Italian Citizenship by Marriage: Requirements, Documents, and How to Apply
Married to an Italian? You can apply for citizenship after 2 years (or 1 year if you have children together). Full guide: requirements, documents, the ALI portal, and the mistakes to avoid.
In a Nutshell
If you are married to — or in a civil union with — an Italian citizen, you can apply for Italian citizenship sooner and with fewer hurdles than the standard naturalization route. There is no minimum income requirement, no 10-year residency countdown: 2 years of marriage is enough if you live in Italy, or 1 year if you have children together. Unlike naturalization, citizenship through marriage is close to a legal right: the Ministry can only refuse it on strictly defined grounds such as serious criminal convictions or security concerns.
At a Glance
| Cost | €250 contribution + €16 marca da bollo (revenue stamp) + optional €100–130 B1 exam + any translation costs |
| Timeline | Maximum 24 months (extendable to 36). In practice, in Rome: 18–30 months. |
| Where in Rome | Prefettura di Roma — UTG (regional state-government office representing the central state), Via Ostiense 131/L — application filed online via the Citizenship Portal |
| Documents | Birth certificate, registered marriage certificate, criminal record, passport, residence permit, B1 language certificate |
How Long You Must Have Been Married
The required period depends on where you live and whether you have children:
| Situation | Years required |
|---|---|
| Resident in Italy | 2 years from the date of marriage |
| Resident abroad | 3 years from the date of marriage |
| With children (resident in Italy) | 1 year |
| With children (resident abroad) | 18 months |
The clock is measured at the time the decree is issued, not when you submit the application. You can apply before the two years are up, as long as they will be completed during the review process.
For the half-time reduction, qualifying children include biological children of the couple, children adopted jointly, and children born before the marriage but recognized by both spouses. Children of the Italian spouse from another relationship do not count.
Since 2016, thanks to the Legge Cirinnà (L. 76/2016), same-sex civil unions are treated exactly like marriage for citizenship purposes.
Other Requirements You Cannot Ignore
Genuine cohabitation. You must live with your Italian spouse and share the same registered address (residenza anagrafica). The Prefettura (regional state-government office representing the central state) can send the police or Carabinieri to verify. Even a de-facto separation at the time the decree is issued will result in automatic rejection.
Valid marriage. The marriage must be registered in Italian records, not dissolved by divorce or annulment, and not ended by the death of the Italian spouse (unless minor children born of the marriage live with you).
Italian language certificate at B1 level. Since 4 December 2018, you must provide a B1 certificate issued by CILS, CELI, PLIDA, or the University of Rome Tre. Exemptions apply if you hold an Italian educational qualification (at least middle school level) or if you were granted a long-term EU residence permit before 4 December 2018.
Clean criminal record. You are disqualified if you have a final conviction for crimes against the state, a conviction of more than 3 years for non-negligent offences, or a foreign conviction of more than 1 year for non-political crimes.
How to Apply
The application is submitted online only via the Ministry of the Interior's Citizenship Portal.
- Register with a valid email address and obtain your username and password.
- Complete Modello AE (citizenship through marriage, art. 5 of L. 91/1992).
- Fill in your details and those of your spouse: marriage date, place, any children.
- Attach scanned documents in PDF format.
- Transfer €250 to postal account 809020 made out to "Ministero Interno DLCI - cittadinanza" and upload proof of payment.
- Enter the serial number of your €16 marca da bollo (revenue stamp — a sticker you buy at a tabacchi and peel off onto official forms).
- Submit. You will receive a case number starting with K1/.
In the following months, the Prefettura di Roma (Area III - Cittadinanza, Via Ostiense 131/L) will summon you to verify your original documents and conduct an interview. Your Italian spouse may also be called in. The Ministry independently obtains opinions from the Questura (police headquarters) and carries out its own security checks.
If everything is in order, the Minister of the Interior issues a decree (not the President of the Republic, as in naturalization cases). You then have 6 months from notification to take an oath of allegiance before the civil registrar at your Comune (city hall). The day after the oath, you are an Italian citizen.
If you married abroad, you must have the marriage registered in Italian civil records before submitting your application. You can do this through the Italian Consulate in the country where you married, or directly at the Comune di Roma - Stato Civile (Via Petroselli 50), provided the documents are already legalized.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying before your marriage is registered in Italy. If you married abroad and the marriage has not yet been registered in Italian records, the application is automatically rejected. Register first.
- Living at a different address from your spouse. Being legally married is not enough — you must share the same registered address. Separate homes mean rejection, even if the relationship is genuine.
- Submitting an application without the B1 certificate. The application is inadmissible without an Italian language certificate. Prepare for and pass the exam before starting the process, not after.
Special Cases
Divorce during the review process. If you divorce between the time you submit your application and the time the decree is issued, citizenship cannot be granted. If your marriage is going through a difficult patch, think carefully about timing.
Death of the Italian spouse during the process. The procedure is suspended, unless minor children born of the marriage live with you — in that case, it continues.
Sham marriages. The Prefettura investigates suspicious cases: large age gaps, no common language, separate addresses, no signs of a married life. Consequences include rejection of the application and criminal charges for making false declarations (art. 76 DPR 445/2000).
Italian spouse registered as living abroad (AIRE). If you live outside Italy, you apply through the Italian Consulate responsible for your area of residence. The required periods are 3 years (or 18 months if you have children).
Adult children. Only minor children living with you at the time of the oath acquire Italian citizenship automatically. Adult children must apply separately on their own.
Official Sources
- Ministry of the Interior — Citizenship by Marriage
- Online Citizenship Portal (Ministry of the Interior)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Citizenship
- Prefettura di Roma
- Legge 91/1992 (Normattiva)
- DL 113/2018 — Decreto Salvini
- DL 130/2020 — Decreto Lamorgese
- Legge Cirinnà 76/2016
Legal references: Legge 5 febbraio 1992 n. 91 artt. 5-8, Legge 15 luglio 2009 n. 94, Legge 20 maggio 2016 n. 76 (Cirinnà), DL 4 ottobre 2018 n. 113 conv. L. 132/2018, DL 21 ottobre 2020 n. 130 conv. L. 173/2020.