Italian citizenship is granted on four grounds: by right of blood (Italian ancestry), by marriage to a citizen, by naturalisation through long-term residence, and by birth. It cannot be obtained through investment — the "golden visa" gives only a residence permit, not a passport. For most people without close Italian ancestors there is one reliable route: legal residence in the country followed by naturalisation, which means 10 years plus up to another three years for the application to be processed. And the key thing to know in 2026: the March 2025 reform cut off the popular "great-grandfather" route — the right of blood is now limited to two generations. Below we break down each ground, the reform, the costs, the documents and the application procedure.
What Grounds Exist for Italian Citizenship
There are four routes to an Italian passport, and they differ dramatically in timing and requirements.
| Ground | Who it suits | Timeframe | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| By right of blood (jure sanguinis) | Descendants of Italians | no residence required | parent or grandparent born in Italy (after the 2025 reform) |
| By marriage | Spouses of Italian citizens | 2 years in Italy / 3 abroad | marriage maintained, B1 language |
| By naturalisation | Those living in Italy on a residence permit | 10 years (non-EU) | continuous residence, income, B1 |
| By birth | Those born in Italy to foreigners | from age 18 | continuous residence until adulthood |
Let's clear up a common illusion right away. You cannot buy Italian citizenship or obtain it through investment — there is no direct "citizenship for money" in the country. An investor visa from €250.000 gives a residence permit and does not shorten the path to a passport.
And one more important boundary. Naturalisation by residence is available only to those who actually live in Italy. You can claim citizenship from abroad only by blood or by marriage; such applications are filed through the consulate.
Citizenship by Ancestry and What the 2025 Reform Changed
This is the most recent and the most painful point. Until March 2025, Italian citizenship by right of blood could be reclaimed through an ancestor of any distance — even a great-great-grandfather — by proving an unbroken chain.
Since 29 March 2025, decree-law No. 36/2025, converted into law No. 74/2025, has been in force. It limited the right of blood to two generations. Citizenship by descent is now recognised automatically only if the applicant has a parent or a grandparent born in Italy (or an Italian parent who lived in the country for at least two years before the applicant's birth).
The key date: 27 March 2025, 23:59 Rome time. Applications filed and confirmed before that moment are reviewed under the old rules, without a generation limit. Anything filed later falls under the new rules. The reform was challenged in court, but the Constitutional Court in 2026 upheld the restriction as lawful, so counting on its repeal is unwise.
What this means in practice. Betting on a distant ancestor — a great-grandfather or great-great-grandfather — no longer works for new applications. Separately, the "1948 rule" remains: citizenship through the maternal line for those born before 1948 is recognised only through the courts.
Citizenship Through Marriage to an Italian Citizen
Marriage offers a shorter path than naturalisation. You can claim citizenship after two years of residence in Italy while married, or after three years if the couple lives abroad. If there are shared or adopted children, the timeframes are halved: one year in Italy or 18 months abroad.
There are two requirements. You need an Italian language certificate at level B1, and the marriage must be maintained from the moment the application is filed until the decree is issued: divorce or legal separation during this period means refusal. A marriage contracted abroad must first be registered with the Italian civil registry.
Bear in mind that the genuineness of the marriage is checked, and a sham union for the sake of a passport is detected.
Citizenship by Naturalisation: The Route Through Residence
For those who have neither close Italian roots nor an Italian spouse, the main route remains: naturalisation through legal residence. The timeframes are as follows: 10 years for citizens of non-EU countries, 4 years for EU citizens, 5 years for refugees and stateless persons, 3 years for foreigners born in Italy.
It all starts with a residence permit. It is precisely the years of residence under a valid permesso di soggiorno that add up to those 10 years. And here lies the main risk — continuity. A lapse when renewing the residence permit, cancellation of your registered residence, or a long absence from the country resets the accumulated time, and the count starts over. The residence permit must remain valid without gaps, even in the interval between filing the citizenship application and receiving the decree.
At Law Honor we build this path from the very first step: we arrange a turnkey Italian residence permit and guide the client onward to naturalisation. How the residence permit itself works, its grounds and timeframes, is covered in detail in a separate article on how to obtain an Italian residence permit.
How Much Money and What Language Level You Need
Two requirements filter out some applicants right at the start: income and language.
On income, you must prove taxable earnings for the last three years. The benchmark for a single applicant is about €8.263 per year; with dependents the threshold is higher (around €11.362 with a dependent spouse, plus about €516 for each additional dependent). Family solidarity is taken into account: the income of a spouse or close relatives can be attached.
On language, since 2018 an Italian certificate at level B1 has been mandatory. Documents from four accredited bodies are accepted: CILS (University for Foreigners of Siena), CELI (Perugia), PLIDA (the Dante Alighieri Society) and CERT.IT (Roma Tre). The certificate costs €60–130 and never expires. Holders of an EU long-term residence permit are exempt from the exam.
How to Submit the Application Step by Step
The citizenship application is submitted online only. The procedure is as follows.
- Obtain SPID or CIE. This is electronic identification; without it, access to the portal is impossible.
- Log in to the ALI Cittadinanza portal of the Ministry of the Interior and fill out the online form for your ground.
- Upload documents in PDF: birth certificate, criminal-record certificate from your country of origin and from all countries where you lived six months or longer, tax returns for three years, the B1 certificate, permesso di soggiorno, codice fiscale.
- Pay the fees: a state contribution of €250 via the PagoPA system and a €16 stamp duty.
- Receive the K10 case number, which is later used to track the status.
- Undergo verification of the originals at the Prefecture (for those living in Italy) or the consulate.
- The oath. After the decree granting citizenship, you take the oath at the comune.
Two practical points that trip people up. The criminal-record certificate is valid for six months from the date of issue, and the apostille can be affixed only in the country that issued it — it cannot be done in Italy. The oath (giuramento) must be taken within six months after the decree, otherwise it loses effect; citizenship takes effect the day after the oath.
How Long It Takes and How Much It Costs
The state payments are small: a €250 contribution plus a €16 stamp. But the real budget is noticeably higher because of document preparation. A sworn translation costs €25–30 per page, to which is added a €16 stamp duty for every four pages and court certification of around €50–80. Plus the apostille in the country of origin (€20–80) and the B1 certificate (€60–130). In total, preparation usually costs €400–800 and more, depending on the number of documents.
The timeframes deserve a separate and honest discussion. By law, the application is reviewed within 24 months, with the possibility of extension to 36. In practice, in large cities — Milan, Rome, Naples — people wait at the upper limit. Three years of waiting for a naturalisation decision is the norm, not a glitch, and you should prepare for exactly that horizon.
Dual Citizenship: Do You Have to Give Up Your Previous One
Good news for most people: Italy allows multiple citizenship. You do not have to give up your original passport upon naturalisation, unless the legislation of your own country requires it.
Bear in mind that you may need to notify the authorities of the country whose citizen you already are about acquiring a second citizenship; this depends on its laws, so check separately. The Italian passport itself gives the right to live and work in any European Union country and visa-free access to many states around the world.
Common Mistakes and Reasons for Refusal
A naturalisation refusal rarely comes down to a single formal reason; more often it stems from several. Here is what most commonly lets people down.
- Gaps in legal residence: an expired residence permit, cancellation of registered residence, long absences.
- Weak or opaque proof of income over three years.
- An incomplete package and expired certificates: the same criminal-record certificate lasts only six months.
- Falling short on language: B1 not passed.
- Betting on distant roots: after the 2025 reform many lose hope for the "great-grandfather" route; check in advance whether you fall under the 27 March 2025 cut-off.
A refusal does not mean a dead end. If the decision is delayed beyond the set deadline, you can file a complaint with the administrative court — for citizenship cases this is the TAR Lazio in Rome. In case of refusal, a preliminary notice (preavviso di diniego) arrives first, with the right to submit objections, and the decision can then be appealed there. The judicial part requires a lawyer, and here the profile matters: on our team the case is handled by a Doctor of Law from the University of Florence.
What Comes Next
If the goal is an Italian passport, start with a sober assessment of the route. Close roots (a parent, grandmother or grandfather from Italy) or marriage to a citizen give a short road; for everyone else the real path is legal residence and naturalisation, which starts with a residence permit. Law Honor's lawyers will help you choose the ground, arrange a turnkey residence permit as the first step, gather and legalise the documents and guide the citizenship application through, including appealing a refusal. A first consultation is available free of charge, during which we honestly assess your timeframes and chances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to give up your previous citizenship? No. Italy allows dual and multiple citizenship; you do not have to give up your original passport upon naturalisation. The exception is where your own country's legislation requires renunciation.
Can you obtain Italian citizenship through investment or buy it? No. There is no direct "citizenship for investment" in Italy. An investor visa from €250.000 gives only a residence permit and does not shorten the path to a passport: you still need 10 years of actual residence, income and language.
I only have an Italian great-grandfather — is there a chance after the 2025 reform? For new applications, generally no. Since 27 March 2025 the right of blood is limited to two generations: you need a parent or a grandmother or grandfather born in Italy. A great-grandfather and more distant ancestors no longer qualify for new applications. The exception is applications filed and confirmed before 27 March 2025.
How long does the decision really take? By law, 24 months, with the possibility of extension to 36. In practice, in large cities people wait at the upper limit, and three years of waiting is an ordinary situation, not a malfunction.
Is the B1 exam difficult, and what happens if you fail one part? Level B1 is confident everyday command of the language; the oral part is essentially like a conversation with an acquaintance. But if you fail even one section, you have to retake the entire exam, so people prepare for it seriously. The certificate never expires.
How long until citizenship is granted through marriage? After two years of residence in Italy while married, or three years if the couple lives abroad. If there are children, the timeframes are halved, to one year in Italy or 18 months abroad. B1 language is required.
How many years do you need to live on a residence permit before applying? For citizens of non-EU countries, 10 years of legal continuous residence; for EU citizens, 4 years; for refugees and stateless persons, 5 years; for foreigners born in Italy, 3 years.
Will the count reset if I was away for a long time or let my residence permit lapse? That risk exists. Residence must be continuous and legal: a lapse when renewing the residence permit, cancellation of registered residence, or a long absence from the country can reset the accumulated time. It is important to keep the residence permit valid, including in the interval between filing the application and the decree.
What should you do if you are refused? A refusal can be appealed in the administrative court — for citizenship cases this is the TAR Lazio in Rome. Upon refusal, a preliminary notice arrives first, with the right to submit objections, and the decision is then appealed on the merits. Before that, it is worth reviewing the reason for refusal with a lawyer.