LumenHow many years do I need to live in Italy before I can apply for Italian citizenship?
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Italian law lets a non-EU foreigner apply for citizenship after at least ten years of legal residence in Italy. EU citizens need four years and stateless people five. Legal residence means living in Italy in line with the entry and stay rules and being registered with the municipal population register (anagrafe).
Key facts
| What | The law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU foreigner | At least 10 years of legal residence in Italy | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(f) |
| Citizen of an EU member state | At least 4 years of legal residence | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(d) |
| Stateless person | At least 5 years of legal residence | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(e) |
| Born in Italy | At least 3 years of legal residence | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(a-bis) |
| Parent or grandparent is or was an Italian citizen by birth | At least 2 years of legal residence | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(a) |
| Adult adopted by an Italian citizen | At least 5 years of legal residence after the adoption | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(b) |
| Worked for the Italian State | At least 5 years of service, also abroad | L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(c) |
| What “legal residence” means | Living in Italy having met the entry and stay rules and the population register (anagrafe) rules | D.P.R. 572/1993, art. 1.2(a) |
Ten years is the general rule
For a foreigner who fits none of the shorter cases in the table, the law sets the minimum at ten years of legal residence in Italy (L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(f)). The Ministry of the Interior’s page on citizenship by residence repeats the same list of periods.
Citizenship by residence is not automatic. The law says it “may be granted” by decree of the President of the Republic, on the proposal of the Minister of the Interior.
What counts as legal residence
The implementing regulation defines it: you are legally resident if you live in Italy having complied with the rules on entry and stay of foreigners and with the rules on registration with the municipal population register (D.P.R. 572/1993, art. 1.2(a)). Being in Italy is not enough on its own: both conditions apply.
Other conditions
The ministry’s citizenship overview says that people applying after ten years must also show income sufficient to support themselves, no criminal record, and no grounds against them relating to the security of the Republic. Applicants by residence also need Italian at B1 level or above (L. 91/1992, art. 9.1, a separate article from art. 9).
Related questions
- How long the decision takes: the ministry says 24 months, extendable to a maximum of 36, for applications filed from 20 December 2020 (L. 91/1992, art. 9-ter).
- Spouses of Italian citizens follow a separate, shorter route under art. 5 of the same law.
Sources
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, Nuove norme sulla cittadinanza, art. 9 (Normattiva, text in force) checked 2026-10-25
- D.P.R. 12 ottobre 1993, n. 572, Regolamento di esecuzione della legge 91/1992, art. 1 (Normattiva) checked 2026-10-25
- Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, art. 9.1 (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
- Ministry of the Interior, Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration: Cittadinanza (overview page) checked 2026-10-25
Change history
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This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.