How many years must I reside in Italy to obtain Italian citizenship through residency?

Current regulations state that you can apply for Italian citizenship after 10 years of legal residence in Italy. However, this period can be reduced under the following circumstances:

- 3 years: for those who were born in Italy or have parents or grandparents who were Italian citizens at birth

- 4 years: for citizens of the European Union

- 5 years: for stateless persons or refugees, as well as for adults adopted by Italian citizens

- no minimum residency period: for foreigners who have worked for the Italian State for at least 5 years, even abroad

What is meant by "residence" in Italy?

Residence implies formal registration with the Civil Registry Office (Anagrafe) of the city where the person resides. This registration must be uninterrupted, meaning that if the person leaves Italy and their residence is canceled, previous years will not be counted towards the total.

Registration of residence is essential for obtaining citizenship. You cannot prove residence in Italy without being registered in the Anagrafe of an Italian Municipality.

Maintain a valid residence permit

If you wish to apply for Italian citizenship through residency, you must always keep your residence permit valid. Spending time outside Italy may result in the revocation of your permit.

Please note:

- 1-year residence permits cannot be renewed or extended if the holder has been outside Italy for more than 6 consecutive months

- for residence permits of two years' duration, the holder should not be outside Italy for more than half of the permit's validity (i.e., if the permit is for 24 months, no more than 12 consecutive months)

- the long-term residence permit (Permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) is revoked if the holder leaves both the EU for 12 consecutive months and Italy for more than 6 years

- the residence permit for family members of EU citizens (Carta di soggiorno) remains valid if the holder does not leave Italy for more than 6 months per year, or for longer periods in cases of military service, pregnancy, maternity, illness, studies, or professional reasons.

Additional requirements for applying for citizenship by residency

In addition to residency, you will need to demonstrate:

- no criminal record in Italy and in the countries where you have lived

- proof of income and payment of taxes in Italy for at least the last 3 years before the application

- certification of Italian language and culture proficiency test of at least B1 level

Your Way to Italy: our assistance

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances