Italian Citizenship by residence

Italian Law provides the possibility of being nationals of more than one country, i.e. the right to double or multiple citizenship. Said double citizenhsip has several advantages, such as the possibility of living in two different countries and enabling people to travel more freely around the world. The features above are even more advantageous for nationals of countries where an entry visa is required in order to be allowed to enter third countries. Not all passports are the same. Some passports, including the Italian passport, grant entry to most countries without the need of a specific visa, whereas other passports do not provide such privilege.

According to the annual ranking which measures passports on the basis of the number of countries they offer visa-free access to, the Italian Passport ranks No. 3, granting entry to 175 countries without obtaining an advance visa (No 1 grants entry to 177 countries). The Italian passport enables nationals to travel and settle in any EU State without unnecessary formalities.
There are several ways to acquire the Italian citizenship: by marriage, by residence or for reasons of descent from an Italian citizen. Acquiring the Italian citizenship guarantees the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections, to perform activities that are reserved to Italian citizens, and to turn to the Italian embassy in any other country in case of necessity.

Before listing other rights and duties arising from the acquisition of the Italian citizenship, a distinction between Italian nationals residing in Italy and Italian nationals residing abroad must be made.

Taxation
It must be specified that, as regards tax matter, Italian Law adopted the “World Wide Taxation” principle and the “territoriality” of income principle. According to the World Wide Taxation principle, all incomes earned in Italy and abroad by a resident national shall be subject to taxation in Italy, whereas Italian nationals established abroad shall pay taxes on incomes earned in Italy only.

Italian Healthcare
Italian Healthcare provides free medical care to all Italian nationals residing in Italy. Such nationals are issued the Italian Health Insurance Card which grants access to medical care. Italian nationals residing abroad are not issued said Health Card, and have access to Italian health care in the case of an extreme emergency only.

Grounds for denial
The granting of the Italian citizenship by marriage or residence is subjected to the discretion of public administration, which can deny it in the event the foreign national has a criminal record. Such provision does not apply to applicants for Italian citizenship by descent and to nationals re-acquiring citizenship.

Time requirements
The present legislation provides for different timeframes for the purpose of applying for the Italian citizenship. In the event of application for citizenship by residence, the foreign national can apply for the Italian passport after 10 years of residence in Italy. Such time requirement is reduced to 4 years for EU citizens.

Children and spouse
Children of the foreign national applying for the Italian citizenship, if minor and living with the parent when citizenship is granted, automatically acquire Italian citizenship. The spouse can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage.

Citizenship by residence can be applied for after 10 years of residence permit and uninterrupted residence in Italy (reduced to 4 years for EU nationals). The applicant must provide evidence of having earned a minimum income exceeding that provided for by Law (equal to the annual minimum income support) over the previous 3 years, as well as of a certified knowledge of the Italian language not lower than a B1 level (QCER).
The procedure consists of 3 steps:

• Step 1. Online filing of the citizenship application
• Step 2. Filing of original citizenship application and documents with the Prefecture
• Step 3. Delivery of the citizenship decree and oath of citizenship

The law provides for the citizenship procedure to be finalized within 48 months after applying.
Aprigliano is a leading Italian Immigration and Citizenship Law boutique offering a wide range of integrated services tailored to the needs of each Client.

We can assist our Clients with the citizenship application all over Italy. We do not believe that achieving the Client’s desired outcome is enough; what we aim for is exceeding our Client’s expectations by taking care of every single detail. We see our Clients as people, not numbers, with different cultural backgrounds, personalities and expectations. Our goal is to understand each person’s needs in order to provide a tailored service that will make the application process positive and stress-free. Contact us for more information.