Italy · Citizenship
Italian Citizenship Through Residence
Non-EU founders can apply for Italian citizenship after ten years of legal residence. The grant is discretionary, requires Italian at B1 level and does not oblige applicants to give up their other nationality.
- Startup route
- Italia Startup Visa
- Minimum capital
- Funding level set by MIMIT guidelines; confirm with MIMIT
- Permanent residence
- 5 years (EU long-term residence permit)
- Citizenship
- 10 years of legal residence
Citizenship by residence (Article 9, Law 91/1992)
Italian citizenship by residence is granted by decree under Article 9 of Law 91/1992. Non-EU nationals generally need ten years of legal residence in Italy, EU citizens four, stateless people five and foreigners born in Italy three. Applicants must have Italian at level B1 or higher of the Common European Framework, normally shown through a qualification or certificate; a 2025 Constitutional Court ruling added an exemption for people with serious, certified limits on language learning due to age, illness or disability. The procedure must be completed within 24 months, extendable to 36. Italy has no citizenship-by-investment program.
- Non-EU residents
- 10 years of legal residence
- EU citizens
- 4 years of legal residence
- Language
- Italian at B1 level or higher
- Decision deadline
- 24 months, extendable to 36
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed; no renunciation required
- Investment route
- None
Requirements
- Ten years of legal residence in Italy for most non-EU nationals, with shorter periods for EU citizens and some other groups.
- Italian at B1 level or higher, proven by a qualification or certificate where required.
- Evidence of legal residence covering the full qualifying period.
- An oath of loyalty to the Republic after the citizenship decree is issued.
How to apply
- Confirm ten years of legal residence and obtain a B1 Italian certificate or qualifying diploma.
- Submit the application online to the Ministry of the Interior with the required documents and fee.
- Wait for the decision, which the law requires within 24 months, extendable to 36.
- After the decree, swear the oath of loyalty to become a citizen.
What the 2025 reform changed
Italy's 2025 citizenship reform focused on descent rather than residence. Decree-Law 36/2025, converted by Law 74/2025, added Article 3-bis to Law 91/1992, under which people born abroad who hold another citizenship are generally treated as never having acquired Italian citizenship by descent, unless an exception applies, such as a parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship or an application filed by 27 March 2025. The reform also set a two-year residence path for foreigners with a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen by birth. The ten-year rule for other non-EU residents did not change.
For founders, the practical timeline is therefore unchanged: five years to the EU long-term permit and ten years of legal residence before a citizenship application, followed by up to three years of processing. Article 11 of Law 91/1992 lets Italian citizens keep any foreign citizenship they hold or acquire, and the naturalization rules contain no renunciation requirement, so the fate of a founder's original passport depends on that country's own law.
Questions and answers
Do I have to give up my passport to become Italian?
Italy does not require it. Article 11 of Law 91/1992 states that a citizen who holds, acquires or reacquires a foreign citizenship keeps Italian citizenship. Whether you keep your original nationality after naturalizing depends on the rules of your home country, which differ widely.
How long does an Italian citizenship application take?
The law sets a maximum of 24 months from the application date, extendable to 36 months. This window applies to applications based on residence and on marriage, so founders should expect a wait of two to three years after reaching the ten-year residence mark.
Did the 2025 changes affect citizenship by residence in Italy?
Not for most founders. The 2025 reform mainly limited citizenship by descent for people born abroad with another nationality. It also created a two-year residence route for foreigners whose parent or grandparent was an Italian citizen by birth, but the ten-year period for other non-EU nationals stayed the same.
Is there a citizenship-by-investment option in Italy?
No. The Investor Visa for Italy leads to a renewable residence permit, not to citizenship. Investors follow the same path as other residents: the EU long-term permit after five years and a citizenship application after ten years of legal residence, with Italian at B1 level.
Official sources
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 9www.normattiva.it
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 9.1www.normattiva.it
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 9-terwww.normattiva.it
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 3-biswww.normattiva.it
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 11www.normattiva.it
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Italy.
Startup visa
Positive MIMIT assessment, then a long-stay self-employment visa
02Temporary residence
Self-employment permit; investor permit 2 years, renewable for 3
03Permanent residence
EU long-term permit after 5 years, with income, housing and Italian test
04Citizenship
10 years of legal residence and B1 Italian; dual citizenship allowed