Citizenship Through Residency
Naturalization through continuous legal residency in Italy. Required duration ranges from 2 to 10 years depending on your nationality and background.
Overview
Italian citizenship through naturalization is available to foreign nationals who have maintained continuous legal residency in Italy for a qualifying period. The required duration depends on your background:
- 10 years for non-EU citizens
- 4 years for EU citizens
- 2 years for those with Italian ancestry or who were born in Italy
Requirements
In addition to the residency duration, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:
- B1 Italian language certification — accepted exams include CILS, CELI, PLIDA, or equivalent
- Minimum yearly income: €8,263.31 for a single applicant. €11,362.05 if married with a dependent spouse. An additional €516.46 per dependent child.
- Uninterrupted legal residency — proof of continuous permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) for the qualifying period
Typical Documentation
Gather the following documents for your naturalization application. All foreign-issued documents must be certified, translated into Italian, and legalized.
- Birth certificate (certified, translated, legalized)
- Criminal background checks from all countries of residence
- Proof of income (tax returns, employment contracts, pay stubs)
- B1 Italian language certificate
- Proof of continuous legal residency (permesso di soggiorno history)
- Marriage certificate if applicable
- Family status certificate (stato di famiglia)
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