Overview For Marriages Before April 28, 1983

Foreign women who married an Italian man prior to April 28, 1983, instantly obtained citizenship at the date of marriage. For the lucky women who fall into this category, there is a very simplified process through the consulate.

Schedule the appointment online via Prenot@Mi or Prenota Online depending on which consulate jurisdiction you live within.

Required Documents

1. Your US Passport, and a photocopy of the passport page showing your personal information.

2. A money order for the current consular fee. This fee is published on your consulate’s website. It cannot be paid by cash, card, or personal check.

3. Proof of residency within the consular jurisdiction. This can be a utility bill.

4. Your marriage document, which can be an “estratto per riassunto” if the marriage was registered in Italy, or the foreign marriage document translated into Italian and apostilled.

5. The non-Italian applicant’s birth certificate in long form, translated into Italian and apostilled.

IMPORTANT:
There are many instances where an Italian man married an American woman before he became a Naturalized citizen. This is important because if the Italian man naturalized before his children were born, the children would not qualify for Jure Sanguinis (blood right) citizenship through him. They could potentially qualify through the American spouse, since the American spouse would not have been impacted by the Italian spouse’s naturalization process.

Overview For Marriages After April 28, 1983

Italian Citizenship by marriage is a fairly straightforward process. If living in Italy, the non-Italian spouse can apply after two years of marriage. If living outside of Italy, the non-Italian spouse can apply after three years of marriage. Both time requirements are cut in half if you have a minor child, including if by adoption.

Italy DOES recognize same-sex marriages, although it is Important to note that Italy considers this a “Civil Union.”

The non-Italian spouse must be B1 level certified in the Italian language, and this must be certified by an educational institution approved by the Italian Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The B1 level is considered “intermediate” and proficient for everyday interactions.

Please note, the language requirement only applies to the non-Italian spouse. Those seeking Italian Citizenship by descent via Jure Sanguinis are not required to pass a language test.

Before you begin the process, the marriage or civil union must be registered in A.I.R.E. if residing abroad, or with the comune of residence if in Italy.

The non-Italian applicant must create an account online by clicking here. Please note that the portal is only available in Italian, so if you’d prefer to view in a different language we recommend using Google Chrome Browser to automatically translate pages for you.

Plan accordingly, as there are document validity requirements. The citizenship application must be submitted before any documents expire.

Required Documents

1. A copy of your marriage certificate transcript, which must be requested from the Italian comune where the marriage was registered. If you registered the marriage through A.I.R.E., this document will be located in your “birth comune.” It must have a 6-month validity.

2. A criminal background check from all US States and foreign countries that the non-Italian applicant has lived in since the age of 14, as well as from the FBI. Background check documents must have a 6-month validity.

3. An original copy of the non-Italian applicant’s birth certificate in long-form, translated into Italian, and apostilled.

4. The B1 level certification issued by an educational institution approved by the Italian Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Important Notes
You do not schedule a citizenship appointment at a comune or consulate to start the process. Citizenship by marriage is processed fully online. Once your documents are processed, you will be invited by the consulate or prefettura to submit your physical documents in person.

The consulate or prefettura will request a separate list of documents required to bring during the citizenship appointment. Both spouses must be present.

All documents issued in foreign countries must be certified with an apostille. An apostille is typically issued by the state or country that the document was processed in. In the US, you would request an apostille from the state in which you were married.

Any document issued in a language other than Italian must be translated into Italian and certified by the local consulate.

Processing time can take 24 months, and can be extended to a maximum of 36 months. This means once you start the process, it can take up to three years before the non-Italian is granted Italian Citizenship.