LumenDoes Italy allow dual citizenship?
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Italian law allows dual citizenship. Article 11 of Law 91/1992 says an Italian citizen who has, acquires or regains a foreign citizenship keeps Italian citizenship, and may renounce it only if living or moving abroad. Italian law does not take away Italian citizenship because you also hold another one.
Key facts
| What | The law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Having another citizenship | An Italian citizen who has, acquires or regains a foreign citizenship keeps Italian citizenship | L. 91/1992, art. 11.1 |
| Giving up Italian citizenship | Possible if the citizen lives or takes up residence abroad | L. 91/1992, art. 11.1 |
| Born abroad with another citizenship (descent) | Treated as never having acquired Italian citizenship unless one of the conditions in art. 3-bis applies | L. 91/1992, art. 3-bis |
What article 11 says
The rule is one sentence: a citizen who possesses, acquires or regains a foreign citizenship keeps the Italian one, but may renounce it if they live or establish residence abroad (L. 91/1992, art. 11). Italian law therefore does not take away Italian citizenship because you hold another one.
One exception to know about: descent from abroad
Since 2025, article 3-bis treats a person born abroad who holds another citizenship as never having acquired Italian citizenship by descent, unless one of the conditions it lists applies. It concerns people born abroad, not the rule in article 11.
Related questions
- Citizenship by residence: 10 years of legal residence for non-EU nationals (L. 91/1992, art. 9(1)(f)).
- Citizenship by marriage: L. 91/1992, art. 5.
Sources
Change history
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