Italian Citizenship: Processing Time Extended to 48 Months

Applicants for Italian citizenship through marriage, civil union, or naturalisation based on residency now face significantly longer official processing times. A legislative change, Law no. 132/2018, extended the maximum duration for the Ministry of Interior to process these applications from the previous 24 or 36 months to an extended period of 48 months. This critical update, which officially came into effect on December 4, 2018, has had a profound impact on applicants, leading to increased waiting periods and a greater degree of uncertainty during what is already a lengthy administrative process. The extension was implemented with the aim of providing authorities with more time to conduct thorough background checks, verify documentation, and manage the continuously growing volume of citizenship applications being submitted across Italy and at diplomatic missions abroad. While the law sets a maximum timeframe, actual processing times can still vary, and in some cases, applicants have reported experiences that test the limits of this new duration. It is crucial for prospective citizens to understand that this extended timeframe is now the standard, and applicants are strongly advised to prepare for substantial delays and to ensure all documentation is meticulously prepared to avoid further hold-ups. This extension does not, however, apply to citizenship applications based on descent (jure sanguinis), which are governed by different procedures and processing expectations.