How long does Italy take to decide a citizenship application?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Italian law sets 24 months from the application, extendable to a maximum of 36 months, to decide citizenship by marriage or by residence. This applies to applications filed from 20 December 2020; earlier ones have 48 months. Once granted, you must swear the oath within six months of being notified, or the decree has no effect.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Deadline to decide	24 months from the application, extendable to a maximum of 36 months	L. 91/1992, art. 9-ter
Which applications	Citizenship by marriage (art. 5) and by residence (art. 9)	L. 91/1992, art. 9-ter
Applications filed before 20 December 2020	48 months	Ministry of the Interior, art. 9 page
After the decree	Oath of loyalty within 6 months of notification, or the decree has no effect	L. 91/1992, art. 10
Where the oath is taken	Civil registrar of your municipality; consulate if you live abroad	L. 91/1992, art. 23.1

The deadline

Article 9-ter sets the time limit for citizenship by marriage and by residence at 24 months from the date of the application, extendable up to a maximum of 36 months. The update note on Normattiva says this version applies to applications filed from the date the conversion law of D.L. 130/2020 (L. 173/2020) came into force. The ministry’s guidance gives that date as 20 December 2020, and says applications filed before it have a 48-month limit.

The oath

A grant is not the end. The law says the decree granting citizenship has no effect if, within six months of being notified, you do not swear to be loyal to the Republic and to observe the Constitution and the laws of the State (art. 10). The oath is given before the civil registrar (ufficiale dello stato civile) of the municipality where you live, or before the Italian consulate if you live abroad (art. 23.1). A 2017 Constitutional Court ruling (no. 258, noted under art. 10) exempts people who cannot take the oath because of a serious, established disability.

Applying and the €250 fee: L. 91/1992, art. 9-bis.
The ministry’s online portal also lets you check your application (“Cittadinanza: consulta la pratica”).

Sources

Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 9-ter, with update notes (Normattiva, text in force) checked 2026-10-25
Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 10 (Normattiva, text in force) checked 2026-10-25
Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 23 (Normattiva, text in force) checked 2026-10-25
Ministry of the Interior, Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration: Concessione della cittadinanza italiana per residenza (art. 9) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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