Italy Sets Minimum Age Requirements for Foreigners Applying for Citizenship
- Italy's Law no. 91/92 sets out specific rules for how minors can acquire Italian citizenship through recognition, adoption, or a parent's naturalisation
- Adults who gain Italian citizenship eligibility through recognition of filiation face a strict one-year window to act on their claim
- The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlines a set of required documents that applicants must submit alongside their declaration
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Italy has outlined specific age-based rules governing how individuals can acquire citizenship through family ties, with the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishing the requirements on its official website.
The regulations apply broadly and are relevant to any individual worldwide whose Italian parentage is established through legal recognition later in life, including those in Africa and the diaspora who may have discovered or formalised their Italian heritage as adults.
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Italian citizenship for minors
Under Law no. 91/92, Italian citizenship for minors can be acquired through three distinct pathways: recognition or judicial declaration of filiation, adoption, and the naturalisation of a parent.
The law places particular emphasis on protecting the citizenship rights of children in each of these situations.
How adults can elect Italian Citizenship through filiation
The rules shift considerably once a person reaches the age of majority. When a court issues a recognition or judicial declaration of filiation involving an adult, that individual does not automatically acquire Italian citizenship.
Instead, they are given a window of one year from the date of the relevant decision to formally declare their intention to become an Italian citizen, a process known as an "election of citizenship" under Article 2, Paragraph 2 of Law no. 91/92.
This declaration is not simply a statement of intent. Under Article 3 of Presidential Decree no. 572, dated 12 October 1993, the application must be accompanied by supporting documents that serve as prerequisites for the request to be considered valid.
Documents required for Italian citizenship process
Applicants must submit a birth certificate to confirm their exact identity, an act of recognition or an authenticated copy of the court ruling establishing paternity or maternity, and a certificate confirming the citizenship of the Italian parent in question.
Together, these documents form the minimum requirements for an adult seeking to claim Italian citizenship through a recognised filiation.
Failure to meet the one-year deadline or to provide the necessary paperwork would disqualify the applicant from pursuing citizenship through this particular route.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
