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Citizenship by Marriage and Civil Union

Many foreign spouses or civil partners of Italian citizens — whether residing in Italy or abroad — seek to obtain Italian citizenship as part of consolidating their family and legal ties with Italy. The acquisition of citizenship through marriage or civil union is regulated by Articles 5 to 8 of Law No. 91 of 5 February 1992, as amended, and represents one of the main administrative routes to Italian nationality. This form of acquisition is not automatic: it requires the submission of an application and the fulfilment of specific statutory requirements relating to the duration and validity of the marriage or civil union, residence or time elapsed since the marriage, language proficiency, good conduct, and the absence of security impediments. Citizenship is granted by decree of the Italian State, following verification by the competent authorities — either the Prefecture in Italy or the Italian Consulate abroad.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, the following requirements must be satisfied:

  • Length of Marriage/Civil Union: If residing in Italy, at least 2 years of legal residence after the marriage or civil union (or from the date the Italian spouse acquired citizenship by naturalisation). If residing abroad, at least 3 years since the marriage/civil union (or since the Italian spouse’s naturalisation). These periods are halved (1 year in Italy or 1.5 years abroad) if the couple has children (born or adopted)
  • Valid Marriage/Civil Union: The marriage or same-sex civil union must be legally valid under Italian law and registered (transcribed) with the Italian authorities. The marital bond must still be in place up to the issuance of the citizenship decree, meaning no separation, divorce, or annulment can occur before the citizenship is granted
  • Criminal Record: The applicant must have no serious criminal convictions. In particular, there must be no convictions for offences carrying a maximum penalty of 3 or more years in prison, and no convictions by a foreign court to a term of over 1 year for non-political crimes (if the foreign judgment was recognized in Italy)
  • Crimes against the State: The applicant must not have any prior convictions for offences under Book II, Title I, Chapters I–III of the Italian Penal Code, i.e. crimes against the personality of the State (such as terrorism, subversion, treason)
  • Security of the Republic: There must be no security impediments – applications can be refused for reasons related to the national security or public order of the Italian Republic
  • Italian Language Proficiency: For applications submitted on or after 4 December 2018, the applicant must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the Italian language at a level not lower than B1 of the Common European Framework (CEFR) This requires an official language certificate or equivalent qualification (details below).

Italian Language Requirement and Exemptions

Current law requires a B1-level Italian language certification (or higher) for the spouse applying for citizenship. Acceptable proof of language proficiency includes either:

  • a certificate from an approved language assessment entity, or
  • an educational diploma/degree from an Italian public or equivalent accredited school.

Recognised Language Certificates (B1 level or above): Only certificates issued by the following institutions are accepted:

  • University for Foreigners of Siena – Certificate CILS
  • University for Foreigners of Perugia – Certificate CELI
  • University of Roma Tre – Certificate IT
  • University for Foreigners “Dante Alighieri” of Reggio Calabria – Certificate Ce.Co.L.
  • Società Dante Alighieri – Certificate PLIDA

Exemptions: The following categories of applicants are exempt from the Italian language test/certificate requirement:

  1. Integration Agreement Signatories: Foreign nationals (including those residing abroad) who have already signed an Integration Agreement in Italy pursuant to Article 4-bis of Immigration Law (D.Lgs. 286/1998). Signing this agreement implies commitment to integration, including language training, so a separate B1 certificate is not required.
  2. EU Long-Term Residents: Holders of an EU long-term residence permit (permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo, art. 9 of D.Lgs. 286/1998) are exempt. Such permit holders have already met integration criteria, including language basics, to obtain that status.
  3. Italian Academic Qualification: Those who obtained a diploma or degree from an Italian public educational institution (or private institution recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) are exempt from providing a language certificate. Their studies in Italy serve as proof of language proficiency.
  4. Severe Disabilities (Language Learning): Applicants who have serious limitations in language learning ability due to age, illness, or disability (certified by a public health authority) are exempt from the B1 requirement. This exemption was established following Constitutional Court ruling no. 25/2025, which deemed it unconstitutional to require a language test in cases of profound, certified inability to learn a language. (For example, an elderly or disabled spouse with documented cognitive impairments can be granted citizenship without a B1 certificate.)

Application Procedure

Method of Application: All citizenship-by-marriage applications must be submitted online through the Italian Ministry of the Interior’s dedicated portal. Applicants need to register on the portal (using SPID credentials for identity verification) and then fill out the electronic application form.

  • Applicants Residing in Italy: Even if residing in Italy, applications are filed online. The local Prefettura (Prefecture) will handle the processing.
  • Applicants Residing Abroad: When applying from abroad, the online portal will guide the applicant to select the correct Italian diplomatic-consular representation (Embassy/Consulate) for their country and area of residence. After selecting the country, a drop-down menu will list all Italian consular offices in that territory; the applicant should choose the competent Consulate/Embassy for their place of residence. This designated consular office will receive and process the application in coordination with the Italian authorities.

Filling Out the Application: The applicant must complete all required fields in the online form and upload digital copies of the necessary documents (see next section). It is important to enter data carefully (dates of residence, marriage registration details, etc.) and pay the application fee before submission, as the payment receipt must be attached. The portal allows saving a draft and reviewing entries before final submission.

Required Documents (to Upload)

When submitting the online application, the following mandatory documents must be scanned (in PDF format, black-and-white, each file max 4 MB) and uploaded Originals will be requested later (see next section):

  1. Birth Certificate: An official birth certificate from the country of birth, containing full name, date and place of birth, and parentage. This must be legalised or carry an Apostille and accompanied by an official translation into Italian, as per current regulations. (If it is absolutely impossible to obtain a birth certificate, the applicant’s country’s Italian consulate may issue a statement attesting to the person’s birth details and parentage, to be used in place of the certificate.)
  2. Criminal Record Certificates: Police clearance / criminal record certificates from the country of origin and from any other countries where the applicant has resided or holds citizenship. These certificates must also be legalised/apostilled and translated into Italian per the legal requirements. (They serve to prove the absence of disqualifying criminal convictions.)
  3. Application Fee Receipt: Proof of payment of the €250 processing fee. The current fee (set by law) is €250 and must be paid via the methods indicated by the Ministry of the Interior (typically a postal money order or electronic payment to the Ministry’s account). The receipt of this payment should be scanned and uploaded.
  4. Identity Document: A copy of a valid ID – usually the passport (photo page + personal data and issue/expiry date). An EU national can use a valid national ID card. Ensure the scan includes the key identification pages.
  5. Italian Language Certificate or Diploma: Proof of Italian language knowledge at B1 level or above. This can be either a language certificate from one of the approved institutions (CILS, CELI, Cert.it, PLIDA, etc. – see list above), or an academic diploma from an Italian public or equivalent school (which demonstrates language proficiency). (Those exempted from this requirement, as listed in the previous section, do not need to upload a language certificate, but they may need to upload proof of exemption, such as a copy of their Italian diploma or long-term permit.)

Important: Before starting the online application, purchase a €16 revenue stamp (“marca da bollo”). The portal will ask for the serial number of this stamp as part of the application process. This is an administrative tax for the application.

Additionally, during the online form completion, the applicant will need to provide detailed information including: past residences in Italy (historical addresses and dates), date of first entry into Italy (if applicable) and any departures/returns, family composition (spouse’s details, children, etc.), the date and city of marriage registration in Italy, the date the Italian spouse acquired citizenship (if by naturalisation), and the applicant’s legal status in Italy (permits held). It is advised to gather these details in advance (e.g. obtain residence history from Italian municipalities, if needed).

All uploaded foreign documents (birth, criminal records) must be legally valid for use in Italy. Generally this means: legalisation or Apostille by the issuing country’s authorities, and an official translation into Italian. Translations can be done by the Italian consulate or a certified translator and may need to be authenticated by the local Italian Consulate or an Italian Prefecture. (Documents issued by EU member states may be exempt from legalisation according to EU Regulation 2016/1191, if issued to an EU citizen for use in their home country.)

If the applicant is a refugee or stateless person unable to obtain certain documents, Italian law allows alternatives (e.g. a notarised affidavit in lieu of a birth certificate, and a self-declaration of one’s criminal status in lieu of a police record). These cases should be discussed with the authorities.

After Submission: Consular Appointment and Verification

Once the online application is submitted, it is transmitted to the competent Prefecture or Consulate based on the applicant’s residence. The applicant will then be summoned by the Italian authority handling the application (in Italy, by the Prefecture; abroad, by the Consulate/Embassy).

At the appointment for the application:

  • The applicant will need to personally appear for identification (presenting the original passport or ID for verification).
  • They must bring all the original documents that were uploaded online, for the consular or prefecture officer to inspect and officially acquire into the case file.
  • The office may also request additional documentation if needed for the evaluation of the case. (For instance, if some information needs clarification or an updated document is required, the Ministry of Interior can invoke art.4 comma 5 of DPR 572/1993 to ask for further proof.)

Regarding marriage/civil union documentation: If the applicant’s spouse is an Italian citizen of the EU (or the applicant themselves is an EU citizen), certain Italian documents do not need to be provided as certificates. Specifically, the marriage certificate extract, family status certificate, and the Italian spouse’s citizenship certificate can be replaced by a self-declaration by the applicant, under Presidential Decree 445/2000 (as modified by Law 183/2011). Essentially, EU citizens can self-certify these facts.

For non-EU applicants: the Consulate may waive the requirement to submit the Italian marriage/civil union certificate, family status, and spouse’s citizenship certificate if the Consulate already has those documents on file or can access them (for example, if the marriage was celebrated at that consulate or they have previously verified the spouse’s status). Otherwise, the applicant might be asked to provide them or the consulate will obtain them internally.

Decision, Processing Time, and Authorities Involved

Processing Time: By current law, the maximum time for the authorities to conclude a citizenship application by marriage is 24 months from the application date, extendable up to 36 months in special cases. This timeline was established by a 2020 amendment (Decree Law 130/2020, converted by Law 173/2020). (Applications submitted before 20 December 2020 were subject to an older maximum timeframe of 48 months.) In practice, 36 months (3 years) is generally the upper limit for processing a citizenship-by-marriage application in 2025. During this period, the application goes through various stages of review by the Prefecture, Police, Ministry of Interior, and security agencies as needed.

Authorities Responsible for Granting Citizenship: The final decision is issued as a decree of citizenship. Since 1 June 2012, authority for signing the citizenship decree has been delegated depending on where the applicant resides:

  • For applications by foreigners residing in Italy, the Prefect of the province of residence signs the citizenship concession decree.
  • For applicants residing abroad, the decree is signed by the Head of the Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration (at the Ministry of the Interior in Rome). The decree will then be forwarded to the relevant consulate for notification.
  • In cases where there are security concerns or other extraordinary circumstances, the power to grant or deny resides with the Minister of the Interior personally (such cases are uncommon and usually involve higher-level national security evaluations).

Once the decree is issued, the applicant will be notified (through the Prefecture or Consulate). The oath of allegiance to the Italian Republic must then be taken within 6 months of notification, as required by law, in order to finalize the acquisition of citizenship. After taking the oath, the citizenship is effective from that date.

Additional Notes

  • No Automatic Right: It’s important to note that meeting the minimum requirements does not confer an automatic right to citizenship, but rather the right to apply. The government can deny the application for reasons such as security concerns or serious criminal issues, even if formal criteria are met, as long as a valid motivation is given (per articles 6 and 8 of Law 91/92).
  • Revocation for Terrorism: Recent amendments have introduced that if a person acquires Italian citizenship by marriage (or naturalisation) and later is convicted of certain terrorism or subversion crimes, their Italian citizenship can be revoked by the government. This provision, introduced in 2018, aims to protect state security.
  • Stay Informed: Applicants are advised to consult the official website of the competent Italian Embassy/Consulate for any local instructions or updates about the process. Procedures can vary slightly by country (especially regarding how to obtain an Italian translation or legalisation of documents). The Interior Ministry’s portal may also provide updated guidelines and an FAQ.
  • Tracking the Application: After applying, you can track the status of your application online. The new CIVES portal (since 2021) allows status checks using your login (SPID) and the application code (K10/K10C). Stages of processing (1 through 7) will be updated as your application moves forward. Ultimately, you will be contacted when the decision is ready or if any further documentation is required.

By fulfilling the above requirements and following the prescribed procedure, a foreign spouse may obtain Italian citizenship, thereby acquiring the same rights and duties as any other Italian citizen. Citizenship acquired through marriage represents an important legal and personal milestone: it acknowledges the formation of a stable family bond with an Italian citizen and symbolises full integration into the Italian community. However, both the collection and correct preparation of the required documents and the submission of the application can be complex. The online application portal managed by the Ministry of the Interior is entirely in Italian, and its interface can be challenging to navigate without expert assistance. Errors or omissions in uploading documents, translations, or legalisations often cause significant delays or even rejection of the application. If you are planning to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage or civil union and have doubts about the procedure, contact us. We will be pleased to assist you throughout the process — from the preliminary verification of eligibility and document preparation to the correct submission of the application — ensuring full compliance with legal requirements and minimising the risk of procedural errors.