Italy Can Reduce Naturalisation Period to 5 Years

Brittany Collins

Italy is on the brink of a major citizenship reform that could reduce the naturalisation period by half. If implemented, the initiative would streamline the path to citizenship for over 2.5 million foreign residents in Italy, including Golden Visa holders permanently living in the country.

What Changes Have Been Proposed?

The Italian opposition and pro-migrant groups have recently proposed a referendum to reduce the naturalisation period for legal residents from 10 to 5 years. The initiative found a broad response from society and gathered over 500,000 signatures within 19 days, triggering the referendum process.

Italy’s Court of Cassation is currently reviewing the referendum. A decision is expected in early 2025, with a public vote anticipated in spring 2025.

The current law, in place since 1992, requires non-EU residents to have 10 years of legal residence before applying for citizenship. This makes Italy one of the EU countries with the strictest citizenship regulations. If passed, the reform would align Italy with other European countries that have shorter naturalisation periods.

Who Will be Eligible for a Reduced Residency Period?

The initiative aims to grant a reduced naturalisation period to all Italian legal residents who have continuously lived in Italy for 5 or more years. Qualifying residence permits will presumably include employment and family reunification permits, as well as residence permits obtained by investment, also known as the Italy Golden Visa.

However, there is no clarity yet on whether the referendum will succeed or how the specific criteria for eligibility will be defined. The details of the proposed changes, including which residence permits will qualify and any potential exceptions, are still to be discussed and will depend on the outcome of the public vote and subsequent legislative processes.