Italian Citizenship in Rome: How Long Does It Really Take?

In a Nutshell

The law sets a maximum of 36 months for the authorities to respond to a citizenship application. In Rome, in practice, timelines range from 18 to 42 months depending on the type of citizenship and whether your documents are complete. If you've been waiting more than 36 months with no answer, you have legal options.

At a Glance

Cost	Application: free. TAR Lazio appeal: €300 court fee + €27 marca da bollo (revenue stamp required on official documents) + €1,500–4,000 for a lawyer
Timeline	Via marriage: 18–30 months. Naturalisation (non-EU): 30–42 months. Statutory maximum: 36 months
Where in Rome	Prefettura di Roma (regional state-government office representing the central state) — Via Ostiense 131/L. Application submitted online via the ALI portal
Documents	Case reference number K1 (citizenship by marriage) or K10 (naturalisation), submission receipt, ALI portal login credentials

Real Timelines in Rome, by Category

When you submit your application on the ALI portal, you receive a case number: K1 for citizenship by marriage, K10 for naturalisation. The clock starts from that moment.

These are average timelines recorded in Rome between 2020 and 2025:

Type of citizenship	Average timeline — Prefettura Roma
By marriage (art. 5)	18–30 months
By marriage with minor children	12–24 months
Naturalisation — EU nationals (4 years residency)	24–36 months
Naturalisation — non-EU nationals (10 years)	30–42 months
Stateless persons and refugees (5 years)	24–36 months
Italian-descent applicants (3 years)	24–36 months

Rome is one of the most congested Prefettura offices in Italy. The sheer volume of open cases directly affects how long each one takes.

How the Process Works, Stage by Stage

Month 0 — Online submission. You submit your application on the ALI portal and receive your case number. The 36-month statutory clock starts from this date.

Months 1–12 — Prefettura review. The Prefettura di Roma, Area III Cittadinanza, checks your documents. They can request additional documents (you have 30 days to respond), call you in for an interview, and seek opinions from the Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits) and ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority). In Rome, this stage alone often takes 12–24 months.

Months 12–24 — Transfer to the Ministry. Your file is forwarded to the Ministero dell'Interno – DLCI (Interior Ministry). From Rome, this transfer happens on average around 18 months after the initial application.

Months 18–30 — Ministry review. The Ministry verifies there are no security-related grounds for refusal, cross-checks databases, and in more sensitive cases consults the Consiglio di Stato (Italy's highest administrative court).

Months 24–36 — Decree. For naturalisation, a Presidential Decree (Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica) is issued. For citizenship by marriage, it's a Ministerial Decree (Decreto del Ministro dell'Interno).

After the decree — Notification and oath. Once the Prefettura notifies you of the decree, you have a strict 6-month window to take the oath (giuramento) before a civil registrar. From that day on, you are an Italian citizen. Critical warning: if you let those 6 months lapse, the decree lapses with them and you have to start the entire process over from scratch.

Tracking Your Application and Chasing It Up

You can check your application status at any time by logging in to the ALI portal. The status labels you may see are: "In istruttoria" (under review), "Trasmessa al Ministero" (forwarded to the Ministry), "In attesa decreto" (awaiting decree), "Decreto emesso — in notifica" (decree issued, notification pending), "Pratica conclusa" (case closed).

It's worth checking every 3–6 months. If you notice the case has been stuck in the same stage for a long time, you can send a follow-up request by PEC (certified email — legally valid in Italy) to the Prefettura di Roma: cittadinanza.prefrm@interno.it. It won't guarantee faster processing, but it is your right.

If your address, email address, or phone number changes while the application is in progress, notify the Prefettura immediately. If they can't reach you, your case stalls.

When You Can Appeal to the TAR Lazio

If 36 months have passed since you submitted your application and you have received neither an approval nor a rejection, you can file a claim with the TAR Lazio (Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale — the regional administrative court for Lazio) for silenzio inadempimento (administrative inaction), under art. 117 of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

To do so you need: an administrative lawyer registered with the Rome Bar (Ordine degli Avvocati di Roma), a power of attorney (procura alle liti), a €300 court fee (contributo unificato), and a €27 marca da bollo on the filing. Appeals are filed electronically through the Processo Amministrativo Telematico (Italy's digital administrative court system).

The TAR schedules a hearing within 90 days and, after the ruling, orders the Ministry to act within 90–120 days. From filing the appeal to receiving the final decree typically takes 6–12 months.

Important: the 36-month clock starts from the date of your online submission, not the date you delivered any physical documents. If the Prefettura asked for supplementary documents during the review and you took time to respond, that waiting period suspends the deadline.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not responding to document requests in time. You have 30 days. Fail to respond and rejection is almost certain — and you lose your place in the queue. Read every communication from the Prefettura carefully.
2. Missing the 6-month oath window. This is irreversible: the decree expires and you must file a completely new application. The moment you receive the notification, book your oath appointment at the Comune (city hall) straight away.
3. Believing anyone who promises to speed up your case. Applications are processed in chronological order. No intermediary, consultant, or "well-connected" patronato (free union-run office helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) can fast-track it. Only use accredited patronati such as ACLI, INCA, ITAL, or INAS, or specialist organisations like ASGI (Associazione Studi Giuridici sull'Immigrazione — an NGO specialising in immigration law).

Special Cases

You received a rejection. You can appeal to the TAR Lazio within 60 days of receiving the rejection notice, or file an extraordinary appeal (ricorso straordinario) to the President of the Republic within 120 days. These are two alternative routes — you cannot pursue both. Alternatively, if the grounds for refusal no longer apply, you can submit a fresh application.

You are a national of a country flagged as a security risk. Intelligence agencies (AISI/AISE — Italy's domestic and foreign intelligence services) may need to carry out extended checks, pushing the timeline well beyond 36 months. In such cases the delay is legally justified.

You moved from Rome to another Italian municipality during the process. Your case stays with the Prefettura di Roma. Simply update your correspondence address. If you move abroad, the case may be reassigned to the relevant consulate.

Changes of government and new legislation. The statutory time limits have changed four times in the past twenty years (the most recent significant reform was in 2020). The law in force at the time of the decision applies — not the law in force when you applied. Keep an eye on any new legislation that might affect your case.

Official Sources

• Ministry of the Interior — Citizenship
• ALI citizenship portal
• Prefettura di Roma
• TAR Lazio
• Ordine degli Avvocati di Roma
• ASGI — Associazione Studi Giuridici sull'Immigrazione
• Legge 91/1992 (Normattiva)
• DL 113/2018 Decreto Salvini
• DL 130/2020 Decreto Lamorgese

Legal references: Legge 5 febbraio 1992 n. 91 art. 8; Legge 7 agosto 1990 n. 241; DL 4 ottobre 2018 n. 113 conv. L. 132/2018; DL 21 ottobre 2020 n. 130 conv. L. 173/2020; D.lgs. 104/2010 art. 117.