How to apply for citizenship

ALERT: Before applying for citizenship, make sure you have updated your long-term residence permit according to the new law number 238 of 2021.

If you haven’t done so yet, go to the local police headquarters (Questura) and request the update. When submitting the citizenship application, be sure to attach the permit update request, all in one file with the permit itself.

If you have already submitted the citizenship application with a paper residence permit, you still need to go to the local police headquarters, request the update, and then send it to comunicazione.cittadinanza@pecdlci.interno.it. Remember to include the K10 number in the email subject.

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You must apply for citizenship online, on the website https://portaleserviziapp.dlci.interno.it/AliCittadinanza/ali/home.htm. There is no other way to do it.

To log into the website you must have the SPID or CIE (carta di identità elettronica). If you don’t have SPID, you can log into the website by selecting “Accedi senza SPID” and then registering on the Ministero dell’Interno website. If you want more information on what is SPID and how to get it, read this page.

Here is a video that shows you how to log into the website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Dj_k6Y6tA&t=81s

Once you enter the website, you must fill in the form:

• Modello A if you are applying for citizenship by matrimonio (marriage)
• Modello B if you apply for citizenship by residenza – naturalizzazione (residence – naturalization)

Required documents

You must also attach (i.e. upload on the application page) some documents. There are documents that everybody applying for citizenship must attach. These documents are:

• Certificato di nascita (birth certificate): this is the document that certifies your birth and you must apply for it in the country where you were born. It must be translated into Italian (with sworn translation) and legalized. Legalizing a document means that the paper must be stamped by the Italian embassy or consulate of the country where it is issued. If the country is part of the Hague Convention, you do not need a stamp from the Italian embassy or consulate, but an Apostille stamp is enough. IMPORTANT: People born in Italy do not have to attach the birth certificate to their application.
  For more information on how to obtain this document, ask your country of origin’s embassy or consulate in Italy.
• Certificato penale (criminal certificate): it is a document that says if you have committed any crimes. You must have a certificato penale from each country where you have had residency. Like your certificato di nascita, your certificato penale must also be translated into Italian (with sworn translation) and legalized. The certificate is valid for 6 months. IMPORTANT: people born in Italy and who have always lived in Italy, do not have to attach their certificato penale to their application. If you came to Italy before the age of 14 you will not have to present the criminal record.
  For more information on how to obtain these documents, ask the embassy or consulate of the countries where you have resided.
• Certificato storico di residenza (historical residence certificate): it is the document that shows all the places where you have had your residence in Italy. You must request it from your Comune di residenza and in the Comune where you have had residence in the past.
• Titolo di soggiorno (residence permit): your permesso di soggiorno or carta di soggiorno.
• Documento d’identità (Identity document): you can show your passport or carta d’identità.
• Marca da bollo da 16 euro (16 euro revenue stamp).
• Ricevuta di pagamento di 250 euros (receipt of payment of 250 euros): you have to pay 250 euros by bollettino postale in a Sportello Amico of Poste Italiane. You must make the payment to the bank account (C / C) 809020, in the name of: Ministero dell’Interno, causale: Cittadinanza (this payment is valid for one year). If you make the payment and don’t apply for citizenship, you can ask for a refund.
• B1 level certificate of knowledge of the Italian language: to have this certificate you must take an exam in one of the authorized centers. Here you can find the authorized centers in Italy and more information on the exam. Those who have signed the integration agreement, studied in Italy (at least up to the terza media) or have a long-term residence permit do not have to take the exam to certify the language.

Then there are specific documents based on your case.

If you are applying for citizenship by residenza – naturalizzazione (residence – naturalization) you must also attach:

• Dichiarazione dei redditi (tax return): the dichiarazione must be the Modello 730, Modello Unico, o Certificazione Unica (CU) of the past 3 years.
• Autocertificazione dello stato di famiglia (self-certification of family status): it is a document where you declare your family status, that is, who are the people who are part of your family (such as your husband / wife and your children).

If you are applying for citizenship by matrimonio (marriage) you must also attach:

• the marriage certificate registered in the municipality of residence;
• the date of the oath of your husband/wife, if he/she is not an Italian citizen from birth.

It can be impossible or very difficult for refugees and stateless people to obtain documents from their country of origin. For this, they can attach instead of the certificato di nascita and the certificato penale:

• the dichiarazione sostitutiva del certificato di nascita 
• the dichiarazione sostitutiva del certificato penale

To obtain these dichiarazione sostitutiva you can ask for help from a notaio (notary), your Comune di residenza, or the Tribunale.
In addition, these people must also attach to their citizenship application the certificato del riconoscimento dello status di rifugiato o apolide (certificate of recognition of refugee or stateless status).