Ordinary naturalisation — 10-year residence (Art 9 c.1 lit.f)
Citizenship in Italy
- Eligibility
- Default naturalisation path. Post-Salvini 2018: B1 language + €250 fee + 24-48mo processing. Post-Cutro 2023 procedural refinements.
- Timeline
- slow
- Indicative cost
- $285
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
Default naturalisation path. Post-Salvini 2018: B1 language + €250 fee + 24-48mo processing. Post-Cutro 2023 procedural refinements. signature route.
Route: Ordinary naturalisation — 10-year residence (Art 9 c.1 lit.f). Statutory anchor: Legge 91/1992 Art 9 c.1 lit.f + Legge 132/2018 Art 14/9-bis/9-ter. Operative notes: Default naturalisation path. Post-Salvini 2018: B1 language + €250 fee + 24-48mo processing. Post-Cutro 2023 procedural refinements. signature route. Primary pins: IT-SRC-002, IT-SRC-009, IT-SRC-015.
Operative framework: Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 (Nuove norme sulla cittadinanza) as amended by DL 113/2018 -> Legge 132/2018 (Salvini decree) — language requirement, fee increase, processing extensions and DL 36/2025 -> Legge 74/2025 — vincolo effettivo (effective bond) requirement; restricts jus sanguinis to 2nd generation. Authority: Ministero dell'Interno (DLCI) — Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili; Prefetture (territorial); Consolati italiani (diaspora). DLCI operational guidance: DLCI (Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili, la Cittadinanza e le Minoranze) Circolari: 26185/2025-05-28 + 43347/2024 (operational guidance). Standard residence floor: 10 years continuous residence (general nat
Who qualifies
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Art 9 c.1 lit.f Legge 91/1992 establishes the default 10-year legal-residence requirement for naturalisation of third-country nationals (stranieri extra-UE); the applicant must hold continuous residence (permesso di soggiorno + residenza anagrafica) for 10 years prior to application, and apply via the SicitWeb portal managed by DLCI.
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Art 9 c.1 lit.d Legge 91/1992 reduces the naturalisation residence requirement to 4 years for citizens of other EU Member States; this pathway operationalises Italy's transposition of Directive 2004/38/EC via Dlgs 30/2007.
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Art 9 c.1 lit.e Legge 91/1992 reduces the naturalisation residence requirement to 5 years for stateless persons and recognised refugees; this pathway operationalises Italy's duties under the 1954 UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (Italy ratified 1962-12-03).
How to apply
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Legge 132/2018 Art 14 amended Art 9-bis Legge 91/1992 raising the contributo for Art 9 naturalisation and Art 5 marriage applications from €200 to €250 — the €250 threshold remains operative as of 2026-04-23.
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Legge 132/2018 Art 14 also inserted Art 9-ter into Legge 91/1992, establishing 48-month maximum processing time for Art 9 naturalisation applications; subsequent Legge 50/2023 (Cutro conversion) adjusted this framework to 24 months standard + 12 months proroga = 36 months structured with operational efficiency measures.
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Art 10 Legge 91/1992 requires the applicant to swear a juramento di fedeltà (oath of fidelity to the Constitution + Republic) before an Italian officer within 6 months of decree notification; failure to take the oath renders the decree ineffective — this is a mandatory closing step for all Art 9 + Art 5 acquisitions.
Competent authority
Prefettura della Provincia (intake + colloquio integrazione) then Ministero Interno DLCI (SicitWeb portal + decree issuance) then Comune di residenza (giuramento Art 10).
Filing authority: Ministero dell'Interno DLCI (Dipartimento Libertà Civili e Immigrazione) via Prefettura UTG. Online portal cittadinanza.dlci.interno.gov.it. Decree publication in Gazzetta Ufficiale; registration at Comune di residenza Sezione Stato Civile.
Administrative authority chain: Ministero dell'Interno (DLCI) — Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili; Prefetture (territorial); Consolati italiani (diaspora). Operational guidance: DLCI (Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili, la Cittadinanza e le Minoranze) Circolari: 26185/2025-05-28 + 43347/2024 (operational guidance). Comune-level anchors: IRE comune (Italians Resident in foreign country) + GLS comune + Sezione Stato Civile (civil-status anchors). Civil venue: Tribunale Ordinario di Roma — civil venue per Legge 91/1992 + DL 36/2025 (foro generale per stranieri residenti all'estero). Apex jurisprudence: Cassazione Sezioni Unite 25317-25318/2022 + Cass SU 4466/2009 + CC 87/1975 (apex jurisprudence); constitutional: Corte Costituzionale sentenza n. 142/2025 depositata 31 luglio 2025 (NOT future-dat
Appeals & review
TAR Lazio for Art 9 refusals within 60 days (5-year absolute limitation). Cons.Stato appellate jurisdiction. For 1948 cases: Tribunale ordinario di Roma civil court with Cass SU 25317/2022 jurisdiction basis.
Appeal pathways: TAR Lazio administrative review for DLCI denials (60-day filing window); Consiglio di Stato second-instance. Trib Roma civil venue not available for naturalization track (concessoria discretional, not declarativa). Constitutional challenges via CC ordinanza referral; ECHR Art 8/14 + CJEU Tjebbes proportionality avenues where Union-citizenship loss-effects engaged.
Appeals framework: civil-side appeals to Tribunale Ordinario (competent venue per Tribunale Ordinario di Roma — civil venue per Legge 91/1992 + DL 36/2025 (foro generale per stranieri residenti all'estero)); apex review per Cassazione Sezioni Unite 25317-25318/2022 + Cass SU 4466/2009 + CC 87/1975 (apex jurisprudence). Constitutional review: Corte Costituzionale sentenza n. 142/2025 depositata 31 luglio 2025 (NOT future-dated '2026-03-12'). Declared OLD Art 1 c.1 lit.a challenges inammissibili; merits of Legge 74/2025 UNTESTED (referring courts: Four Tribunale rimettenti (referring courts): Bologna + Roma + Milano + Firenze — for CC 142/2025). Administrat
Example scenarios
eligible with B1 and fee
€250 fee + B1 CEFR + 24-48 mo processing
pending standard
Post-Salvini/Cutro processing often exceeds 24mo statutory + 12mo proroga
likely eligible
Art 6 disqualifiers are criminal felonies ≥3y pena, not administrative fines
fails art6
Art 6 c.1 lit.b pena ≥3 anni disqualifies
requires cjeu analysis
Revoca per inganno must satisfy Rottmann/Tjebbes proportionality
fails income requirement
Income threshold strictly enforced per DLCI
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-18.
Track changes to this route
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