Requirements for Italian citizenship by marriage

Italian citizenship can be acquired by marriage or civil union know the requirements to obtain Italian citizenship by marriage

Everything you need to know to meet the requirements for Italian citizenship by marriage, documents, procedures and certification you need to validate your knowledge of the language.

Beginning 05 october 2018 – per article 14 of Legislative Decree of 4 ottobre 2018, n. 113 – the processing time for applications for Italian citizenship by marriage is 48 (forty eight) months from the day that the application is accepted. This processing time also applies to any applications in progress that were accepted prior to that date.

In December 2018, the Italian government has brought two major changes to the legislation under which foreign citizens can acquire Italian citizenship by marriage. The most important one refers to the waiting time in which the processing of the application occurs, and which has been raised from 24 months to 48 months.

The second one refers to the Italian language test to be sustained by the foreign spouse applying for citizenship by marriage in Italy. Under the new regulations, the foreign spouse must have a B1 level of the Italian language when undertaking the citizenship interview.

The foreign spouse of an Italian citizen may apply for Italian citizenship to the Prefettura after being married for 2 years, if the couple resides in Italy, and to the Italian Consulate after being married for 3 years if the couple resides abroad.

The above periods are reduced by half if the spouses have biological and/or adopted children who are minors (under 18 years old).
Two basic requirements to be met prior to submitting the application are:

• the marriage must have already been registered at the Town Hall in Italy;
• the Italian spouse must be registered at the Consulate as an Italian Citizen Residing Abroad (A.I.R.E.).

Documents needed when applying for Italian citizenship by marriage

The following items 1-6 must be uploaded ONLINE. Once your online application is accepted, you will be contacted by the citizenship department of this Consulate General in order to submit original hard copies of ALL the following documentation.

• ITALIAN LANGUAGE CERTIFICATION – obtain this document BEFORE you obtain any other documentation indicated below.

The certification may be demonstrated in ONE of the following ways:

• A DEGREE issued by a public instructional institution or equivalent in Italy or abroad, recognized by the Ministero dell’Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca, and by the Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, OR,
• A CERTIFICATE OF KNOWLEDGE OF ITALIAN LANGUAGE AT LEVEL B1 (or higher), issued by one of the following institutions:
  • Universita’ per stranieri di Siena
  • Universita’ per stranieri di Perugia
  • Universita’ Roma Tre
  • Società Dante Alighieri
• CRIMINAL RECORDS/BACKGROUND CHECK/CERTIFICATE OF GOOD CONDUCT issued by the Nation of origin AND every previous residency starting from the age of 14.

VERY IMPORTANT: Criminal Records/Certificates of Good Conduct/Background Check are only valid for 6 MONTHS. Please ensure that these documents are STILL VALID when the citizenship application is submitted online.

• Those who have resided in the U.S. must provide a certificate of good conduct/criminal records/background check issued by
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation, CJIS Division to be requested with Apostille and translation in Italian, AND
  • State of Birth in the United States, with Apostille and translation in Italian, AND
  • Each State in the United States where the applicant has previously resided, in original with Apostille and translation in Italian.
• Those who have resided OUTSIDE of the USA must also provide a certificate of good conduct/criminal records/background check issued by the local authorities of each country where they have resided. Please contact the Italian Consular Authority for that area to verify how to request those certificates of good conduct and in which format those certificates should be.

• 5. RECEIPT OF PAYMENT of € 250 fee – As required by art. 14 D.L. 113 of October 4th 2018 there is a fee of € 250 to be paid by all applicants. The fee of € 250 must be paid through international bank transfer, following these guidelines:
• BENEFICIARY: CONTO CORRENTE POSTALE “MINISTERO DELL’INTERNO

• D.L.C.I. – CITTADINANZA” Piazzale del Viminale, 00184 – ROMA (ITALIA)
• IBAN CODE : IT54D0760103200000000809020
• SWIFT CODE: BPPIITRRXXX
• Eurogiro: PIBPITRA
• REFERENCE: NAME & LAST NAME “ISTANZA DI CITTADINANZA PER MATRIMONIO”
• PROOF OF RESIDENCY in this Consular Jurisdiction (click here to verify if you live in this jurisdiction): (utility bill)

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who are NOT citizens of the United States must also provide a copy of their valid Permanent Resident Card/Green Card

• PRINTED COPY OF APPLICATION FORM (domanda online prepared following registration on the webpage of the Ministry of the Interior – see point 1 below under How to Submit Documentation) to be signed in front of Consular officer

How to submit the documentation?

Applicants interested in Italian citizenship by marriage through marriage will have to submit their application directly online (as listed below). Following the submission of the documentation, the applicant will be contacted for the deposit of the original documents and payment of the other fees.

Appointments for Citizenship by Marriage previously scheduled online MUST BE CANCELLED BY THE APPLICANT.

Although the requirements (documentation) necessary will remain the same (see below), applications will now be submitted on-line by following the steps listed below:

1. The applicant will have to register on the following webpage of the Ministry of Interior Affairs: https://cittadinanza.dlci.interno.it

2. After the login, the applicant will find a “CITIZENSHIP” section containing the following subtitles:

• gestione della domanda
• visualizza stato della domanda
• primo accesso alla domanda comunicazioni

(“visualizza stato della domanda” and “primo accesso alla domanda” allow the applicant to check the status of his/her request)
By choosing “gestione della domanda” the applicant will have the possibility to submit his/her application by completing the form: MODELLO AE.

3. The applicant must complete the form in its entirety and upload the requested documentation listed on this Consulate’s website:

1. Estratto di matrimonio issued by the Municipality in Italy
2. Italian Language Certification
3. Birth certificate with Apostille and Italian translation
4. Background checks with corresponding Apostilles and translations
5. Receipt of payment of the 250 Euro fee
6. Valid identification (passport)

The applicant may save, modify, cancel or submit the completed application. After reviewing the submitted application the Consulate may:

• accept the request
• request additional documentation, or request that documents be amended
• reject the application

Processing Time

Applications and all required documentation must first be submitted online. Per article 14 of the legislative decree of 04 October 2018, n. 113, processing time will be 48 MONTHS from the date the Consulate accepts the appliant’s complete online application.

Once the online application is accepted, the applicant will be contacted so that he/she may submit all original documents and necessary payments to this Consulate General.

The above rules and processing time do not apply to the automatic acquisition of Italian citizenship through a marriage that occurred before the date of April 27, 1983 (only for foreign women married before that date). Therefore, for marriages that occurred prior to April 27, 1983, applicants must still schedule an appointment through the system “Prenota OnLine”.