How to Acquire Italian Citizenship: All Methods Under Italian Law

Italian citizenship is one of the most sought-after in the world — it grants the right to live and work freely across the European Union, access to consular protection globally, and a range of civil and political rights within the Italian legal system. Italian law provides for several distinct methods of acquiring citizenship, each with its own requirements, procedural route and legal basis.

This article provides a complete overview of all methods of acquiring Italian citizenship under Law No. 91 of 1992 — the primary Italian citizenship statute — and explains which method is likely to apply to different situations. For detailed guidance on individual methods, this article links to our dedicated guides on each route. For information specifically on judicial proceedings for citizenship by descent, see our page on Italian citizenship by descent and judicial proceedings.

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The Distinction Between Right and Concession

A fundamental distinction in Italian citizenship law is between citizenship acquired as a legal right and citizenship granted as a concession by the Italian state.

Citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis) and citizenship by marriage are treated as subjective rights under Italian law — provided the legal conditions are met, the applicant has a legally enforceable right to recognition that the Italian state cannot deny. The state’s role is to verify eligibility and formalise the recognition, not to exercise discretion.

Citizenship by residence (naturalisation), by contrast, is a concession — it involves a discretionary assessment by the Italian administration of whether it is in the interest of the Italian state to admit the applicant into its community. The administration considers factors including the applicant’s integration into Italian society, their criminal record and their financial position. A technically compliant application can be refused if the discretionary assessment is unfavourable.

Understanding this distinction is important because it determines the legal remedies available if an application is rejected.

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Method 1: Italian Citizenship by Descent (Iure Sanguinis)

Citizenship by descent is the most common method pursued by the millions of people around the world with Italian ancestry. Under the principle of ius sanguinis, Italian citizenship is transmitted from parent to child at birth, regardless of where the child is born, and without any generational limit. A person whose great-great-grandparent was Italian may be eligible for recognition of Italian citizenship — provided the chain of transmission has never been interrupted.

The key eligibility conditions are:

• There is a direct and unbroken line of descent from an Italian citizen to the applicant
• At each generation, the Italian parent was still an Italian citizen at the time their child was born — meaning they had not yet acquired a foreign citizenship or renounced Italian citizenship before that birth
• No person in the line of descent formally renounced Italian citizenship before their child was born

Citizenship by descent is not acquired through an application in the traditional sense — it is a recognition of a right that has always existed. The procedural route for obtaining that recognition depends on the circumstances: the standard administrative route through the Italian consulate or a municipal registry office, or judicial proceedings before an Italian court where the administrative route is unavailable or inapplicable.

Judicial proceedings are mandatory in all cases involving the 1948 rule — where the line of descent passes through a woman who gave birth before 1 January 1948. They are also available as an alternative when consular waiting times are unreasonable or when the consulate has formally rejected the application.

For detailed guidance on eligibility requirements, see our article on Italian citizenship by descent eligibility requirements. For the recognition process and available routes, see our article on how the Italian citizenship recognition process works.

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Method 2: Italian Citizenship by Marriage or Civil Union

A foreign national or stateless person who marries an Italian citizen — or enters into a civil union with one — may acquire Italian citizenship by submitting an application to the Italian administration after a qualifying waiting period.

The requirements are governed by Articles 5 and 6 of Law No. 91 of 1992 and include:

• Waiting period: at least two years of legal residence in Italy after the date of marriage (for applicants residing in Italy), or at least three years from the date of marriage (for applicants residing abroad). Both periods are reduced by half if the couple has children born or legally adopted
• Subsisting union: the marriage or civil union must be in force at the time of the application — it must not have been dissolved, annulled or have otherwise ceased to produce legal effects
• Language requirement: the applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the Italian language at a minimum level of B1
• No criminal convictions: the applicant must not have been convicted of certain categories of offence in Italy or abroad, and must not represent a danger to national security

Unlike citizenship by descent, citizenship by marriage is a concession — not an automatic right. The application is submitted online through the Ministry of the Interior portal and involves a €250 administrative contribution. The decision must be issued within two years of submission, with a possible extension of one further year in exceptional cases.

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Method 3: Italian Citizenship by Residence (Naturalisation)

Italian citizenship by residence — commonly known as naturalisation — is available to foreign nationals who have resided legally in Italy for a qualifying period, depending on their background:

• EU citizens: four years of legal residence in Italy
• Non-EU citizens: ten years of legal residence in Italy
• Stateless persons and recognised refugees: five years of legal residence in Italy
• Descendants of Italian citizens (up to the second degree) who lost or renounced citizenship: three years
• Foreign nationals who have served in the Italian armed forces or public administration: reduced periods apply depending on the specific case

Additional requirements include continuous and uninterrupted registration of residence, demonstrated income sufficient to support the applicant and their family, knowledge of the Italian language at B1 level or above, and the absence of disqualifying criminal convictions.

Naturalisation is fully discretionary. Even where all formal requirements are met, the Italian administration can refuse the application if it determines that admission to Italian citizenship is not in the public interest. A refusal can be challenged through the administrative courts, but the discretionary nature of the process makes judicial review more limited than in rights-based citizenship cases.

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Method 4: Italian Citizenship by Birth on Italian Territory (Ius Soli)

Italian law provides for citizenship by birth on Italian territory (ius soli) in specific circumstances, most of which are automatic:

• A child born in Italy to unknown parents, or to stateless parents, or to parents whose country of origin does not transmit citizenship to children born abroad, acquires Italian citizenship at birth
• A child born in Italy and found abandoned acquires Italian citizenship unless another citizenship is established

A separate, non-automatic scenario applies to children born in Italy to foreign parents who have resided legally and uninterruptedly in Italy. These individuals may apply for Italian citizenship in the year following their 18th birthday — specifically in the period between their 18th and 19th birthdays. The application must be submitted to the municipality of residence. Under Article 33 of Law No. 98 of 2013, Italian municipalities are required to inform eligible individuals of this right in the six months preceding their 18th birthday.

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Method 5: Italian Citizenship by Adoption

A foreign minor who is legally adopted by an Italian citizen acquires Italian citizenship by operation of law at the time the adoption becomes effective. No separate application is required — citizenship follows automatically from the legal adoption. If the adopted person is an adult at the time of the adoption, they do not acquire Italian citizenship automatically but may apply for naturalisation under a reduced residence requirement.

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Method 6: Citizenship by Recognition or Judicial Declaration of Parentage

Where an Italian citizen recognises a child after birth — or where parentage is established through a judicial declaration — the child acquires Italian citizenship. If the child is a minor at the time of recognition, citizenship is acquired automatically. If the child is already an adult, they may choose to acquire Italian citizenship within one year of the recognition or judicial declaration, while retaining their existing citizenship.

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Loss and Revocation of Italian Citizenship

Italian citizenship can be lost in certain circumstances, the most relevant of which are:

• Voluntary renunciation: an Italian citizen who resides abroad and has acquired a foreign citizenship may renounce Italian citizenship through a formal declaration before the competent Italian authority
• Automatic loss under pre-1992 law: under Law No. 555 of 1912 (repealed by Law No. 91 of 1992), Italian citizenship was lost automatically upon voluntary acquisition of a foreign citizenship. This historical rule is central to many citizenship by descent eligibility assessments, as the date of naturalisation of an ancestor relative to the birth of their child determines whether the chain of descent was interrupted
• Revocation: under Article 10-bis of Law No. 91 of 1992, Italian citizenship acquired after birth — through marriage, residence or other post-birth methods — can be revoked following a final conviction for certain serious offences, including terrorism-related crimes. Citizenship by descent cannot be revoked on these grounds

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which method of acquiring Italian citizenship is most accessible for people living outside Italy?

For most people living outside Italy with Italian ancestry, citizenship by descent is the most accessible route — it does not require relocating to Italy, learning Italian or meeting income requirements. Eligibility depends entirely on the family tree. For those without Italian ancestry, citizenship by marriage is the next most accessible route for those married to or in a civil union with an Italian citizen, though it requires a waiting period and language qualification.

Can I hold both Italian citizenship and another citizenship?

Italy generally permits dual or multiple citizenship. Italian citizens who acquire a foreign citizenship do not automatically lose Italian citizenship under the current law (Law No. 91 of 1992). However, some other countries do not permit dual citizenship, and acquiring Italian citizenship may result in the loss of citizenship of another country under that country’s laws. This must be verified case by case based on the laws of the other country involved.

Is there a generational limit for citizenship by descent?

No. Italian citizenship law imposes no generational limit on the transmission of citizenship by descent. The chain of transmission can in principle extend back indefinitely, provided it has never been interrupted. Cases involving ancestors born in the 1800s are entirely common in practice.

What is the difference between citizenship by descent and citizenship by voluntary acquisition?

Citizenship by descent is a recognition of a right that has always existed — the applicant is deemed to have been an Italian citizen since birth, and the recognition is declaratory rather than constitutive. Citizenship acquired through marriage, residence or other post-birth methods is constitutive — it creates a new legal status from the date of the formal grant, and it can be revoked in certain circumstances. Citizenship by descent cannot be revoked.

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Request an Initial Legal Assessment

If you are considering applying for Italian citizenship and wish to understand which method applies to your situation, contact our Italian citizenship lawyer to request an initial legal assessment. We will review your specific circumstances and advise on the most appropriate route under Italian law.