How to Apply for Italian Citizenship

Foreign citizens who want to immigrate to Italy have various options. While some of them will find it easier to obtain a job and thus secure an employment contract which grants them the right to Italian residency, others will relocate to Italy as entrepreneurs.

 There are several ways in which Italian citizenship can be acquired. No matter the way in which a foreigner decides to immigrate, after a specific period of time they can apply for Italian citizenship if they want to. These ways are explained below by our Italian lawyers.

We can also help with the procedure of applying for Italian citizenship once you decide to start the procedure.

The main ways in which a foreigner can apply for Italian citizenship

It should be noted from the beginning that the acquisition of Italian citizenship is governed by Law No. 91/1992 and its ulterior amendments and falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Italy.

The ways in which a foreigner can apply for Italian citizenship are:

• by right;
• by marrying an Italian citizen;
• by residency or naturalization

Each way of obtaining citizenship in Italy falls under specific terms. Our lawyers who specialize in immigration in Italy can assist foreign citizens who want to apply for Italian citizenship under one of the ways mentioned above.

Acquiring Italian citizenship by right

In order to be automatically granted Italian citizenship, a foreigner must:

• have one or both parents born in Italy – even if the applicant has lived abroad, the ius sanguinis principle applies;
• the foreign citizen can also have other ancestors who have been Italian citizens, however, Italian descendence must be proved;
• citizens who come from foreign parents but were born on Italian soil can apply for Italian citizenship;
• minor children who were adopted by Italian parents can also acquire Italian citizenship;
• minors can also acquire Italian citizenship if a court of law has issued a ruling in this sense.

The children of foreign citizens who have acquired Italian citizenship also have the right to apply themselves for Italian citizenship.

Our lawyers can offer more information on the right of applying for Italian citizenship by right or by descent. Considering the legal requirements and the conditions imposed under such circumstances, it is best to request expat support when applying for Italian citizenship.

How to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage

Another way of applying for Italian citizenship is by marrying an Italian citizen. In order to apply for Italian citizenship after marrying a citizen of Italy, the foreign spouse must meet the following requirements:

• he or she must live for at least 2 years before applying for citizenship if the marriage was registered in Italy;
• if the marriage was registered abroad, the foreign citizen must live in Italy for 3 years;
• the Italian spouse must be registered with the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country the marriage was registered, in the case of those getting married abroad.

Our immigration lawyers can offer more information on how to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage.

Applying for citizenship in Italy by naturalization

The most common way of applying for citizenship in Italy is by first obtaining a residence permit and living in Italy for the period of time requested by the law. This way, one can apply for Italian citizenship by naturalization.

Italian citizenship by naturalization is granted to foreigners under the following conditions:

• for EU citizens the minimum residence period is 4 years;
• for non-EU citizens the minimum residence period is 10 years;
• for citizens who have lived in Italy for at least 3 years and have at least one Italian parent;
• major persons who were adopted by Italian parents must have lived in Italy for at least 5 years;
• stateless persons and refugees must legally live in Italy for 5 years before applying for citizenship.

If you want to immigrate in Italy and apply for Italian citizenship, our lawyers can help you.

Documents needed to apply for Italian citizenship

It must be noted that the documents needed to apply for Italian citizenship depend mainly on the way the applicant applies under. The following documents are necessary regardless of the way in which Italian citizenship is sought:

1. the birth certificate which needs to be translated into Italian and certified before being filed;
2. the passport in the case of non-EU citizens or ID in the case of citizens of EU countries;
3. the police certificate or criminal record which must indicate the applicant has not committed any crime;
4. proof of residency must also be submitted when applying for citizenship in Italy;
5. the application form which needs to be filled out and submitted electronically with the immigration authorities.

We can also assist with applying for Italy citizenship by investment.

If you need help in applying for Italian citizenship, please contact our immigration lawyers who can help you prepare the documents which need to be presented with the authorities.