It’s is a general question we always receive from our clients. And for several different reasons. Indeed, Italian Citizenship Laws changed several times in the last decade.
So it’s complex to understand how to apply for Italian Citizenship by Marriage. We understand the difficulties navigating through these new rules. We are here to assist you with Italian Citizenship by Marriage. And to explain all Italian Citizenship by Marriage requirements. And all steps you need to accomplish.
Do you qualify for Italian Citizenship through marriage?
Contact us! We will check your eligibility for Italian citizenship by marriage.
I recently heard the application for Italian Citizenship by marriage is the best way to have an Italian Passport. Is that true?
When it comes to Italian Citizenship by Marriage, we refer to one of the most common applications for getting an Italian Passport and Dual Italian Citizenship.
It’s is certainly not the case.
From one side, Italian Citizenship through Marriage is a goal for several families. An Italian Spouse married a foreign person.
And maybe they also have children. So, children will automatically qualify for Italian Citizenship. If the children, for some reason, didn’t get automatically Italian Citizenship through their parents, applying for Italian Citizenship by Marriage is the way to transmit Italian Citizenship to them too.
On the other side, getting an Italian Dual Passport is the best investment You can make for Your family. The Italian Passport ranks at the 4th Most Powerful Passport according to the official Worldwide Passport Index.
Today, you will understand how to get Italian Citizenship by Marriage and all requirements of the Italian Citizenship by marriage process. And everything You need to know about Italian Citizenship by Marriage.
The data collected on Italian Citizenship by Marriage acquisitions from the official Italian Government Statistics by Marriage are evident. Marriage’s demand for Italian Citizenship is increasing year by year, and more people are always looking to become Italian citizens through marriage.
The demands for Italian Citizenshipthrough Marriage are increasing for several different circumstances.
For example, after Brexit, UK Citizens married an Italian spouse.
But we don’t want you to think that applying is simple. Italian Citizenship Law and Rules changed a lot in the last decade. That’s also why it’s vital to hire qualified Italian Citizenship Lawyersto receive skilled assistance on Italian Citizenship.
What does it mean “Italian Citizenship by Marriage”?
It refers to the process of getting an Italian Passport because of the marriage with an Italian Citizen. The marriage itself is legally enough to transfer the right of Italian Citizenship. Anyway, you need several other requirements for finalizing your application.
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Benefits of Italian Citizenship by Marriage
Why Do I Have to apply for Italian Citizenship through marriage?
Italian Citizenship for foreigners regularly residing in Italy – or not residing in Italy – is a fundamental goal.
That’s the case for those married to an Italian spouse, so they aim to get Italian Citizenship by Marriage, mainly as a future investment for their minor children.
So, do not think about Italian Citizenship by Marriage to get an Italian dual Passport for yourself (that may be the goal for some people).
Let’s also think about future generations. You children, the children of Your children, and so on.
Getting an Italian Dual CitizenshipIs an excellent investment for the future. It increases opportunities and quality of life for the Italian Citizenship Applicants and their family members and relatives.
Let’s see the Key Benefits of having Italian Dual Citizenship by marriage.
Full accesso to Free Public Education: free public education is available to children in Italy.
Free Registration with National Health Care Service: the Italian National Health Care covers Italian Citizens without paying anything except for small fees for particular treatments. Italian Citizenship entitles a family doctor, access to all specialist tests and visits, admission to the hospital, etc.
Stop Bureaucracy: there is no need to go to the Police Headquarters to renew your permit to stay. You won’t need an Italian Visa for coming to Schengen, Europe, or Italy.
Become European Citizen: as an EU citizen, You can live and move all around the EU with all benefits like:
Freedom of movement and residence throughout the territory of the Union;
The right to vote and be elected in municipal and European Parliament elections in the Member State of residence;
The protection by the diplomatic and consular authorities.
Complete civil and social rights: like the right to vote, to make jobs reserved only to Italians, enjoy political life, enjoy benefits reserved only to Italians, etc.
The Requirement for Italian Citizenship by Marriage
What are the requirements for getting Italian Citizenship through marriage? Am I eligible?
When people decide to start applying for Italian Citizenship through Marriage with an Italian spouse, they have to pay attention to the requirements.
It may be a huge error to think to be eligible just because You are married. A Marriage Certificate is undoubtedly an essential requirement, but not the only one.
What is also important is to check if some amount of time has passed from the day You married. And this changes depending on if you’re residing in Italy or abroad.
Let’s see the Italian Citizenship by Marriage requirements relevant to your eligibility.
You have to ask yourself: How Much Time Has Passed Since The Marriage?
It’s is a relevant requirement. You have first to check. Indeed, when You marry an Italian spouse, this does not mean that you can apply for Italian Citizenship by Marriage the day after.
2 YEARS
If you are resident in Italy, you can claim your Italian Citizenship after 2 years.
3 YEARS
If you are not resident in Italy, but abroad, you can claim your Italian Citizenship after 3 years.
Do You have children (biological or adopted)? It cut off by 50% the wait times.
So, if you have children, you will have to wait for the following
1 YEAR
If you are resident in Italy, and you have a child, you can claim your Italian Citizenship after 1 years.
1,5 YEARS
If you are not resident in Italy, but abroad, and you have a child, you can claim your Italian Citizenship after 1,5 years.
Let’s Connect!
Check with us if you have a Case of Italian Citizenship through Marriage!
Ok, so you have read why it’s crucial to invest in applying for Italian Citizenship through Marriage. Now, Let’s see how to apply for it.
We want to enlist all Italian Citizenship by Marriage requirements and the different ways to apply, depending on whether you live in Italy or live abroad.
1. IF YOU’RE NOT AN ITALIAN RESIDENT, SO YOU LIVE ABROAD.
Italian Citizenship by Marriage allows You to get an Italian Passport simply because You are married to an Italian spouse.
You may think it’s pretty easy to get Italian Citizenship in this way, just because you have a Marriage Certificate.
Unfortunately, it’s not no easy as it seems.
Why may the path of Italian Citizenship through Marriage be complex?
The Italian Government amended this program (like the Italian Citizenship through residency program) several times in the last decades.
The previous significant modification was in 2018, with Law No. 132/2018. This Law introduced the Italian Language requirement and new processing time (maximum 48 months).
But we also have some great news.
In January 2021, the Italian Government introduced significant amendments to the Italian Citizenship Law, which affected Italian Citizenship by Marriage procedures.
The processing time is now up to 2 Years as the maximum wait time.
It means that You can potentially obtain Your Italian Citizenship in a few months.
On the other side, they also changed the application itself, which is more transparent but more complicated.
The Application process of Italian Passport By Marriage if you live abroad.
To submit a correct Italian Citizenship by Marriage application, several documents to prepare, and some essential tips to remember.
Required Documents for Italian Citizenship because of Marriage for foreigners
ITALIAN LANGUAGE CERTIFICATION
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CERTIFICATE
Important: the list above is not legal advice, and it’s not complete with several requirements requested by the Italian Citizenship Laws. We evaluate each case on a case-by-case basis. Consider the list just for informative purposes.
The application procedure for Italian Citizenship through Marriageif you’re living outside Italy
01.
Document Check and Digital ID.
The most important step of the entire process.
02.
The Application.
All Vital Records, with legalizations and translation.
03.
The Appointment at the Italian Consulate.
The day you bring the documents. Let’s see how it works.
Step 1. Document Check and Digital ID.
Before submitting the Italian Citizenship by Marriage application, You have to check Your documents if collected correctly and register yourself for an Italian Digital ID.
First of all, You have to submit Your Italian Citizenship electronically by Marriage application, with all paperwork scanned and submitted to the Italian Citizenship Department at the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
As You may notice, the Portal is entirely in the Italian language. So, that’s another reason for avoiding self-application but hiring a qualified Italian Citizenship Lawyer to assist You in the process.
After entering the Portal, You will have to select the dedicated section for Italian Citizenship by Marriage.
So now You are ready to fill up all the forms with all the information requested.
At the same time, You’ll have to upload a scanned copy of the document You already have, related to that information. As you can see from the left menu, there are several steps to fill up a complete Italian citizenship application by marriage.
It’s crucial, for this purpose, to have all documents ready before the application.
Indeed, there won’t be the chance to integrate the documents in a second moment.
As you send the application, the Offices will evaluate Your Italian Citizenship by Marriage application based on the documents You uploaded.
That’s it.
Step 3. The Appointment at the Italian Consulate
After a few weeks or months, the competent Italian Consulate (based on your residence) will contact Youto to bring all paper documents.
Indeed, you uploaded a scanned version of these through the Italian Citizenship by Marriage Portal. So they have to check these documents are not fake and fully correspond to the ones uploaded.
As they double-checked the documents, You have to wait for the decision on Your application.
Note:
Following the Law, You will never receive communication from the Italian Consulate (like an email). For monitoring Your application, You have to log in to the Portal and check the “Status.”
The Ministry has to decide on the Italian Citizenship by Marriage application in MAXIMUM 2 Years.
It means that if You don’t have a decision in 2 years, You can fill out an appeal at the Italian Court. The Court will decide your Italian Citizenship through Marriage if the Ministry won’t.
1. IF YOU’RE AN ITALIAN RESIDENT, SO YOU LIVE IN ITALY.
How to Apply for Italian Citizenship by marriage In Italy?
The Italian Citizenship by Marriage application will follow [almost] the same rules and procedure described above for the Italian Citizenship through Marriage application for non-Italian residents.
However, what it changes is related is the Step #3 and some other (unwritten) consequences.
Step 3. The Appointment at the Italian Prefettura.
As an Italian resident, of course, You have not expected to have an appointment at the Italian Consulate but at the Prefettura Office.
The Prefettura is the local representative office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Italy, located in each Italian Province.
But this may be an advantage for You in certain circumstances.
It’s a well-known fact that many Italian Consulates cannot process vast demands, which may be a problem for Your application wait time.
That’s why checking the 2-years wait time is essential and mandatory.
Do not hesitate to submit an appeal at the Italian Court with Your Italian Citizenship Lawyers if the Ministry won’t respect this time.
Frequently Asked Questionsabout Italian Citizenship by Marriage.
The Most Common Questions we received were about Italian Citizenship through Marriage, the Italian Citizenship by Marriage requirements, and How to get Italian Citizenship by Marriage.
You may find some valuable responses here below.
WHAT IS ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
Italian Citizenship by Marriage is a way to get an Italian Passport and Dual Italian Citizenship thanks to the fact a person is married to an Italian spouse. Civil unions are eligible, too, as Marriages.
HOW TO GET ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
The procedure to get Italian Citizenship by Marriage is almost the same in case You apply as an Italian resident or a non-Italian resident, with a few differences. In both cases, You have to – first of all – submit Your Italian Citizenship through a Marriage application online. After that, the Authority will check your documents before evaluating your eligibility.
DO I NEED A LAWYER TO GET ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
In most cases, yes. The ordinary way to apply for Italian Citizenship by marriage requires you to speak Italian. If you don’t speak Italian, You have to be assisted by qualified Italian Citizenship Lawyers, as the application is exclusively in the Italian language. The same is in case Your Italian Citizenship through Marriage is denied or not processed in a maximum of two years wait time. In these cases, you need us as we have to represent you.
WHAT IS THE SPID REQUESTED FOR THE ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
The so-called “SPID” is a unique digital identity assigned to You. The Italian Government requests that all applicants have a Digital ID before submitting an Italian Citizenship by Marriage application. You can obtain it by registering through a few SPID Providers authorized by the Italian Government.
IS IT WORTH APPLYING FOR ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
Getting Italian Dual Citizenship (through marriage) is an excellent investment for the future. It increases opportunities and quality of life for the Italian Citizenship Applicant and their family members and relatives. The demands for Italian Citizenship by Marriage will not decrease in the following years. Still, it will certainly increase because of several political and economic circumstances. Think, for example, at Brexit. Or think about travel bans between Countries.
AM I ELIGIBLE FOR ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
You have to meet several requirements and get several documents and certifications to be eligible. Book a Consultancy or Contact Us! We can evaluate together for a 1st free evaluation.
WHAT ARE THE ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS?
There are several requirements when it comes to Italian Citizenship by marriage. Being married to an Italian citizen doesn’t mean that you automatically qualify. There are requirements related to the time passed since the date of Marriage: 2 years if living in Italy, three years if living abroad. These times are decreased by 50% in case You have children. There are also several requirements related to the documents needed for the application itself, like Certificate of Marriage, Criminal Background, Birth Certificate, Italian Language Certification, etc.
WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE WILL YOU PROVIDE ON MY ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE?
As expert Italian Citizenship Lawyers, we offer the Client tailored assistance on their Italian Citizenship by Marriage. Our Services comprehends step-by-step assistance from preparing all documents to the Italian Passport. We focus on assisting Clients (from beginning to end) in letting them become Italian Citizens, solving all issues they can find in actual circumstances. And we will apply for you. We also assist the Client in the post-approval stage. The Italian Government will recognize your Italian Citizenship by Marriage. Several steps are necessary to fix Your position and get an Italian Passport in your hands!
WHAT HAPPENS IF I WON’T HAVE MY ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE IN 2 YEARS?
We will assist You also in this circumstance. In this case, we have to solicit the Ministry (and the Consulate) formally. Suppose the application won’t be decided yet. In that case, you have to submit an appeal at the Italian Court to approve Your Italian Citizenship through Marriage.
How long does it take to get Italian citizenship through marriage?
You need 2 Years to get Italian Citizenship through marriage. The Italian Citizenship Law states a maximum processing time of Two Years for ending the process. For being eligible for starting the application, the times are different. The non-Italian Spouse married to an Italian citizen can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage after two years from the marriage/civil union, if residing in Italy. Or 3 years, if not residing in Italy. This term is reduced by half if the couple has children under the age of 18.
Does Italy give citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Italy gives Citizenship by marriage. You can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage.. In the case of Italian citizenship, you need to be married for at least two years and reside in Italy. Or, you need to be married for at least three years and residing abroad. This timeframe is reduced by 50% if you have children under 18 years old.
Why we are your best choice for getting an Italian Passport by marriage
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