# Italian citizenship question



## Mrtcpip (Feb 15, 2014)

Hello everyone, well, we did make it thanks with all of your help. We now have lived here for six months and have our PDiS, and our ER visas, tessere sanitara, and even our identity cards. A special thanks to BBCWatcher and Bev! We still have more questions. We like it so much here we are thinking of citizenship. Are there any good forums you can recommend to post italian citizenship questions to?

Best regards,

Shawn

:juggle::juggle:


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

You can certain start here. We've got a few members who have or have taken Italian citizenship. (Though I think you probably have to live in Italy a bit longer than six months...)

Unless you have Italian parents, the residence time is something like 10 years - though it's reduced if you are of Italian descent, or are married to an Italian, or a few other specific conditions.

You can start with the Wikipedia article on Italian nationality law: Italian nationality law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Bev's summary is correct. To elaborate a bit....

If you have a parent or grandparent who, at birth, was or _could have been recognized_ as an Italian citizen, then you can acquire Italian citizenship with 3 years of legal continuous residence.

After 5 years of legal continuous residence you can apply for an EC Long-Term Residence Permit, a type of residence permit that gives you more stability. I recommend that if you're not able to obtain citizenship before then.

If you do not meet the 3 year requirement then (in most cases) you'll need 10 years, as Bev mentions.

I'm assuming in all of these cases that neither one of you can already be recognized as Italian (or other EU/EEA) citizens.

Naturalization as an Italian citizen now (usually) requires taking a class and passing a test, including in these circumstances. Schedule your integration class in timely fashion: not too late, not too early, depending on when you're going to reach your minimum residential term. Of course make some effort to learn Italian.

Legal continuous residence means, among other things, timely renewal of your residence permits (PdSes/CdSes) with no breaks, no single absence from Italy longer than 6 months, and total absence from Italy no greater than 10 months. Keep reasonable records to demonstrate your physical presence in Italy: spending records (ATM use, store receipts, debit/credit card records, call detail records for your mobile phone, etc.), attendance records (e.g. language classes, cooking classes, whatever), electric utility consumption records, rental payment records, tax records, etc., etc. Basically anything that will reasonably substantiate a record of physical presence in Italy, starting from when you arrived.


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## Mrtcpip (Feb 15, 2014)

Ok, thanks for the info BBC watcher and Bev!

To elaborate, my wife's grandparents on her Fathers side emigrated to the US prior to the birth of their son, her father in 1932. I realize there are many steps to achieve Italian citizenship, so I won't ask too many detailed questions. But, assuming she meets the direct descendant requirement, does she need to live here 3 yrs (meeting definition of legal continuous residense) before she can apply for citizenship? 

Then again, it may take 3 yrs to gather everything required, so it's a nice project for us!

Thans in advance!

Shawn


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