Italy has set out four major requirements that foreigners must fulfil before they can seek Italian citizenship through naturalisation based on legal residency in the country.
Information released by the Italian Embassy in Nicosia indicates that foreigners seeking citizenship through this route must satisfy a number of specific conditions before their applications can be considered.
Italian citizenship: 4 requirements foreigners must fulfil
Applicants must meet the following conditions before they can apply for citizenship through naturalisation
1. They must have legally resided in Italy for the required number of years.
2. They must be able to provide evidence that they have sufficient income.
3. They must have a clean criminal record.
4. Where applicable, they must be prepared to renounce their original citizenship.
Conditions for Children of Naturalised Italian Citizens
Italy’s Law No. 91/92 also establishes rules concerning minor children whose parents acquire or reacquire Italian citizenship.
According to Article 14 of the law, a minor child who lives with a parent who becomes an Italian citizen will automatically obtain Italian citizenship.
However, after reaching the legal age of majority, such individuals have the option to renounce their Italian citizenship if they already possess another nationality.
For citizenship to be transferred from the parent to the child, three specific requirements must be satisfied.
There must be a legally recognised parent-child relationship, the child must still be a minor, and both the parent and child must be living together when the parent acquires or reacquires Italian citizenship.
Article 12 of Presidential Decree No. 572/93 provides additional clarification on the cohabitation requirement. It states that the shared residence must be stable and genuine and must be backed by suitable documentation.
The requirement must exist at the precise time the parent’s Italian citizenship is granted and cannot be fulfilled by establishing cohabitation at a later stage.
How to Submit an Italian Citizenship Application
An application for Italian citizenship is formally addressed to the President of the Republic of Italy and must be filed with the Prefettura in the province where the applicant is officially registered as a resident in Italy.
It is important to note that applications under this process cannot be submitted through Italian consular offices located outside the country.
As a result, applicants are required to deal directly with the relevant Italian authorities while physically present in Italy.
