In short
A foreign spouse of an Italian citizen may apply after 2 years of marriage while resident in Italy, or 3 years while resident abroad, halved where there are children. Italian at B1 level is required, and the law lists convictions that bar the route. The decision deadline is 24 months from filing.
The clock, and where you live
The waiting period depends on where the couple lives. 2 years of marriage if you are resident in Italy; 3 years if you are resident abroad. Both are halved if you have children, whether born to or adopted by the couple.
A detail that matters for planning: the marriage must subsist at the moment of application and until the decree. Separation during the procedure affects the application, and it is one of the situations where the right move is to speak to someone early rather than hope.
If the marriage took place abroad it must be transcribed into the Italian civil registers before anything else. Without transcription it produces no effect in dealings with the Italian administration, and this is the step discovered too late most often.
Language
Italian at B1 level is required, demonstrated by a certificate from a recognised body or by a qualification obtained in Italy.
Two frequent mistakes. Certificates from private schools that are not part of the recognised framework do not count, and the free test organised by prefectures is for the A2 level required for long-term residence, not for the B1 level required here.
Holders of the EU long-term residence permit are exempt from the language requirement, which is one of several reasons why obtaining that permit first can be worth the detour.
What bars the route
Unlike naturalisation through residence, this route has a defined list of obstacles rather than an open assessment. Convictions for offences against the personality of the state, a sentence of imprisonment imprisonment of 3 years or more for a non-negligent offence, and foreign convictions above a threshold when recognised in Italy.
There are also grounds relating to the security of the Republic, which are assessed rather than listed.
Where a conviction creates the bar, criminal rehabilitation extinguishes the effects of the sentence and removes it. The sequence matters: applying before rehabilitation can cost the €250.00 fee, which is not refunded, and the waiting period.
Marriage, civil union, and what does not count
A civil union between people of the same sex is treated as marriage for these purposes, with the same waiting periods and the same requirements.
A registered cohabitation is not. Cohabiting partners have real rights in Italian law, and a stable relationship with an EU citizen carries weight in residence matters, but this particular route to citizenship is not among them. The alternative is naturalisation through residence, with its 10 years.
Timing and what to expect
The deadline for deciding is 24 months from filing, extendable up to thirty-six months. The application is filed online through the Ministry of the Interior's portal.
What lengthens cases is almost never the Italian office: it is documents from abroad. The birth certificate and criminal record certificate from your country of origin, translated and apostilled or legalised, are the attachments that most often arrive incomplete.
At the end, the decree is not the final step. The oath must be taken within 6 months from notification of notification, and citizenship takes effect the following day. It is the deadline most often missed, because it arrives after years of waiting when attention has dropped.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years of marriage, resident in Italy | 2 years | Art. 5 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Years of marriage, resident abroad | 3 years | Art. 5 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Italian level for citizenship | B1 | Art. 9.1 Legge 91/1992, introdotto dal D.L. 113/2018 | |
| Deadline for deciding a citizenship application | 24 months | Art. 9-ter Legge 91/1992, come modificato dal D.L. 130/2020 | |
| Sentence barring citizenship by marriage | imprisonment of 3 years or more | Art. 6 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Citizenship application fee | €250.00 | Art. 9-bis, c. 2 Legge 91/1992, come modificato dal D.L. 113/2018 | |
| Years of residence for citizenship, non-EU nationals | 10 years | Art. 9, c. 1 lett. f) Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 | |
| Deadline to take the oath after the citizenship decree | 6 months from notification | Art. 10 Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 |
Frequently asked questions
Does marrying an Italian citizen give me the right to live in Italy immediately?
What if we separate during the procedure?
Is the language certificate really necessary?
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.