Citizenship Services

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Citizenship Services

2Italy is commited to assist you and your family in realizing your dream to become an Italian Citizen and have all the benefits and rights that comes with it. Italy is a beautiful country – but we know that the Italian bureaucracy is not easy, especially regarding citizenships. So we gathered a great team of specialists and created the first 100% online managing proccess to ease your application. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

Our Team

We have a team of lawyers and tax experts in immigration, both for immigration processes relating to private individuals (international protection, asylum request, family reunification, child assistance, citizenship, etc.) and for companies and businesses (Blue Card, posting international, ICT, investor visa, self-employment, etc.). In-depth knowledge of the Italian and European immigration system, both from a legal and legislative point of view and from a bureaucratic and operational point of view.

Available Methods

Know more about the Jure Sanguinis application.

The General Rule

In order to demonstrate that you have inherited a right to citizenship by descent, you must demonstrate that citizenship was transmitted from your Italian-born ascendant to you.

Italian citizenship was exclusive until 15 August 1992; therefore, the voluntary acquisition of any non-Italian citizenship meant the automatic renunciation of one’s Italian citizenship for people who were born with Italian citizenship. Children born to Italian citizens in the United States or other countries with jure soli, however, acquired their foreign citizenships involuntarily because of their birthplaces. Ergo, these children can claim Italian citizenship by descent if and only if they can prove that their Italian-born ascendant was an Italian citizen at the moment of their birth. Subsequently, they can pass citizenship onto their children, grandchildren, etc., barring a loss of citizenship somewhere along the line.

Italy has been a participant in the Strasbourg convention on the reduction of cases of multiple citizenships. Children born outside of Italy with the citizenship of a member country may not have been able to hold Italian citizenship by birth because of this convention. The convention has also extended the era when Italians could lose citizenship by naturalization in a foreign country to dates later than 14 August 1992, if the naturalization were in a participant country.

Note:
There were no Italian citizens prior to 17 March 1861, because Italy did not exist as a nation. Thus the oldest Italian ancestor in any jus sanguinis citizenship application must have been still alive on or after that date.
Any child born to an Italian citizen parent (or parent also with the right to Italian citizenship jus sanguinis) is ordinarily born an Italian citizen, with the following caveats: If the child was born before 15 August 1992, the Italian parent ordinarily must not have naturalized as a citizen of another country before the child’s birth.

Preliminary Research

Before you can find out if you qualify for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis, you should know:
• The birth dates of every relative in a direct line between you and your ancestor from Italy. It’s OK if you don’t have exact dates right now, but you should at least know the year.
• The date your ancestor from Italy became a naturalized citizen of your country.

Before you start the process of obtaining dual citizenship, you should also find out whether acquiring Italian citizenship will affect your current citizenship. This can be accomplished by checking with the nearest Italian authority and/or consulting the nationality laws of the country(ies) where you hold citizenship.

To qualify for citizenship through ancestry, the applicant and his/her ascendants must meet the following basic criteria:

A child is born to an Italian citizen parent or a parent with the right to Italian citizenship “jure sanguinis”. Henceforth this parent will be known as the Italian parent.
If the child was born before August 16, 1992, the Italian parent must not have taken another citizenship by naturalization at the time of the child’s birth.
When using an Italian-born female ancestor or female intermediate ascendant, the child must have been born on or after January 1, 1948. This rule has been successfully challenged in court in Italy. However, in their capacity to grant Italian citizenship, municipal and consular officials are bound by this restriction.
Ancestors naturalized before June 14, 1912, cannot transmit citizenship (even to children born before their naturalization). This rule is enforced at all consulates.

Important: The child must not have renounced Italian citizenship. Most commonly, renunciation occurred if the child naturalized as the citizen of another country voluntarily, as an adult, and prior to 15 August 1992.

All conditions above must be met by every person in a direct lineage. While there is no generational limit to claiming Italian citizenship through “jus sanguinis” the ancestor who immigrated from Italy must have died in the Italian Peninsula or abroad after March 17, 1861, according to Italian Ministry of Interior. Any person who died prior to that date was not a Citizen of Italy, because this was before the unification of Italy. Subsequently, that person had no ability to pass on Italian citizenship.

There is no generational limit, except in respect to the date of 17 March 1861.

Hosting

Are you planing to apply for the process via an Italian Town Hall but you don’t have a residency yet? Contact us about our hosting options.

Investment by Stages

Important Note: You’ll only have to pursue one of the 3rd stage (3A or 3B) options.

Take advantage of your plan discount at every step of the way!

Know more about the application by Marriage / Civil Union.

The General Rule

Italian citizenship through marriage or civil union to an Italian citizen is regulated by Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Law n. 91 of 1992 on Italian Citizenship.

The non-Italian Spouse married to an Italian citizen can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage after two years from the marriage/civil union, if residing in Italy. This term is reduced by half if the couple has children under the age of 18, or when children are legally adopted by the couple.

Foreign nationals that reside outside Italy are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage three years after the date of marriage/civil union to an Italian Citizen. The term is reduced by half if the couple has children under the age of 18 or when children are legally adopted by the couple.

Same-sex civil unions were recognized in Italy in 2016. All same-sex marriages celebrated abroad are recognized in Italy as Civil Unions. Same-sex couples are provided with most of the protections that are provided to married couples.

The fee to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage/civil union is €250 to be paid by wire transfer (or via the postal system, for those applicants that reside and apply in Italy) into the account of the Italian Ministry of Interior. Many US banks can easily perform wire transfers in a different currency.

Law December 1, 2018 n. 32 (which converted into law and modified/integrated Law Decree October 4, 2018 n. 113) introduced a new requirement for applications for Italian citizenship by marriage presented after December 4, 2018. Such law establishes that applicants for Italian citizenship by marriage must have an adequate knowledge of the Italian language (B1 level) which must be certified by an educational institution approved by the Italian Ministry of Education (“MIUR”) or Ministry of Foreign affairs (“MAECI”)

Prerequesits

Besides the time requirements outlined above, in order to start the citizenship process, the Italian spouse must be registered with the AIRE (if residing abroad) and must have already registered the foreign marriage record, or same-sex marriage/civil union (duly legalized), through the local Italian consulate. Additionally, the comune must have already registered the marriage/civil union record in Italy.

The first step, therefore, is verifying that the marriage record is already on file with the Italian comune, that the Italian spouse is correctly registered with the AIRE, and that the residence address on file at the consulate is current.

Where to File the Application

The application for Italian citizenship by marriage must be filed at the local Italian consulate (where the Italian spouse is registered with the AIRE) if the couple is residing abroad. If the couple is residing in Italy, the citizenship application must be filed at the local “Prefettura”.

The Processing Time

In the past the maximum processing time for applications for citizenship by marriage was 730 days (2 years). The Law Decree n. 113 passed on October 4, 2018 (and converted into law 132/2018) reduced the maximum processing time to 48 months. On December 18, 2020 the Law number 173 changed the processing time to 24 months which can be extended to a maximum of 36 months.

NOTE: Applications by descent, on the other hand, have a 2-years time-limit, although they are sometimes processed even more quickly.

The difference in average processing time is due to the fact that, while citizenship applications by descent are entirely handled by the Consulates, for applications by marriage/civil union the Consulate only acts as an intermediary between the applicant and the office of the Ministry of Interior in the initial stage (preliminary evaluation and collection of documents) and final stage (receipt of the oath from the applicant). The intermediate phase, which consists of the actual examination of the documentation as well as the decision-making, is completely handled in Rome by the office of the Ministry.

As the Ministry has a huge amount of requests to examine (all of the applications by marriage filed in Italy and abroad as well as all the applications for citizenship by residency in Italy), it takes a long time to process them. Although it could take less, based on our experience, hardly the Ministry of Interior will process applications much earlier than the deadline set by the law.

However, once the 3-year limit has elapsed, the office of the Ministry of Interior is obliged by law to provide an answer. If it exceeds the processing time they are allowed, the applicant is entitled to file a formal letter of notice (“Diffida”) demanding an immediate answer. Although the result is not 100% guaranteed, normally, these letters are sufficient to move things along (as the Ministry when possible tries to avoids lawsuits, as they would be required to cover any legal fees).

The “Diffida” is generally sent by an attorney but also the applicant can send it personally. For obvious reasons, the letter carries much more weight when it is sent by an attorney (contact us if you are in this stage of the process and require legal assistance).

Please note that, in the event of divorce, annulment, dissolution or death of the Italian spouse occurring during the processing time of the application, the process will be interrupted.

Interruption of the process also occurs in the event that the Consulate/Prefettura is unable to reach the applicant for any official communication; for this reason, it is of vital importance to keep the Consulate/Prefettura informed about any change of address.

Process Completion and Oath

Once the application has been processed, the consulate will contact the applicant through a message on the Web Portal. If Italian citizenship was granted, the applicant is invited to the consulate for the citizenship ceremony; this ceremony needs to occur within 6 months from the date citizenship was granted. Both the newly recognized Italian citizen and the Italian spouse must attend the ceremony, as the Italian spouse will be required to sign an affidavit to confirm that the marriage is still valid and that no separation, divorce, or annulment has been requested.

At the ceremony the Consul General of Italy (or an acting representative) will read a statement (“verbale di giuramento”). The applicant will then be required to take an oath of allegiance by pronouncing, loud and clear, the following words “GIURO DI ESSERE FEDELE ALLA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA ED AL SUO CAPO E DI OSSERVARE LEALMENTE LA COSTITUZIONE E LE LEGGI DELLO STATO”.

Investment by Stages

Take advantage of your plan discount at every step of the way!

Know more about the application by Time of Residency.

The General Rule

Citizenship by residency is granted on the basis of the number of years of legal residency in Italy. For non-EU citizens, legal residency in Italy for at least 10 years is required. On the contrary, for EU citizens, the period of residency required is 4 years. Nevertheless, there are also cases for which the period of residency required is lower, such as for foreigners whose parents or grandparents were Italians by birth. In this specific case the time required is 3 years of legal residency; the same applies to individuals who were born in Italy as non-Italian citizens.

In order to apply for Italian citizenship by residency you need to meet a number of requirements. Firstly, you need to provide proof that you are a resident in Italy from a legal stand point, i.e., that your name is listed in the registry office in the town/s where you have resided with no interruption. If you are a non-EU citizen, you must also comply with the laws regulating immigration, i.e. you must hold a regular residency permit for the entire duration of your residency in Italy.

Prerequesits

Secondly, you need to have certified knowledge of the Italian language at a level which is no lower than B1, which is a low intermediate level, unless you already have certified knowledge of Italian which has been recognized by one of the institutions listed below, or if you hold a language degree in Italian or you attended school in Italy, or if you hold a “carta di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo” which was issued after 2011.

Currently, there are four certification bodies which belong to the unified certification system known as Italian Quality Language Certification (CLIQ):

the University for foreigners of Siena,
the University for foreigners of Perugia,
the Roma Tre University,
the Dante Alighieri Society.

Thirdly, you need to provide evidence that your yearly income has not been lower than € 8.263,31 for the past 3 years. If you are married and your spouse depends on you financially, your yearly income must not have been lower than €11.362,05, and an additional € 516, 46 is required for every dependent child. If you do not have a yearly income or if your yearly income does not meet the minimum required by law, you can indicate somebody else’s, provided that they are part of the same household.

B1 Certificate

Part 1: What is a B1 Certificate?
The Italian B1 level language certificate is a document which shows Italian linguistic competency according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (also known as CEFR or CEF or CEFRL). This certificate will demonstrate to the Italian government that you will be able to function with day to day tasks in Italian as a potential Italian citizen. The B1 certificate can also be useful to people who may be interested in studying in Italy since many courses/programs require a certificate in order to see that the prospective student will be able to understand the course material. (Please note that some schools may require a higher C1 or C2 level. It would be advisable to first check with your educational institution of choice. Nonetheless, a B1 certificate can help you prepare for a higher level of certification if necessary.) The levels are in alphabetical order with A levels being the most basic, B levels being intermediate and C levels considered to be advanced.

Those of you who may be interested in finding work in Italy or another European nation where the Italian language may be necessary, you may be required to present a B1 level certificate (or above) for consideration as a potential candidate. Fortunately, by acquiring Italian citizenship, Italian nationality gives you the option to reside and legally work in Italy without restriction and also gives you much more accessibility to jobs and education across the European Union.

To see additional benefits of Italian citizenship, you can visit our page going through more benefits, CLICK HERE for more info.

Part 2: How much Italian do I need to know for a B1 Certificate?
The B1 level certificate shows that you have a basic ability to use the Italian language. At this level total perfection in comprehension and communication is not required. Some errors are allowed, but in summary, a B1 certificate shows that you have demonstrated that you…

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
Can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken.
Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. ¹

The CEFRL is divided into 6 levels, as follows:

A1 (Beginner)
A2 (Elementary)
B1 (Intermediate)
B2 (Upper intermediate)
C1 (Advanced)
C2 (Mastery)

Which are further broken down into 3 main skill categories:

Understanding
Speaking
Writing

Each main skill is further divided in sub-skills, namely:

Understanding:

1) Listening

“I can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. I can understand the main point of many radio or TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear.” ²

2) Reading

“I can understand texts that consist mainly of high-frequency every day or job-related language. I can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.” ²

Speaking:

3) Spoken Interaction

“I can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling in an area where the language is spoken. I can enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events).” ²

4) Spoken Production

“I can connect phrases in a simple way in order to describe experiences and events, my dreams, hopes and ambitions. I can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. I can narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe my reactions.” ²

Writing:

5) Writing

“I can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. I can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions.” ²

Investment by Stages

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