Italian Citizenship for Political Refugees: Requirements, Documents and Application Procedure

Italy | Citizenship by Residence

People officially recognised as political refugees in Italy can apply for Italian citizenship after five years of legal residence, provided they meet the other requirements established by Italian law.

Under Article 9(e), in conjunction with Article 16(2) of Italian Law No. 91/1992, recognised refugees are eligible to apply after five years of legal residence in Italy. The rules differ for people holding subsidiary protection or other forms of residence status.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must have officially recognised refugee status and satisfy the legal residence requirement.

The five-year residence period applies to:

• People officially recognised as refugees.
• People officially recognised as stateless.

People holding subsidiary protection generally fall under the ordinary requirement of ten years of legal residence for citizenship by residence.

The residence period must meet the applicable legal requirements, including continuity of registration where required.

Documents Required

Recognised refugees must prepare the following documents for their citizenship application:

1. Certificate confirming refugee status

Official documentation confirming recognition of refugee status in Italy.

2. Residence permit

A valid permesso di soggiorno.

3. Identity document

A valid identity card or travel document.

4. Declaration replacing the birth certificate

An atto di notorietà prepared at the competent court, with two witnesses, containing the applicant’s personal details and information about their parents.

5. Declaration replacing the criminal-record certificate

An atto di notorietà prepared at the competent court, with two witnesses, following the requirements of the competent authorities.

These declarations can replace the original birth and criminal-record certificates from the country of origin for recognised refugees, given the difficulties involved in obtaining such documents from that country.

6. Proof of Italian-language proficiency

Applicants generally need to demonstrate Italian-language proficiency at B1 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Certain applicants are exempt, including eligible holders of an EU long-term residence permit and people covered by other statutory exemptions.

7. Income documentation

Applicants must provide income documentation for the previous three years.

This may include CU, Modello 730 or Modello Redditi. Income from eligible family members living in the same household may also be considered under the applicable rules.

8. Application contribution

The required contribution is €250.

9. Stamp duty

A €16 stamp duty applies to applications submitted in Italy.

Income Requirements

The income thresholds published by Italian Prefectures are:

• €8,263.31 per year for an applicant without dependants.
• €11,362.05 per year for an applicant with a dependent spouse.
• An additional €516 per year for each further dependent child.

The applicable income requirement must be satisfied for each of the three years preceding the application. Eligible income from family members may be considered in accordance with the relevant rules.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through the Italian Ministry of the Interior’s citizenship portal.

Applicants must complete the online form, upload the required documents and provide proof of payment of the applicable fees.

Official application portal:

https://cittadinanza.dlci.interno.it

Applicants should check the instructions issued by the competent Prefecture before submitting their application.

Processing Time

For applications submitted from 20 December 2020, the statutory processing period is generally 24 months, extendable to a maximum of 36 months.

The final decision depends on the examination of the application and the fulfilment of the legal requirements.

Important: This article provides general information about Italian citizenship law. Applicants should verify the current requirements with the competent Prefecture before submitting their application.