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Italian Citizenship

Last updated: July 3rd, 2025

 

Please note that the possession of double citizenship (Italian and Ethiopian), is considered a crime by the Ethiopian legislation and it is punishable with prison.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Currently, Italian citizenship is regulated by Italian Law No. 91 of 5 February 1992 (and related implementing regulations: in particular Italian Presidential Decree No. 572 of 12 October 1993, Italian Presidential Decree No. 362 of 18 April 1994, and most recently Italian Conversion Act No. 74 of May 23, 2025).

The principles on which Italian citizenship is based are:

  • the transmissibility of citizenship by descent (principle of ius sanguinis );
  • the acquisition of ius soli (by birth in the territory) in some cases;
  • the possibility of dual citizenship;
  • the expression of will to purchase and lose.

ACQUISITION OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP

Italian citizenship can be acquired according to the procedures set out below.

Citizenship by filiation ( ius sanguinis )

Italian Law No. 91/92 states that the following is recognized as Italian citizen iure sanguinis (from birth):

  • the applicant born in Italy on any date;
  • the applicant who has Italian citizenship exclusively, that is, who does not have nor can have any other citizenship;
  • the applicant who falls into one of the cases listed in (a), (a-bis), (b), (c) and (d) of Article 3-bis. Proof of residence in Italy for at least two continuous years requires the presentation of the Historical Certificate of Citizenship (letter d art. 3-bis).

For information on the registration of a minor child born in Ethiopia, see the section Request for transcription of civil status documents.

By explicitly declaring that the mother also transmits citizenship, the article fully accepts the principle of equality between men and women with regard to the transmission of the status civitatis . However, it should be kept in mind that the mother who is a citizen transmits citizenship to her children only starting from 01/01/1948, as a result of a specific ruling by the Constitutional Court.

 

Citizenship by descent

In the event that the birth certificate is not sent to the Municipality for transcription by the age of 18, the adult (aged 18 or over), if resident in the consular district, must submit a formal request for citizenship by descent. The conditions required for such recognition are based, on the one hand, on the demonstration of descent from the person originally invested with the status of citizen (the ancestor, emigrant) and, on the other, on the proof of the absence of interruptions in the transmission of citizenship (failure of the ancestor to be naturalized as a foreigner before the birth of the child, absence of declarations of renunciation of Italian citizenship by further descendants before the birth of the next generation, demonstrating that the chain of transmission of citizenship has not been interrupted).

With regard to the procedures for the recognition of possession of Italian citizenship by right of blood , these have been formalised in circular no. K.28.1 of 8 April 1991 of the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the legal validity of which has not been affected by the subsequent entry into force of Italian law no. 91/1992.

The competent authority to carry out the assessment is determined on the basis of the place of residence.

The application must be submitted to the Consular Office in whose jurisdiction the foreigner of Italian origin resides. Residency is verified on the basis of possession of a valid Permanent Residence Permit in the Federal Republic of Ethiopia

The recognition procedure is developed in the following steps:

  • ensure that the lineage begins with an Italian ancestor (first or second degree ascendant who possesses, or possessed at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship). To prove exclusive possession of Italian citizenship, one must present (for example):
    • Ethiopian Origin ID;
    • Negative Certificates of Citizenship;
    • Certificates of Renunciation of Citizenship;
    • Certificates of non-registration in the electoral rolls;
  • verify that the Italian citizen ancestor maintained citizenship until the birth of the descendant. The lack of naturalization or the date of any naturalization of the ancestor must be proven by means of a certificate issued by the competent foreign Authority;
  • prove the descent from the Italian ancestor through the civil status certificates of birth and marriage; certificates that must be in order with the legalization, if requested, and accompanied by an official translation
  • certify that neither the applicant nor the ascendants have ever renounced Italian citizenship by interrupting the chain of transmission of citizenship, by means of specific certificates issued by the competent Italian diplomatic and consular authorities.

The applicant has the obligation to submit the application (forms available on this page) accompanied by the required documentation, regular and complete, aimed at demonstrating the aspects listed above.

This application must be submitted by the interested party to the Consular Office, by appointment to be arranged by writing an email to consolato.addisabeba@esteri.it , only when in possession of all the below documentation in original, as provided for in Circular K.28.1 of April 8, 1991 of the Italian Ministry of the Interior:

  • Extract of the birth certificate of the Italian ancestor who emigrated abroad issued by the Italian municipality where he was born;
  • Birth certificates, with official Italian translation, of all his descendants in the direct line, including that of the person claiming Italian citizenship;
  • Marriage act of the Italian ancestor who emigrated abroad, with official Italian translation if formed abroad;
  • Marriage deeds of his descendants, in a direct line, including that of the parents of the person claiming possession of Italian citizenship;
  • Certificate issued by the competent Authorities of the foreign State of emigration, with official translation into Italian, stating that the Italian ancestor at the time emigrated from Italy did not acquire the citizenship of the foreign State of emigration prior to the birth of the ascendant of the person concerned;
  • Certificate issued by the competent Italian Consular Authority attesting that neither the ascendants in the direct line nor the person claiming Italian citizenship have ever renounced it under the terms of Article 7 of Law No. 555 of June 13, 1912;
  • Certificate of residence.

All documents must be submitted in original, duly legalized and translated , and will not be returned.

The search for documentation is the sole responsibility of the applicant.

The procedure for the verification of possession of Italian citizenship will be concluded within 730 days, as established by the Italian Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers n. 33 of 17/01/2014, in Italian Official Journal (“Gazzetta Ufficiale”) n. 64 of 18/03/2014.

As of January 1, 2025, all applications for recognition of Italian citizenship submitted by adults are subjected to the payment of a consular fee for processing the application of 600 Euro.

 

Citizenship by “benefit of law” (minor children)
In two cases, provided for in Paragraph 1-bis of Article 4 of Italian Law No. 91/1992 and Article 1, Paragraph 1-ter of Italian Decree-Law No. 36/2025, minor children born abroad to a citizen parent who does not automatically transmit citizenship can acquire Italian citizenship.

The minor who benefits from this will not be a citizen by birth or iure sanguinis.

According to Article 15 of Italian Law No. 91/1992, the minor does not acquire citizenship from the day of birth, but from the day after the conditions provided by law have been met.

In the first case (Paragraph 1-bis of Article 4 of Italian Law No. 91/1992) the following prerequisites must be met jointly:

  • One of the parents is a citizen by birth. This excludes cases of citizenship by naturalization under Article 9 of Law No. 91/1992 or “by benefit of law” under Article 4 of Law No. 91/1992 or by marriage under Article 5 of Law No. 91/1992 or Article 10 of Law No. 555/1912 or by repurchase under Articles 13 or 17 of Law No. 91/1992 or iuris communicatione (Article 14 of Law No. 91/1992).
  • both parents (including the foreign parent) or the guardian submit a declaration of intent to acquire citizenship within one year after birth (or from the later date on which filiation from an Italian citizen is established or adoption by an Italian citizen during the child’s minor age is decided). If the filiation is recognized at later times by parents who are both Italian citizens by birth, the one-year period will start from the first recognition (because already the first recognition involves the transmission of citizenship). If, on the other hand, recognition by a foreign parent (or an Italian citizen not by birth but by another title) occurs first, the one-year period will be counted from the recognition by the second parent who is a citizen by birth.

The declaration of intent to acquire citizenship must be formal and take place in person, in the presence of employee delegated to perform civil status functions. If the parents do not make the declaration at the same time, the legal requirement is considered fulfilled on the date on which the declaration of the second parent is submitted. If filiation (including adoptive) is established with respect to only one person (or if the other parent is deceased), the declaration of only one parent will be enough.

In the case of the establishment of the legal residence of the minor in Italy, the declaration may also be submitted after the term of one year from the birth, but the residence must continue for at least two continuous years after the declaration of intention to acquire citizenship submitted by the parents.

The second case (paragraph 1-ter of Article 1 of Decree-Law No. 36/2025) applies when all the following conditions are met:

  • persons who were minors on the date of entry into force of the conversion law, that is, persons who had not attained the age of 18 on May 24, 2025;
  • children of italian citizens by birth who are in the conditions stipulated in paragraphs (a), (a-bis) and (b) of Article 3-bis of Italian Law No. 91/1992. In other words, parents must be recognized as citizens on the basis of administrative or judicial application submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Rome time) on March 27, 2025 or on the basis of application submitted on the basis of appointment communicated by the consular office or municipality by the same date;
  • the declaration by the parents or guardian must be submitted to the Consular Office by May 31, 2026. If the person concerned, a minor as of May 24, 2025, becomes an adult in the meantime, the declaration must be submitted by him personally by the same deadline.

The declarations will have to be made presentially at the Consular Office in front of employees delegated to Civil Status functions.

Identity documents of the applicant and the child/ren, proof of residence in the consular district, as well as the documentation listed in the relevant declaration form will also need to be attached.

For Italian citizens enrolled in AIRE in the consular district of residence, the certificate of Italian citizenship by birth of the father or mother may be replaced by a statement in lieu of certification.

According to Article 9-bis of Italian Law No. 91/1992, a contribution fee in favor of the Italian Ministry of the Interior of 250 euros, for each minor, is to be paid by bank transfer, with any charges to be borne by the person ordering the transfer:

Beneficiary: “Ministero dell’Interno D.L.C.I Cittadinanza”
Name of the Bank: Poste Italiane S.p.A.
IBAN Code: IT54D0760103200000000809020
Reason for payment: “Acquisto cittadinanza a seguito di dichiarazione ex art. 9-bis L. 91/1992” plus applicant’s first and last name
BIC/SWIFT code of Poste Italiane: BPPIITRRXXX (for foreign transfers)
BIC/SWIFT code: PIBPITRA (for EUROGIRO circuit transactions)

Italian citizenship acquired in the ways indicated above may be renounced by the interested party, once he or she has come of age, with the sole condition that a condition of statelessness is not produced.

 

Citizenship by marriage to an Italian citizen

The acquisition of Italian citizenship by a foreign or stateless spouse who has married an Italian citizen since 27 April 1983 is currently regulated by Italian Law 5 February 1992 n. 91 (articles 5, 6, 7 and 8) and subsequent amendments.

Applications for Italian citizenship can also be submitted by foreign citizens who have formed a civil union with an Italian citizen registered in the civil status registers of the Italian municipality (Italian Legislative Decrees 5, 6 and 7/2017).

A foreign spouse/civil union partner may acquire Italian citizenship upon application, in the presence of the requirements established by current legislation, as explained below.

PLEASE NOTE: until 27 April 1983 – the date of entry into force of the previous Italian citizenship law n.123/83 – a foreign woman who married an Italian citizen automatically acquired Italian citizenship (see specific section).

The requirements are:

  • Residence in the consular district: the applicant must address the application to the diplomatic-consular representation competent for his/her residence. The spouse/partner of the civil union of Italian nationality must be resident and regularly registered in the registry of Italians residing abroad (AIRE) of the competent consular district and cohabiting at the same address as the applicant for citizenship. Otherwise, the spouses must provide documentation proving the reason (e.g. work, children’s schooling, medical care or other), which determines or has determined the need for separate domicile;
  • Deadlines for submission: the application can be submitted 3 years after the marriage/civil union if the spouse is an Italian citizen ius sanguinis ; in the event that the Italian spouse has in turn naturalized after the marriage, the 3 years start from the date of the naturalization of the latter. The aforementioned deadline is reduced to 18 months in the presence of children born or adopted by the spouses (minors or adults);
  • Transcription of marriage/civil union: if it took place abroad, it must have been previously transcribed at the Municipality in Italy.
  • Validity of marriage/civil union and stability of the marital/civil union bond until the adoption of the decree granting citizenship. In order to grant Italian citizenship, the dissolution, annulment or cessation of the civil effects of the marriage/civil union (personal separation/divorce) must not have occurred on the date of issue of the decree. Following Sentence no. 195/2022 of the Italian Constitutional Court, the death of the Italian spouse after the submission of the application is no longer likely to determine the forfeiture of the benefit;
  • Absence of convictions by Italian judicial authorities for crimes for which a penalty of more than three years of imprisonment is foreseen. Absence of convictions by foreign judicial authorities for a penalty of more than one year for non-political crimes. Absence of convictions for crimes against the personality of the State. Absence of reasons impeding the security of the Republic;
  • Knowledge of the Italian language no lower than level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR);
  • Payment of the contribution of €250 in favor of the Ministry of the Interior.

Effective August 1, 2015, individuals residing abroad must submit the application for the acquisition of Italian citizenship electronically according to the new procedure established by the competent Ministry of the Interior.

The applicant must register on the dedicated portal, called ALI, at the following URL: https://www.interno.gov.it/it/temi/cittadinanza-e-altri-diritti-civili/cittadinanza/cittadinanza-invia-tua-domanda and, once logged in, will have access to the online procedure for submitting the citizenship application.

Once registered, the applicant can proceed to fill out the application online by inserting all the required documents in the appropriate portal https://portaleserviziapp.dlci.interno.it/ . Any technical or content questions relating to the online application must be resolved by contacting the Ministry of the Interior directly, which has set up an assistance service with dedicated FAQs and Help desk.

In order to facilitate the identification of the diplomatic-consular representation territorially competent to receive the request, at the internet address indicated above there is a link that allows the user – after having selected the State of residence – to choose, through a drop-down menu, the competent representation by accessing a list that includes the entire diplomatic-consular network of the selected country.

The user must fill in all the fields provided in the form and insert the following documentation:

  • Birth certificate extract or equivalent;
  • Criminal record certificate from the country of origin and all third countries of residence (starting from the age of 14) and/or of which the applicant holds citizenship, issued no more than 6 months before the date of submission of the application. The applicant is exempted from presenting the criminal record certificate from the country of origin only if he/she left it before the age of 14 and has not retained its citizenship;
  • Receipt of payment of the contribution of €250.00 in favor of the Ministry of the Interior and payment of the €16 stamp duty to be made via PagoPA directly in the services portal, as follows:
    • Contribution of €250 to the Ministry of the Interior, to be paid exclusively via PagoPa when completing the application or via bank transfer to the current account indicated by the Ministry of the Interior (receipt to be included in the online application) with any costs to be paid by the person arranging the transfer.
      Beneficiary: “Ministero dell’Interno D.L.C.I Cittadinanza”
      Name of the Bank: Poste Italiane SpA
      IBAN Code: IT54D0760103200000000809020
      Reason for payment: “ Request for citizenship by marriage pursuant to art. 5 L. 91/1992 and name and surname of the applicant ”
      Poste Italiane BIC/SWIFT Code: BPPIITRRXXX (for foreign bank transfers)
      BIC/SWIFT Code: PIBPITRA (for EUROGIRO circuit operations).
    • €16 stamp duty to be paid exclusively via PagoPa to the Revenue Agency when filling out the application or via adhesive sticker purchased in Italy or via bank transfer to the current account of the Bank of Italy, IBAN code: IT07Y0100003245348008120501, with any costs to be paid by the person arranging the transfer;
  • Valid identity document: copy of passport or foreign identity card (page with personal data, photograph, dates of issue and expiry);
  • Copy of the full marriage certificate or summary extract from the marriage register, issued by the competent Italian municipality in whose civil status registers the certificate is transcribed;
  • Certificate of knowledge of the Italian language no lower than level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

The certification bodies authorised to issue official language certifications are exclusively:

  • the University for Foreigners of Siena with the certification called CILS;
  • the University for Foreigners of Perugia with the certification called CELI;
  • the University for Foreigners “Dante Alighieri” of Reggio Calabria with the certification called Ce.Co.L.;
  • Roma Tre University with the certification called CertIt;
  • the Dante Alighieri Society with the certification called PLIDA.

The exams to obtain the above certifications can also be taken at other institutions (for example, abroad at the Italian Cultural Institutes or in Italy at the CPIA – Provincial Centers for Adult Education), provided that they have an agreement with one of the aforementioned Institutions. Even in these cases, therefore, the certification issued must always be one of those indicated above.

However, the following are not required to present a qualification demonstrating knowledge of the Italian language:

  • Foreigners (even if resident abroad) who have signed the Integration Agreement referred to in art. 4 bis of Italian Legislative Decree no. 286/1998 Consolidated Immigration Act.
  • Holders of a long-term EU (or EC) residence permit as per Article 9 of the same Consolidated Law (even if resident abroad), only if issued by the Italian Authorities. Residence permits for family reasons or those issued by other States are not eligible.
  • Those who have obtained a qualification issued by a public or private educational institution recognised by the Ministry of Education, University and Research and/or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Citizenship applications by marriage before 04/27/1983 (ex art 10, c. 2 Italian L. 555/1912)

Foreign women who married an Italian citizen before 04/27/1983 are entitled to the attribution of Italian citizenship by automatic law. For the purposes of recognition of Italian citizenship, as well as for the subsequent issuance of the relevant identity documents, it is necessary that the birth certificate of the interested party be transcribed in Italy upon payment of the relevant consular fee of 300 euros.

Documents to be submitted to this Consulate for the purpose of attribution:

  • Your original birth certificate, duly legalised and translated;
  • Extract of the marriage certificate (or full copy) issued by the Municipality where the certificate is transcribed;
  • In the event that the marriage that took place abroad is not registered in Italy, the interested party, in addition to her birth certificate, must also present the original marriage certificate duly legalised and translated;
  • Certificate of residence or equivalent in the consular district;
  • Copy of the interested party’s passport or identity document;
  • Copy of the Italian spouse’s passport/ID card (where available).

It is also recalled that, under Italian Law 555/1912, until 26/04/1983, before the entry into force of Italian Law 123/1983 on 27/04/1983, the dissolution of the marital bond, following the death of the Italian spouse or divorce, entailed: the loss of Italian citizenship for the wife who had reacquired (or had never lost) her citizenship of origin and had brought back or simply maintained her residence abroad.

For cases of marriage prior to 04/27/1983, please contact the Consular Office at the email address consolato.addisabeba@esteri.it .

Other cases of citizenship attribution

a) Citizenship by recognition or by judicial declaration of filiation

A minor who is recognized as the child of an Italian citizen or who is declared the child of an Italian citizen by a judge is an Italian citizen (art. 2, paragraph 1 of Italian law no. 91/92).

If the recognition or judicial declaration concerns an adult , the latter acquires Italian citizenship only if, within one year of the provision, he expresses his will to do so, through an “election of citizenship” (art. 2, paragraph 2 of Italian law no. 91/92).

In this case, pursuant to art. 3 of Italian Presidential Decree 12.10.1993, n. 572 (Implementation Regulation of Italian Law n. 91/92) the declaration of election of citizenship referred to in art. 2, paragraph 2 of the law must be accompanied by the following documents:

    • birth certificate (for the purposes of precisely identifying the interested party);
    • deed of recognition or certified copy of the sentence with which paternity or maternity is declared;
    • parent’s citizenship certificate.

The latter acts constitute the prerequisite for requesting the benefit in question.

Finally, it should be noted that the judicial declaration of recognition may have been made abroad: in this case, the calculation of the one-year period for making the declaration of citizenship election must be made from the date on which the foreign provision is made effective in Italy.

Citizenship can only be elected if the parent from whom one wishes to acquire the status civitatis has been recognized as an Italian citizen.

In the event that the recognition or judicial declaration concerns an adult, the latter will not acquire Italian citizenship ius sanguinis , starting from birth, but only from the moment in which the latter manifests a will in this sense through the legal act of “election of citizenship”.

Applicants should contact the Consular Office consolato.addisabeba@esteri.it for information on the appointment and the documentation to be submitted.

b) Citizenship by adoption

A foreign minor adopted by an Italian citizen acquires Italian citizenship by means of a provision of the Italian Judicial Authority or, in the case of adoption pronounced abroad, by means of a provision of the foreign Authority made effective in Italy with an order (issued by the Juvenile Court) of transcription in the civil status registers.

If the adopted child is of age , he or she can acquire Italian citizenship by naturalization after 5 years of legal residence in Italy after the adoption.

c) Citizenship of minor children living with non-citizen parent since birth

Article 14 of Italian Law No. 91/1992, as amended by Italian Decree-Law No. 36/2025 as converted by Italian Law No. 74/2025, stipulates that in order to acquire citizenship in this manner, the child of Italian citizens not from birth must have been legally resident in Italy for at least two continuous years at the time of the parent’s acquisition or reacquisition of Italian citizenship (if the child is less than two years old, he or she must have been resident in Italy from birth).

It is specified that:

    • In the event that the practice for the recognition of citizenship iure communicatione falls, due to the way it is presented, within the exceptions identified in letters a), a-bis) or b) of Article 3-bis of Italian Law No. 91/1992 (i.e., application – administrative or judicial – presented by March 27, 2025, or application presented at the appointment indicated by March 27, 2025), the previous discipline will apply.
    • If the application for recognition of citizenship iure communicatione was filed on or after March 28, 2025, it is necessary that the parent transmitting citizenship be exclusively an Italian citizen or have resided in Italy for two years prior to the birth of the child.
    • if the parent’s acquisition or reacquisition of citizenship occurs on or after May 24, 2025, the child cohabiting with the parent acquiring or reacquiring Italian citizenship must have been a resident of Italy for at least two years prior to the parent’s naturalization. In this case, the Italian municipality of residence will be responsible for ascertaining the minor’s acquisition of citizenship.

 

LOSS OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP

Italian Law no. 555/1912 on citizenship provided that the voluntary acquisition of a foreign citizenship entailed the loss of Italian citizenship of the interested party and his minor children.

Italian Law no. 91/1992 introduced in art. 11 a regime of pluripolidia, that is, the possibility of having multiple citizenships.

Therefore, from 08/16/1992 (entry into force of the new Italian law n. 91/1992), the acquisition of a foreign citizenship does not determine the loss of Italian citizenship unless the Italian citizen formally renounces it.

REACQUISITION OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP

Italian Law 91/1992 provides in some cases the possibility of reacquiring citizenship where it has previously been lost.

In particular, a citizen residing abroad who has lost citizenship can reacquire it:

  • pursuant to art. 13, paragraph 1, letter c) of Italian law 91/1992, following a specific declaration to the competent consular office if the applicant establishes his/her residence in Italy within one year of the declaration itself.
  • pursuant to art. 13, paragraph 1, letter d) of Italian law 91/1992 after one year from the date on which he established residence in Italy, unless expressly renounced within the same term.

Starting from 05/10/2018, requests or declarations concerning the reacquisition of Italian citizenship are subject to the payment of a fee of 250 euros to the Italian Ministry of the Interior.

It should also be noted that the recent Law No. 74 of May 23, 2025, reopened the terms for the reacquisition of citizenship in favor of former citizens born in Italy or who have been resident in Italy for at least two continuous years and who lost their citizenship no later than August 15, 1992 pursuant to Article 8, no. 1 and No. 2, or Article 12 of Italian Law No. 555 of 1912 (naturalization in a foreign country, renunciation of citizenship following involuntary acquisition of foreign citizenship, minor children cohabiting with a parent who lost citizenship). The possibility of reacquisition does not apply to those who renounced Italian citizenship (or lost it for another reason) on or after August 16, 1992.

Reacquisition declarations can be submitted between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027.

The person interested in reacquisition must submit:

  1. Valid identity document issued by the Authority of the country of current citizenship;
  2. Birth certificate: if born abroad, it must be presented in the form required for transcription in Italy, legalized and translated;
  3. For those born abroad, historical certificate of residence issued by the relevant Italian municipality;
  4. Historical certificate of citizenship;
  5. Documentation proving the cause and date of loss of citizenship (proof of the acquisition of foreign citizenship and, in the cases provided for, the renunciation of Italian citizenship must be provided: naturalization certificate or, if provided for by local practice, birth certificate accompanied by the certification of citizenship and the title to which it is acquired; documentation issued by foreign Authorities must be properly legalized and translated).

A fee of €250, to be paid at the Consular Office, is required for declarations of reacquisition of Italian citizenship.

The declaration must be submitted by the person concerned personally.

According to Article 15 of Italian Law No. 91/1992, the person concerned does not reacquire citizenship from the day of birth, but from the day after the declaration is made.

For more information on the loss and reacquisition of Italian citizenship, please visit the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation or write an email to consolato.addisabeba@esteri.it.