The League political party (Lega) has introduced a legislative proposal that sets stricter requirements for obtaining and maintaining Italian citizenship
The new proposal amends two key legislative frameworks: Law No. 91/1992 on citizenship and “Testo Unico per l’Immigrazione” (Legislative Decree No. 286/1998), bringing significant changes.
Proposed requirements for access to citizenship
1. For minor foreign or stateless children of Italian Parents
- After the parents declare their intent to acquire citizenship for the minor, the required legal residence period is extended from 2 to 4 consecutive years.
2 . For foreigners born in Italy residing until adulthood (age of 18)
- The simple declaration of intent to acquire citizenship within one year of reaching adulthood is no longer sufficient.
- Must now meet new and additional requirements such as:
- Mandatory integration test verifying effective integration and knowledge of basic social and legal rules and a minimum B1 level of Italian language proficiency.
- Requirement of no criminal convictions or ongoing legal proceedings, applying also to minors (under the age of 18).
3. For adult foreign nationals:
- Legal residence periods in Italy would be increased as follows:
- From 2 to 4 years for adult applicants whose parent or grandparent was an Italian national by birth
- From 3 to 10 years for foreign nationals born in the territory of the Republic
- From 4 to 8 years for citizens of an EU member state
- From 5 to 10 years for stateless individuals
- Adults would also be required to pass an integration test and demonstrate adequate knowledge of the Italian language (minimum B1 level).
4. Additional language test requirements apply to:
- Individuals who have signed the integration agreement (Legislative Decree, 25 July 1998)
- Holders of long-term EU residence permits
Alongside these restrictive measures, the proposal includes a significant reduction in the processing time for citizenship applications, from 24 to 12 months from the date of submission (extendable up to a maximum of 24 months).
Stricter Rules on Citizenship Revocation
Citizenship could be revoked in cases of:
- Final convictions resulting in prison sentences of more than five years
- Final convictions resulting in prison sentences of more than three years for gender-based violence offenses
Important note: The timeframe for adopting citizenship revocation would also be reduced from 10 to 2 years.
Amendments to “Testo Unico per l’Immigrazione” (Legislative Decree No. 286/1998)
- Tighter rules on family reunification, excluding individuals deemed not to have contributed to “the progress of the national community.” This specifically applies to dependent parents and parents over 65, who currently may reunite if they have no other children in their country of origin, or if their other children are unable to provide support.
- Tripling of the minimum income required for family reunification requests.
- Mandatory health insurance extended to all cases of family reunification too.
- Introduction of specific measures targeting second-generation youth, aimed at strengthening control over minor criminal activities.
Please note: This is only a legislative proposal, not a law currently in force. No changes have been approved or are operational at this time.
For updates, check our website regularly and feel free to contact our Citizenship Team for more information.
This article was written by Giuditta De Ricco, Francesca Falchi and Ginevra Gaggelli.
