Spouses of Italian Citizens Living Abroad Should Act Before New Restrictions Are Enforced
Crucial limitations for spouses of Italian citizens may be introduced.
In the official press release of the Council of Ministers No. 121, dated March 28, 2025, significant future amendments included in a draft law (DDL) on Italian citizenship have been announced. These proposed changes may introduce, in the future, crucial limitations on the acquisition of Italian citizenship, particularly for foreign nationals married to Italian citizens.
In brief: Proposed Amendments in the Acquisition of Italian Citizenship by Marriage
The proposed amendments seek to limit the acquisition of Italian citizenship by marriage to spouses of Italian citizens who are residents within Italy, thereby excluding those living abroad from eligibility under this pathway.
Under the current legal framework, foreign spouses can apply for citizenship after three years of residence abroad, or after 18 months if children are involved.
If the spouses are resident in Italy, the foreign spouse can apply after 2 years of continuous residency in Italy, after the marriage. The term is reduced to 1 year in presence of children, also adopted.
However, the new proposal of law is aimed to revise current provisions and, if approved, will grant citizenship exclusively to spouses residing within Italy.
What should I do?
In light of these developments, all spouses of Italian citizens residing abroad who wish to apply for Italian citizenship should take action before this opportunity may be closed in the future.
Article written by Giuditta De Ricco and Irene Lauretta.
