Italian Citizenship Updates: Italian citizenship by residence and taking residency in Italy

Apr 26, 2023

Italian Citizenship Updates:

To grant Italian citizenship by residence (ex art. 9, co. 1, lett. f, Law No. 91/1992), the residence requirement of at least 10 years in Italy is a prerequisite for the submission of the application, but it is not sufficient for the acceptance of the application.

In fact, it is also relevant to what happens after the submission of the application, having to maintain residence in Italy, continuously, until the oath is taken.

Therefore, it is legitimate to reject the application where the foreigner, already resident for more than ten years in Italy, has transferred residence after the submission of the application to obtain Italian citizenship.

Italian Citizenship by Residency: Requirements

The main requirements which allow a non-EU citizen to apply for Italian citizenship through naturalization are:

• to have been resident in Italy for at least 10 years (registered with a town hall). This must be uninterrupted and maintained until citizenship adjudication (this may take up to 3 years).
• to not have any criminal convictions or ongoing proceedings;
• to demonstrate you can produce a sufficient income by filing tax returns in Italy for the previous 3 years. 
• Have an “adequate” and certified knowledge of the Italian language corresponding to level B1 or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Those who have an EU long-term residence permit, those who comply with the Integration Agreement provisions, and those who own a qualification issued by Italian public schools or state-recognised private ones are exempt from this requirement. Other exemptions may occur for those with proven difficulties in learning the Italian language.– 

Concerning the income, the requirements are as follows:

• 8.263,31 Euros per year, if you are an individual.
• 11.362,05 Euros if you are married, where one of you is economically dependent. 
• and an additional 516,00 Euros for each economically dependent child.

Additional facts:

• The applicant must officially remain registered as an Italian resident with an Italian town hall until Italian citizenship has been granted. You may travel abroad, but if you leave the country for more than 6 consecutive months your residency permit (permesso di soggiorno) will be cancelled or revoked and this can also lead to the cancellation of your residency.
• It is highly recommended that you remain registered at the same town hall during the whole process. Even though registering at another town hall is possible, this could lead to a delay.
• Processing time for acquiring citizenship through naturalization is, by law, 3 years from the day of application. According to our experience, it is quite common that authorities take full time to issue their decision.

Related articles:

• Italian citizenship by residency: how many years do I need?

• FAQs: Applying for Italian citizenship by Residency (Naturalization)

Do you think you may qualify for Italian citizenship by Naturalization? Contact us for an initial assessment or send us via email to citizenship@mazzeschi.it 

Giuditta De Ricco

Attorney at law since 2006, specialized in real estate law, inheritance, citizenship and corporate law.

Related posts:

Italian Immigration Updates: New terms for the quota system (Decreto flussi), longer residence permit and much more Italian Citizenship Law Updates: The death of the spouse does not prevent the right to acquire citizenship FAQs: Applying for Italian citizenship by Residency (Naturalization) Italian citizenship by residency: how many years do I need?