Italy Citizenship Requirements

Ordinary non-EU residence period

The ordinary non-EU route requires at least ten years of legal residence in Italy. Citizenship may be granted by presidential decree on the Interior Minister's proposal; completing the period is not approval.

Shorter statutory cohorts

EU citizens have a four-year legal-residence period; stateless applicants have five years. Other family, Italian-birth, adoption and state-service cohorts have separate conditions and must not be generalised to everyone.

Lawful and continuous residence

Legal residence requires compliance with entry, stay and population-registration rules. The Prefecture's ordinary-route guidance requires continuous legal residence. This is not simply a total of days physically spent in Italy.

Italian language and accepted proof

Article 9 naturalisation normally requires Italian at least CEFR B1, shown by a recognised educational qualification or language certification. Integration-agreement signatories and holders of the specified EU long-term residence permit have statutory proof exemptions.

Severe language-learning limitations

Judgment 25/2025 requires exemption from language proof for severe learning limitations resulting from age, illness or disability, certified by a public health facility. Age alone is not the stated exemption.

Income and documentary checks

The residence application requires birth, criminal-record, identity and residence-status evidence, subject to documented exceptions. Milan's guidance also requires qualifying income over the previous three years and permits specified family income to contribute.

Multiple nationality and separate descent rules

Italian law permits multiple citizenship, subject to applicable international agreements and the other country's law. The 2025 restrictions on automatic acquisition for people born abroad with another nationality are separate from this ordinary naturalisation route.

Grant must be completed

The grant normally takes effect only if the applicant swears loyalty and compliance with the Constitution and laws within six months of notification. A serious, established disability preventing the oath is exempted by constitutional judgment.