is still in effect at the time of adjudication.

Our Assistance for Italian Citizenship by Marriage or Civil Union

We provide advice and legal assistance for foreigners who may be entitled and would like to obtain Italian citizenship by Marriage or Civil Union.

Our service starts with an initial assessment to check your eligibility for Italian citizenship. Once we confirm you are eligible, we can assist you with document procurement, translation, and legalization of necessary documents for citizenship applications. After obtaining all documentation, we will process and complete the citizenship application. We also assist with the preparation of applications to be submitted to the town hall of residence in Italy.

Our service includes:
  • Legal advice on citizenship compliance
  • Advise of documents to submit and drafting documents
  • Preparation and submission of citizenship application
Extra Services:
  • Document translation and Attestation
  • Legalization and Apostille

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility and Requirements

YES

Cohabitation of spouses is mandatory. Different residence addresses are allowed only in few cases (i.e. health, job, family reasons etc).

No

A certain number of years of marriage is mandatory to apply. The length can vary depending on the spouse’s residency and if they have children.

YES

If a person obtains Italian citizenship by bloodline, he/she is recognized as Italian since his/her birth. In this way, the spouse can apply for citizenship through marriage.

YES

Adopted children should be registered by the Italian authorities, as well as the adoption process.

YES

Applicants should produce criminal records for all countries of past and present residency, in order to prove no criminal charges.

Application process & timeframe

YES

Italian authorities have up to 4 years from online application submission.

YES

There is no way to expedite. It is advisable to prepare all documents in order to avoid possible delays during the process.

YES

Change of residency is allowed after the issuance of the K/10C file number, however transfer the application to another Consulate could lead to delays.

YES

The initial application will be filed online and it will be handled by the relevant Italian Consulate linked to the applicant’s residency.

YES

During the process the applicant should attend an appointment at the local Italian authorities and submit all original certificates. Usually also the Italian spouse should attend.

Registrations

YES

AIRE is the register of Italian citizens living abroad. Every Italian citizen residing out of Italy should register themselves with the AIRE registry at the local Italian Consulate.

YES

Each town hall has a Vital record register for same-sex civil unions. If you reside abroad, registration should be done through the AIRE office.

Documentations

YES

Applicants should submit all original certificates during the appointment at the Consulate.

NO

All documents should be uploaded at the moment of the online application, otherwise the request could be rejected.

YES

You can attend a language school in Italy or abroad, however, it should be an official Institute listed by the Italian Ministry for citizenship applications.

YES

Scanned copies of all documents should be uploaded during the online application, otherwise the request could be rejected.

NO

Citizenship for a same-sex civil union follow the same process of the citizenship by marriage for heterosexual couples. The list of documents is the same.

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