# citizenship Info request.Please help.



## Rafi0044 (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi ,
Thank you for this forum.

I am married to an Italian and currently reside in Italy. We are planing to move to live in the UK for 2 to 5 years. At the moment i hold permesso di soggiorno di 5 anni which expires in 2018.

I found on some websites that i have to earn 8 thousand Euros for at least 3 years in Italy to be eligible for citizenship, i have never worked in Italy so my question is :

-How and when to apply for my citizenship in Italy. 
-If i get a residency in the UK does it affect my citizenship process in Italy ? 


I would appreciate your help as to find some answers

Best regards

Rafi


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

No, there is no income requirement to apply for Italian citizenship via marriage.

You may apply after two years of continuous legal residence in Italy with your spouse. If you move outside Italy with your spouse then you will have to wait three years after your marriage. The initial waiting period is cut in half if you have a child together.

To apply you will need a substantial amount of paperwork including official copies of your birth certificate, your marriage certificate (the Italian one), and criminal background checks from all places where you have legally resided since starting from age 14. If you were married previously you might need a divorce or death record for the previous spouse, as applicable. All non-Italian documents must be apostilled, translated, and stamped by the Italian consulate having jurisdiction over the place of residence. Any criminal background checks from places you have lived must either cover the entire period you lived there or, if you lived there recently/now, must be no older than 6 months from your date of application.

You must remain married and living together with your Italian spouse through the entire process. You will wait two more years after the date of application until you hear the results. The application fee is 200 euro.

Good luck.


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## Rafi0044 (Mar 15, 2013)

Thank you very much , very clear now !!


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## Lonely (Aug 11, 2012)

BBCWatcher said:


> N
> 
> You may apply after two years of continuous legal residence in Italy with your spouse.
> 
> Good luck.


wasn't just 6 months?


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

It used to be only 6 months, but some fairly recent legislation increased the initial waiting period to 2 years for residents of Italy.

Actually it used to be zero months for foreign women marrying Italian men prior to April 27, 1983, resident in Italy or not. That is, women legally marrying Italian men prior to that date automatically and instantly acquired Italian citizenship. There was never instant and automatic citizenship the other way (foreign men marrying Italian women), however. So the law has changed over time.


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