The steps of the case
- 1
Checking the requirements
We check your years of legal residence, your income over the last few years, your level of Italian and any criminal record. We tell you clearly whether it is the right time to apply.
- 2
Documents from your home country
We explain how to get your birth certificate and criminal record certificate from your home country, with translation and legalisation or apostille.
- 3
Italian B1 certificate
We check whether you already have a valid qualification or whether you need a B1 certificate from a recognised body.
- 4
Online application
We fill in and send the application with you on the Ministry of the Interior portal, with all the attachments in order.
- 5
Monitoring your case
We follow your case, answer requests for more documents and warn you when the legal deadlines expire.
- 6
Decree and oath
When the decree arrives, we guide you towards the oath at the Municipality (Comune), which must be taken within 6 months of notification.
Italian citizenship by residence: the requirements
You can apply for Italian citizenship by residence if you have lived legally in Italy for enough years, have sufficient income, speak Italian at least at B1 level and have no criminal record that prevents it. The rule is in Art. 9 of Law 91/1992.
The years of legal residence required are:
- 10 years for citizens of non-EU countries;
- 4 years for citizens of the European Union;
- 5 years for stateless people and recognised refugees;
- 2 years for people who have a parent or grandparent who is an Italian citizen by birth (it used to be 3: change made by Law 74/2025).
“Legal residence” means registered residence (residenza anagrafica) in a Municipality (Comune) together with a valid residence permit. Gaps in residence or in the permit can cause problems: they must be checked before applying.
Citizenship by residence is a grant, not an automatic right. The Ministry also assesses your integration and your income over the last few years.
Citizenship by marriage
The spouse of an Italian citizen can apply for citizenship after 2 years of legal residence in Italy from the marriage, or after 3 years if the couple lives abroad (Art. 5 Law 91/1992). If you have children born or adopted, the times are halved.
The marriage must still be valid at the time of the decree. Here too you need Italian at level B1. Some criminal convictions prevent citizenship by marriage.
Citizenship by descent: what changed in 2025
Decree-Law 36/2025, converted by Law 74/2025, introduced Art. 3-bis into Law 91/1992. Today a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is, as a rule, not considered Italian by descent, with some precise exceptions (for example a parent or grandparent with Italian citizenship only).
With judgment no. 63/2026 the Constitutional Court declared the questions raised about this rule unfounded. The debate, however, is not closed. If your case is about descent, we check it in the consultation.
How the application works in Milan
The application is submitted online only on the Ministry of the Interior portal, with SPID or CIE (digital identity). The Prefecture (Prefettura) of Milan examines the case and the Ministry decides.
By law the procedure must end within 24 months, extendable to 36 months (Art. 9-ter Law 91/1992). You can follow the progress of your case in your personal area of the portal.
When the grant decree arrives, you must take the oath at the Municipality within 6 months of notification. From the day after the oath you are an Italian citizen.
Common mistakes
- Applying too early, without a full 10 years of legal residence.
- Uneven income over the last few years.
- An Italian certificate that is not valid or is from an unrecognised body.
- Expired foreign documents or without correct translation and legalisation.
- Forgetting the criminal record certificate from a country where you have lived.
How we help you
We check the requirements, collect the documents with you, send the application and follow your case up to the oath. If the Ministry does not reply within the deadlines or rejects the application, the office’s in-house lawyers assess an appeal.
- First consultation: 60 €, about 30 minutes, in the office or online on WhatsApp.
- Sofia, the office’s assistant, answers on WhatsApp in 8 languages and books your appointment: use the booking button on this page.
What to bring to the consultation
- Residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) or residence card (carta di soggiorno)
- Valid passport
- Birth certificate from the home country, translated and legalised or apostilled
- Criminal record certificate from the home country (and other countries of residence), translated and legalised
- Certificate of Italian at level B1 or an Italian school qualification
- Tax returns for the last few years
- For marriage: marriage certificate and documents of the Italian spouse
Frequently asked questions
How many years of residence are needed for Italian citizenship?+
As a rule 10 years of legal residence for non-EU citizens. It is 4 years for EU citizens, 5 for stateless people and refugees, 2 for people with an Italian parent or grandparent by birth.
What level of Italian is needed?+
Level B1. You show it with a certificate from a recognised body or with an Italian school qualification (Art. 9.1 Law 91/1992).
How much income is needed?+
The law asks for sufficient means of support and the Ministry looks at your income over the last few years. We check in the consultation whether your income is adequate.
Can I apply for citizenship by marriage?+
Yes, after 2 years of legal residence in Italy from the marriage, or 3 years if you live abroad. The times are halved if you have children born or adopted.
I have an Italian great-grandfather: can I get citizenship?+
Since 2025 Art. 3-bis of Law 91/1992 greatly limits citizenship by descent for people born abroad. The Constitutional Court (judgment 63/2026) held the rule to be lawful, but the subject is still debated: we assess your case.