Italian citizenship by residence
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A foreign national legally resident in Italy may apply for the grant of Italian citizenship where the requirements laid down in art. 9 of Law 91/1992 are met. For descendants of Italian citizens by birth, the required period of residence is now two years.
Minimum period of legal residence
| Category | Legal residence in Italy |
|---|---|
| Direct-line descendants of Italian citizens by birth, up to the second degree | 2 years |
| Persons born in Italy | 3 years |
| Citizens of European Union Member States | 4 years |
| Stateless persons and refugees | 5 years |
| Adults adopted by an Italian citizen | 5 years following the adoption |
| Other foreign nationals | 10 years |
Further requirements
- Legal and continuous residence, with registration in the register of the resident population.
- Sufficient income during the reference period, according to the parameters set by the Ministry of the Interior.
- Knowledge of the Italian language at no lower than B1 level, certified by a recognised certifying body.
- Absence of the grounds for refusal provided for by law.
Procedure
- The application is submitted online via the Ministry of the Interior portal and examined by the competent Prefecture.
- The procedure must be concluded within 24 months, extendable to 36 months (art. 9-ter Law 91/1992).
- The 250 € fee provided for by art. 9-bis of Law 91/1992 is payable.
The June 2025 referendum
The abrogative referendum of 8 and 9 June 2025, which sought to reduce the period of residence required of foreign nationals from ten to five years, did not reach the validity quorum: the ten-year requirement remains unchanged.
Services provided by the Firm
The Firm verifies that the requirements are met, obtains the documentation from the State of origin bearing an apostille and translation, prepares and submits the application and follows the procedure before the Prefecture through to the oath. A detailed, no-obligation quote is provided on request.
Ways to Italian citizenship
Sources: Law 91/1992, arts. 9, 9.1, 9-bis, 9-ter (current text, art. 9(a) as amended by Law 74/2025) · Legislative Decree 251/2007, art. 16 · Ministry of the Interior, ALI Cittadinanza portal. Information only, updated September 2026.