Many people assume the only ways to become an Italian citizen is either by having an Italian ancestor or marrying an Italian citizen, but in fact, Italy is a country where anybody who is willing to put in the effort, can legally become a citizen of the nation. Jure Sanguinis (by right of blood/citizenship by descent) and Jure Matrimonii (citizenship through marriage) are NOT the only two of the ways of reaching the final goal of being able to permanently reside in Italy or simply to be able to obtain an Italian passport.
In this article, we will cover the 5 most common ways a person can become a citizen of Italy… in no particular order.
1) Citizenship by right of Blood (Jure Sanguinis)
For persons who are of Italian descent who can demonstrate an unbroken chain/line of citizenship going back to Italy that does NOT involve a female ancestor who gave birth before 1948, will be able to make a petition for recognition of Italian citizenship.
For more information and to determine if you are already a citizen of Italy by Jure Sanguinis please visit:
https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/jure-sanguinis/
For more information about the required documents click here.
2) 1948 Cases
Next, we will discuss the situation of a person born of Italian descent who is unable to make a petition for citizenship under Jure Sanguinis at a consulate or comune (municipality) because the line goes through a female ancestor who gave birth 1948. Before January 1st, 1948, women in Italy were unable to pass citizenship to their children. To clarify, this means that if a female citizen of Italy gave birth on December 31st, 1947 or before her child would not have received Italian citizenship, unless the child’s father was a citizen of Italy at the time of the birth. If this is the case because of the time of your birth or someone in your direct line, it will be necessary to petition the courts in Italy for recognition of Italian citizenship. While gaining recognition of Italian citizenship in this manner may seem more daunting than other ways, it actually comes with a very high success rate.
For more info on “1948 cases” please see our dedicated page:
https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/court-cases/
You can also gather more information on the topic form our most recent articles:
https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/1948-cases-explanation-and-most-common-cases/
https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/1948-court-cases-a-description-of-the-process-step-by-step/
3) Citizenship Through Residency (With Italian Ancestry up to the Second Degree)
What if your parents or grandparents are from Italy but lost their citizenship?
If your parents (first degree) or grandparents (second degree) were citizens of Italy but naturalized as citizens of another country before you or your parents were born (therefore breaking your chain/line of citizenship going back to Italy), you may be able to apply to become a naturalized citizen of Italy after 3 years of legal residency in Italy.
4) Citizenship Through Residency (Without Italian Ancestry)
What if you don’t have any Italian ancestry or none of the above apply to you?
Citizenship through residency may be the best option. Under article 9 of Law no. 91/1992, someone may be able to apply for citizenship depending upon certain criteria, namely a minimum time requirement of legal residency in Italy.
Someone who has resided in Italy for…
10 years
-People from outside of the European Union who have legally resided in Italian territory for at least 10 years will be able to apply
5 years
-A foreigner who has worked for the Italian government for at least 5 years in Italy or another country (for example, someone who has joined the Italian military after making it known that they are also interested in gaining Italian citizenship)
-A foreigner over the age of 18 who was adopted by an Italian citizen who has lawfully lived in Italian territory lawfully for at least 5 years after the adoption
-A stateless person or refugee who has legally resided in Italy for at least 5 years
4 years
-A Citizen of a European Union country who has legally resided in Italy for at least 4 years
3 years
-For people of Italian descent, as mentioned above, who aren’t able to make a Jure Sanguinis petition or a 1948 case
-For people born in Italian territory and have legally resided in Italy for at least 3 years
For minors with parents who have been naturalized…
In accordance with art. 14 of Law 91/1992, when living with their parents, the underage children of persons who have acquired Italian citizenship will also gain Italian citizenship with the main requirements being a parent/child relationship and cohabitation.
5) Citizenship Through Marriage
But what if you are married to a citizen of Italy?
Regardless of whether you are a foreign national or stateless, if you are married to an Italian citizen and if you have been married for 2 years after legally residing in Italy or 3 years residing abroad, you will be eligible to make an application for citizenship under Jure Matrimonii.
If you have children who are Italian citizens because of your spouse, the time required to be married in order to obtain citizenship through your spouse is reduced in half to 1 year if you are currently residing in Italy, or 1 and a half years if you are residing abroad. The Marriage must not have been annulled or dissolved and its civil effects must not have ended. Legal separation will also disqualify a person from making a claim under Jure Matrimonii.
Italy also recognizes unions between same-sex couples.
For more info about Jure Matrimonii/Citizenship by Mariage:
https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/citizenship-by-marriage/
Please keep in mind for most processes of gaining Italian citizenship that are NOT through Jure Sanguinis (or a “1948 case”), a B1 Level Italian language certificate will be required.
For more information on B1 level Italian certification:
https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/a-new-linguistic-requirement-for-italian-citizenship-by-marriage/
We hope this article has been helpful to you. If you know anyone else who might find this information of interest be sure to share the link to this article with them or on your social media.
If you have any questions about anything covered in this article or any other questions, feel free to get in contact with us at ICA HERE and we’ll do our best to help and we may even base an upcoming article on your question.
