CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE/CIVIL UNION

 (“JUS MATRIMONI” (ex Art. 5, Law 91/1992)  

IMPORTANT: Decree-Law No. 113 of 04/10/2018 (Law No. 132/2018) amended the 1992 citizenship law, now requiring  Italian language proficiency at level B1 (CEFR).

The Ministry of the Interior has the exclusive right to assess applications.

– For applications filed by 19/12/2020: processing time is 48 months.

– For applications filed from 20/12/2020: processing time is 24 months (extendable to 36 months).

If approved, the Ministry of Interior will issue a citizenship decree to the relevant consulate.

Requirements for foreign spouses of Italian citizens residing abroad (Art. 1, Law No. 94/2009):

1. Three years of marriage/civil union (reduced to 1.5 years if minor children exist);
2. Marriage/civil union registered in the competent Italian municipality;
3. Italian spouse must be registered as an Italian living overseas (AIRE) at the consulate.

Applications must be submitted EXCLUSIVELY online via the ALI Portal:

(https://portaleserviziapp.dlci.interno.it/AliCittadinanza/ali/home.htm

NOTE: Due to operational changes on the citizenship portal (since January 2021), applicants are advised to verify document compliance with this Consulate before uploading to ALI.

Please book an appointment via Prenot@mi and email notarile.hongkong@esteri.it with the chosen date.

IMPORTANT: Personal details (name, surname, patronymic if applicable) MUST match the data on the birth certificate and discrepancies in foreign documents require documented proof of name changes.

Required documents (to be uploaded to ALI):

1. a) Full birth certificate(*);
2. b) Marriage/civil union certificate (with marginal notes) from the Italian municipality or AIRE-registered commune (valid 6 months from the date of issue);
3. c) Criminal record certificate from country of origin and any countries of residence since age 14(*). For Hong Kong, you can request a police letter at the Consulate via appointment. These certificates are valid 6 months from the date of issue;
4. d) Italian B1 language certificate, only from authorized institutions:

(Università per Stranieri di Siena/Perugia, Roma Tre, Dante Alighieri);

1. e) Payment receipt of €250 to:

   Ministry of the Interior, D.L.C.I. – Cittadinanza

   IBAN: IT54D0760103200000000809020 | SWIFT: BPPIITRRXXX;

1. f) Passport copy.

(*) Documents under (a) and (c) require Apostille/legalization by the Italian diplomatic authority and official Italian translation (unless exempted by international treaties).

NB: The email provided in the application form serves as “elected domicile” (Art. 47 Civil Code) and all communications (requests, notices, etc.) will be sent exclusively to this email address.

As of 25 May 2022, the €250 fee can be paid via PagoPA on the ALI portal.

After consular appointment, applicants MUST submit original documents in person. The Italian spouse (AIRE-registered) must provide a self-declaration confirming:

– Family status;

– Italian citizenship;

– No legal/separation from spouse;

– Marriage/civil union date/place and Italian municipality of registration.

FORMS:

– Certificate of No Criminal Record issued by the Hong Kong Police Force

– Affidavit

HOW TO TRACK ONLINE APPLICATIONS

You can track the status of your application by registering at the following link https://www.interno.gov.it/it/temi/cittadinanza-e-altri-diritti-civili/cittadinanza/cittadinanza-consulta-pratica

Aspiring citizens can also download the IO APP on their smartphone and then easily interact with the Ministry of the Interior to follow the status of their application submitted online. IO APP allows immediate follow-up with maximum transparency and efficiency in all phases of the procedure to be naturalised Italian.