A new bill pending in the Italian Senate—Draft Law No. 1450/2025 “Provisions on Citizenship”—would restrict the fast-track naturalisation route for foreign spouses to those who physically reside in Italy, eliminating eligibility for couples living abroad. Immigration specialists warn that thousands of mixed-nationality families could lose access to citizenship-by-marriage if the text passes unamended.
Current rules (Art. 5, Law 91/1992) allow spouses of Italian citizens to apply after two years’ marriage in Italy or three years abroad, with time halved when children are involved. The draft law would confine the benefit to resident spouses, citing integration concerns. The General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE) has already issued a negative opinion, calling the proposal discriminatory.
For global-mobility stakeholders, the change would particularly impact Italian expatriates who marry overseas colleagues and wish to align family nationality before a relocation back to Italy or the EU. If enacted, affected couples would need to establish residence in Italy and wait two years before applying, delaying work assignments, social-security equalisation and EU free-movement rights.
Legal advisers recommend that eligible spouses file before any legislative approval. Processing can still exceed 24 months, so early submission is critical. Companies should audit expatriate populations to identify at-risk family members and budget for potential residence-permit costs if citizenship routes close.
The bill is in committee stage; amendments are possible, but observers expect a Senate vote before year-end. Mobility programmes should monitor developments closely and communicate timelines to impacted employees.
Current rules (Art. 5, Law 91/1992) allow spouses of Italian citizens to apply after two years’ marriage in Italy or three years abroad, with time halved when children are involved. The draft law would confine the benefit to resident spouses, citing integration concerns. The General Council of Italians Abroad (CGIE) has already issued a negative opinion, calling the proposal discriminatory.
For global-mobility stakeholders, the change would particularly impact Italian expatriates who marry overseas colleagues and wish to align family nationality before a relocation back to Italy or the EU. If enacted, affected couples would need to establish residence in Italy and wait two years before applying, delaying work assignments, social-security equalisation and EU free-movement rights.
Legal advisers recommend that eligible spouses file before any legislative approval. Processing can still exceed 24 months, so early submission is critical. Companies should audit expatriate populations to identify at-risk family members and budget for potential residence-permit costs if citizenship routes close.
The bill is in committee stage; amendments are possible, but observers expect a Senate vote before year-end. Mobility programmes should monitor developments closely and communicate timelines to impacted employees.
