In short
Italian citizenship can be obtained by residence (10 anni for non-EU nationals, 4 anni for EU nationals), by marriage (2 anni residing in Italy) or by descent. It requires Italian at B1 level, adequate income and a € 250,00 fee. The statutory decision period is 24 mesi, extendable to 36 months.
Three routes, not interchangeable
The routes to Italian citizenship differ in requirements, documents, competent authority and duration. Choosing the wrong one is the decision that affects the outcome most, because an application filed on the wrong basis is refused and the € 250,00 fee is not refunded.
This matters particularly for citizenship by descent, where the law changed substantially in 2025 and a great deal of the guidance still available online describes a regime that no longer exists.
What the 2025 reform changed for descent
Law 74 of 23 May 2025 restricted access for people born abroad to those with a genitore o nonno cittadino italiano. Until then, transmission could reach back several generations.
There is a further requirement concerning the parent: residence in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant's birth.
Some provisions of the reform have been challenged before the Italian Constitutional Court, so the framework may still change. Anyone who started a genealogical search under the previous rules should have their position reassessed against the law as it currently stands — before investing further in document retrieval, translations and legalisations, which are the expensive part of this route.
Citizenship by residence: the requirement nobody checks first
Naturalisation requires 10 anni of legal, continuous residence for non-EU nationals, 4 anni for EU nationals and 5 anni for stateless persons and refugees.
What the authorities measure is municipal registration, not physical presence. Someone who has lived in Italy for twelve years but was struck off the register at some point can have a qualifying period below the minimum. Reconstructing the registration history through a historical residence certificate is therefore the first check to run — before paying the fee, not after.
Income is assessed over the three years preceding the application: at least € 8.263,31 per year for an applicant with no dependants, € 11.362,05 with a dependent spouse, plus € 516,00 for each additional dependant.
The language requirement and a useful exemption
Italian at B1 level is required, certified by a recognised body — CELI, CILS, PLIDA or AIL — or evidenced by a qualification obtained in Italy.
Holders of the EU long-term residence permit are exempt. Since that permit requires only A2, obtaining it first is often the more efficient path: it removes the need for the higher certification and, with 10 anni validity, also removes the need for renewals during the citizenship review.
The figures cited on this page
Every amount, threshold and deadline comes from our public register of legal parameters, each recorded with its legal reference and the date we last checked it. When a value changes, this page changes with it.
| Parameter | Value | Legal reference | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anni di residenza per la cittadinanza (cittadini non UE) | 10 anni | Art. 9, c. 1 lett. f) Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Anni di residenza per la cittadinanza (cittadini UE) | 4 anni | Art. 9, c. 1 lett. d) Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Anni di matrimonio con residenza in Italia | 2 anni | Art. 5 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Livello di italiano per la cittadinanza | B1 | Art. 9.1 Legge 91/1992, introdotto dal D.L. 113/2018 | |
| Contributo per la domanda di cittadinanza | € 250,00 | Art. 9-bis, c. 2 Legge 91/1992, come modificato dal D.L. 113/2018 | |
| Termine del procedimento di cittadinanza | 24 mesi | Art. 9-ter Legge 91/1992, come modificato dal D.L. 130/2020 | |
| Grado di parentela per la cittadinanza per discendenza | genitore o nonno cittadino italiano | Legge 23 maggio 2025, n. 74 (conversione del D.L. 36/2025) | |
| Anni di residenza per apolidi e rifugiati | 5 anni | Art. 9, c. 1 lett. e) e art. 16 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Reddito minimo per la cittadinanza – richiedente senza familiari a carico | € 8.263,31 | Art. 2 D.L. 4 aprile 1989, n. 123 (limite di reddito per l'esenzione dalla spesa sanitaria) | |
| Reddito minimo per la cittadinanza – con coniuge a carico | € 11.362,05 | Art. 2 D.L. 4 aprile 1989, n. 123 | |
| Maggiorazione di reddito per ogni familiare a carico | € 516,00 | Art. 2 D.L. 4 aprile 1989, n. 123 | |
| Livello di italiano per il permesso UE di lungo periodo | A2 | Art. 9, c. 2-bis D.Lgs. 286/1998; D.M. 4 giugno 2010 | |
| Validità del titolo per soggiornanti di lungo periodo | 10 anni | Art. 9, c. 5 D.Lgs. 286/1998 | |
| Marca da bollo sulla domanda | € 16,00 | D.P.R. 26 ottobre 1972, n. 642 | |
| Anni di matrimonio con residenza all'estero | 3 anni | Art. 5 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I still claim Italian citizenship through a great-grandparent?
How long does an Italian citizenship application take?
How much does it cost?
Does marriage to an Italian citizen speed things up?
Professional scope. Italy Immigration Hub is an administrative consultancy, not a law firm, and does not carry out activities reserved to members of the Italian Bar. Legal advice on disputes, court filings and representation before judicial authorities are handled by qualified lawyers we work with, instructed directly by the client. We are a private, independent operator with no affiliation to Italian public authorities, and the outcome and timing of any procedure depend on the competent authority. Legal notice (Italian).
Related pages in English
Full procedural detail in Italian
The Italian pages carry the complete document lists, cost breakdowns, step-by-step procedures and the mistakes that most often cause refusals.