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Moving to Italy
An Italian passport opens up life in Italy. Wohnsitz Ausland covers taxes, the special regimes for new residents and the move itself, step by step.
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Citizenship by merit
Italy: an EU passport for eminent services, with no residence requirement
Article 9(2) of Italy's citizenship law allows citizenship to be granted to a foreign national who has rendered eminent services to Italy, or whose naturalisation is in the exceptional interest of the state. The government decides case by case, and this route sets no minimum period of residence.
At the government's discretion
- Legal basis
- Art. 9(2), Law No. 91/1992
- Decision
- Decree of the President of the Republic
- Years of residence
- not required
- Government fee
- 250 euros
How Italy grants citizenship on merit
Italy does not sell its passport, but its 1992 citizenship law contains, in Article 9(2), a route of its own for people who are especially valuable to the country. Citizenship can be granted to a foreign national who has rendered eminent services to Italy, or where there is an exceptional interest of the state. The wording has stood unchanged since August 1992.
The decision is taken at the very top of the state. The Minister of the Interior proposes the grant in agreement with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Council of State gives its opinion, the Council of Ministers passes a resolution, and finally the President of the Republic signs the decree. 14 July 2025 shows how this works in practice: that day the Council of Ministers resolved to grant citizenship to the US basketball player Donte DiVincenzo “per meriti speciali”, after favourable opinions from the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Sport.
The facts from the official source
Legal basis: Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 (Nuove norme sulla cittadinanza, Italy's citizenship law), Art. 9(2), Art. 9.1, Art. 9-bis, Art. 9-ter, Art. 10, Art. 11 and Art. 14 as amended; DPR 18 aprile 1994, n. 362, Art. 1
Competent authority: Ministero dell'Interno, Dipartimento per le libertà civili e l'immigrazione
| Principle | citizenship may be granted to a foreign national who has rendered eminent services to Italy, or where there is an exceptional interest of the state (Art. 9(2), wording unchanged since 16 August 1992) Source |
|---|---|
| Who decides | the President of the Republic by decree, after hearing the Council of State and following a resolution of the Council of Ministers, on a proposal from the Minister of the Interior in agreement with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Source |
| Criteria and amount | the law names no categories, no thresholds and no investment amount; the government decides each case at its discretion Source |
| Residence | Art. 9(2) requires no minimum period of residence in Italy; the residence periods for ordinary naturalisation are set only in paragraph 1: 10 years for non-EU nationals, 4 years for EU citizens Source |
| Language | under the wording of Art. 9.1, Italian at level B1 or higher for every grant under Art. 5 and Art. 9; Constitutional Court judgment 25/2025 exempts applicants whose ability to learn is severely limited by age, illness or disability Source |
| Government fee | 250 euros per application (Art. 9-bis(2)) Source |
| Application | applications under Art. 9 go to the prefecture where you live or to the competent consular authority, with criminal record certificates from abroad and from Italy; the Minister of the Interior may ask for further documents (DPR 362/1994, Art. 1) Source |
| Processing time | 24 months from the application, extendable to a maximum of 36 months (Art. 9-ter); after the decree, the oath to the Republic within six months (Art. 10) Source |
| Children | minor children who live with you become Italian with you if, at that point, they have lived legally in Italy without interruption for at least two years, or since birth if they are under two (Art. 14) Source |
| Dual citizenship | Italy does not require renunciation; anyone holding a foreign citizenship keeps it alongside the Italian one (Art. 11) Source |
| A case in practice | on 14 July 2025 (press release No. 134), on a proposal from the Minister of the Interior, the Council of Ministers resolved to grant citizenship to the US basketball player Donte DiVincenzo “per meriti speciali” under Art. 9(2), after favourable opinions from the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Sport Source |
What this route spares you
Ordinary naturalisation under Article 9(1) requires years of legal residence in Italy: ten years for non-EU nationals, four years for citizens of an EU member state. Article 9(2) sets no such period. If you meet the requirements, you do not first have to spend a decade living in Italy.
You keep your current citizenship as well. Italy does not require renunciation; under Article 11 you hold your passport alongside the Italian one. With an Italian passport you are also a citizen of the European Union. The government fee is 250 euros, and the law provides for no investment or donation amount.
How the procedure works
Applications under Article 9 go to the prefecture where you live or, if you live abroad, to the competent consular authority. They include criminal record certificates from abroad and from Italy, and the Minister of the Interior may ask for further documents. The law gives the authorities 24 months, extendable to a maximum of 36. After the decree you take the oath to the Republic within six months, and only then are you Italian.
Under the wording of Article 9.1, every grant under Article 9 requires proof of Italian at level B1. Minor children who live with you become Italian with you if they have lived legally in Italy for at least two years.
Who Italy is realistic for
Article 9(2) suits individuals whose importance to Italy can be documented: top athletes, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs with a visible contribution to the country. The law draws no lines on categories or amounts, and that is exactly the opportunity for anyone whose achievements go beyond the ordinary. The government decides at its discretion, so what counts is a convincingly argued file. If you are an EU citizen moving to Italy anyway, ordinary naturalisation after four years gives you a second route you can plan on and follow in parallel.
More on Italy from us
- Italian citizenship by descent
Who is Italian through parents or grandparents after the 2025 reform, and how naturalisation works for descendants.
- Buying an EU passport
Which routes to citizenship of the European Union are open today.
- Naturalisation abroad
How naturalisation through years of residence works, and which countries are quick.
- Alternatives to an investor passport
Naturalisation, descent, birth and merit, compared across every country.
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Questions about Italy
Can I buy Italian citizenship under Article 9(2)?
Not at a set price. The law names neither an investment amount nor categories; the government decides case by case whether there are eminent services or an exceptional interest of the state. The government fee is 250 euros.
Do I need to have lived in Italy?
No. Article 9(2) requires no minimum period of residence. The residence periods apply only to ordinary naturalisation under Article 9(1): four years for citizens of an EU member state, ten years for everyone else.
Do I need to speak Italian?
Under the wording of Article 9.1, every grant under Article 9 requires Italian at level B1 or higher, shown by a recognised qualification or certificate. Anyone whose ability to learn is severely limited by age, illness or disability is exempt following Constitutional Court judgment 25/2025.
Can I keep my current citizenship?
Italy does not require renunciation. Under Article 11, anyone who holds a foreign citizenship keeps it alongside the Italian one. Whether your home country allows you a second citizenship depends on its own law.
How long does the procedure take?
For procedures under Article 9 the law sets a deadline of 24 months from the application, extendable to a maximum of 36 months. After the decree you take the oath to the Republic within six months; only then does the grant take effect.
Does my family become Italian too?
Minor children who live with you become Italian with you if they have lived legally in Italy without interruption for at least two years. Article 9(2) makes no provision for including a spouse; spouses take the marriage route under Article 5.
Official sources
- Normattiva: Legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91, Nuove norme sulla cittadinanza (current version)
- Normattiva: DPR 18 aprile 1994, n. 362, Regolamento sui procedimenti di acquisto della cittadinanza italiana
- Ministero dell'Interno, Dipartimento per le libertà civili e l'immigrazione: grant of citizenship under Art. 9
- Governo italiano: Comunicato stampa del Consiglio dei Ministri n. 134 (14 July 2025)
Your second passport begins with a decision.
You have worked hard to build a life full of possibilities. Now it is about expanding them, for you and for your family. Talk to Daniel Taborek about your budget, your family and the route to your second citizenship. Find out which passport should enrich your future.