Italian Citizenship By Marriage or Residency

This page provides information on Italian citizenship by marriage and by residency.

Italian Citizenship by Marriage

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

People who are married, or joined in a civil union, to an Italian citizen are entitled to acquire citizenship (cittadinanza per matrimonio). The qualification requirements vary whether the applicant is resident 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 of an Italian citizen has been legally residing in Italy

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 residing abroad

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. Sean can 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.

Required Documents for Italian Citizenship by Marriage or Civil Union

Italian Language Certificates:

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 who have an EU long-term residence permit valid for Italy, those who comply with the Integration Agreement provisions and those who own a qualification issued by Italian public schools or state-recognised private ones are exempt from this requirement. In accordance with Constitutional Court Judgement 25/2025, other exemptions may apply to individuals with proven disabilities that hinder their ability to learn the Italian language.

Criminal record background check certificate(s):

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 must not divorce or legally separate until the Italian citizenship is granted.

Marriage should be duly registered in the competent Town Hall if celebrated abroad.

Note: Additional documents may be required if there are any discrepancies among the gathered documents.

Italian Citizenship By Residency

Who is Eligible for Italian Citizenship through Naturalization by Residency?

People who have legally resided in Italy for a certain number of years (this vary from case to case) may be able to acquire citizenship, depending on their birthplace, on the citizenship of their parents or grandparents, their nationality, and the length of time they have legally resided in Italy. Normally, naturalization applications for non-EU citizens can be filed after ten years of legal residency in Italy, provided that the applicant has remained compliant with immigration and Italian taxation throughout this period. The general requirements are outlined below.

Reduced Residency Requirements for Italian Citizenship by Naturalization

Applications for naturalization can be filed after ten years of legal residence in Italy, which can be reduced to:

• 2 years who have parents or grandparents that were Italian citizens at birth
  Example: Ettore’s grandfather was an Italian citizen at birth. Ettore has now been living in Pisa, Italy for 2 years. Ettore can apply for Italian citizenship to the competent authorities after completing 2 years of uniterrupted registered residence.
• 3 years of legal residence, for those who were born in Italy
  Example: Elisa was born to foreign parents in Italy but moved abroad while still a minor. At the age of 20, she decides to move back to Italy. In this case, she may be eligible to apply for Italian citizenship after three years of continuous legal residence in Italy.
• 4 years of legal residence for EU citizens
  Example: Isabelle is a Belgian citizen and has been living in Florence, Italy for four and a half years. Isabelle can apply for Italian citizenship after completing 4 years of continuos registered residence.
• 5  years of legal residence are required for stateless persons, refugees, adult foreigners adopted by Italian citizens, and for children of individuals who have acquired Italian citizenship through naturalization.
• After 5 years of service to the Italian State, even if performed abroad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Assistance for Italian Citizenship by Marriage (or Civil Union) and by Residency

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 begins with an initial assessment to determine your eligibility for Italian citizenship. Once eligibility is confirmed, we will provide you with a complete list of required documents, along with clear instructions on how to obtain them. After all necessary documentation has been gathered, we will handle the compilation and submission phase of your application. Our assistance continues through to the final adjudication of your application.