Citizenship by Marriage

Basic Eligibility

To qualify, you must meet all of the following:

Marriage Duration and Residency

The time you must wait before applying depends on where you live:

• If you reside in Italy: 2 years of legal, continuous residence after marriage
• If you reside abroad: 3 years from the date of marriage

These waiting periods are halved if you have children born or adopted together:

• In Italy with children: 1 year
• Abroad with children: 1.5 years

The clock starts from your marriage date, not from when you apply. You must have already completed the required time before submitting your application.

If your Italian spouse acquired citizenship through naturalization (rather than by birth), the waiting period begins from the date of their naturalization oath, not from your marriage date.

Valid Marriage Registered in Italy

Your marriage must be:

• Legally valid under Italian law
• Registered with the Italian municipality (Comune) where your spouse has vital records
• For marriages performed abroad: transcribed into Italian civil registers before you apply
• Still valid throughout the entire application process and until you take the citizenship oath—any divorce, legal separation, or annulment during processing will result in denial

Italian Language Proficiency (B1 Level)

Since December 4, 2018, you must demonstrate intermediate Italian language ability at B1 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – CEFR). This means conversational ability: you can discuss familiar topics, understand main points, and express yourself clearly.

Exemptions apply if you have:

• Signed an integration agreement (Article 4-bis, Legislative Decree 286/1998)
• An EU long-term residence permit
• Certified cognitive impairments or disabilities

Clean Criminal Record

You must have:

• No convictions for offences carrying a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment
• No convictions for serious crimes listed in the Italian Penal Code (Book 2, Title I, Chapters I–III)
• No convictions for offences against the State
• No security impediments to the Italian Republic

You will need to obtain criminal background certificates from your country of origin and all countries where you have lived since age 14.

Spouse Status

Your Italian spouse must be a confirmed Italian citizen. If they are an EU citizen married to you, they do not qualify as the sponsoring spouse for this pathway—only Italian citizens can sponsor.

Special Cases

If Your Italian Spouse Dies During the Application

You can still acquire citizenship. A 2022 Constitutional Court ruling established that the death of your spouse during the application process does not prevent you from becoming Italian. The Court found that your right to citizenship is established when you submit your application (provided you met all requirements at that moment), not when you take the oath. This ruling also applies to civil unions.

If You Were Married Before April 26, 1983

If you are a foreign woman who married an Italian man before that date, you automatically acquired Italian citizenship at the time of marriage under the old law. You do not need to apply through this pathway—you can claim citizenship directly, even if your spouse is now deceased or divorced.

Same-Sex Civil Unions

Italian law grants identical citizenship rights to same-sex civil unions as to heterosexual marriages. Civil partnerships have been legal in Italy since 2016, and all same-sex marriages celebrated abroad are recognized in Italy.

If You Reconcile After Legal Separation

If you and your spouse were legally separated but then reconciled (with the reconciliation formally noted on your marriage certificate), your waiting period must start over from the date of reconciliation.

Who Does Not Qualify

• Cohabitation alone is not enough—the marriage must be legally registered
• Nationality of origin does not matter; there is no requirement to hold a specific nationality
• Financial status is irrelevant; unlike some other pathways, there is no income requirement