Italian citizenship, halving of the times of residence: what the fifth question provides | The referendum explained

With the referendum of 8-9 June 2025, the Italians are called to express themselves on a referendum question that could mark a significant turning point in the legislation on citizenship: The proposal to reduce the period of legal residence necessary to request Italian citizenship from 10 to five years. The reform proposed by fifth referendum question It would concern at least 2.3 million people who live and work in Italy and aims to return to the situation before 1992, the year in which the Amato government introduced 10 years on the emotional wave of the first landings of migrants in Lampedusa.

The fifth question

To understand well what the fifth question deals with, we must first of all start from the text, which reads: « You want to repeal article 9, paragraph 1, letter b), limited to the words » adopted by an Italian citizen « and » subsequently to adoption « ; as well as letter f), containing the following provision: « F) to the foreigner who has been legally residing for at least ten years in the territory of the Republic. », of the law of 5 February 1992, n. 91, containing new citizenship rules « ?».

Whoever votes « yes » will repeal the law in force since 1992who provided for 10 years before asking for citizenship, Whoever votes « no » will leave things as they are. In reality, as we will try to explain below, due to the bureaucracy and the times granted to the Ministry of the Interior, today the times for those who ask for citizenship are much longer than 10 years.

The current situation

Currently, the Italian law on citizenship (law no. 91 of 1992), establishes that a foreigner from an extra EU country must legally reside in Italy for at least ten years before being able to submit an application for citizenship. This term represents the general rule And it is among the longest in Europe.

The question wants to restore the law in force until 1992

Going into detail, the proposal aims to modify article 9 of Law 91, which has raised the term uninterrupted legal stay in Italy necessary to be able to submit the application for citizenship. In fact, « the referendum question asks to restore the law that has been in force in Italy for 80 years », he explains Paolo BonettI, professor of constitutional law and law of foreigners at the Milan-Bicocca University and partner of the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI). « The five -year requirement was in fact provided for by the law already in 1912, in the middle of the liberal period and crossed fascist and republican Italy. Only in 1992 did the law change in the discriminatory sense, when it was decided to reduce the term of five years to four for EU citizens, three for the descendants of Italian citizens, but to increase it to ten for non -EU foreigners « . For Professor Bonetti, that of 1992, therefore, « it was a choice in contrast also with respect to the long Italian migratory history ».

The question does not introduce any automatism

It is important to reiterate that the referendum question for the repeal of the 1992 law does not provide for any automatic acquisition of citizenship, In fact, this would continue to be granted at the request of the interested party, accompanied by a remarkable documentation and a series of other requirements:
* Having overcome the Italian language test;
* be in possession of an income of not less than the annual amount of the income necessary to be free from the health ticket (about 8,200 euros);
* The no convictions for medium-grad crimes, nor in Italy, nor abroad;
* having paid the taxes due in previous years;
* dispose of a situation that does not create danger to public order and state security.
But even after showing all this, « However, there is a long administrative procedure, whose duration by law can go up to three years And usually the Ministry of the Interior these years takes them all », continues Bonetti. And even in the event of acceptance it did not end here: « It takes another six months before being able to make the oath of loyalty to the Republic and observance of the Constitution », clarifies the professor. « So, Currently they have to wait 13 and a half years to have citizenship. The fifth question of the referendum, therefore, would make the wait drop to 8 and a half years ». Times, therefore, much longer than those found in the main EU countries.

Minors: the benefits of repeal

« The desired repeal would have important consequences on the activation of a clause of the law on citizenship, that of art. 14, which allows those who obtained it to be able to automatically transmit it to their children cohabiting in Italy « . The reduction of times, therefore, would help the integration process of these minors. « For a few days », Bonetti still clarifies, « this rule has been further modified by providing for a minimum stay requirement for these children of at least two years » currently, in Italian schools we have about 900 thousand children, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Education, which are foreigners, « of which 600 thousand already born in Italy », continues Bonetti. If we abrogated the 1992 law, an easier way would open up for these guys to become and feeling Italian and integrated « . The proposed modification could therefore facilitate the integration of foreigners who reside permanently in Italy, recognizing their contribution to Italian society and promoting greater social inclusion « . Furthermore, as mentioned, it would represent a step forward « towards legislation more in line with the practices of other European countries, where the periods of residence required for citizenship are often shorter ».

How it works in other countries

But how does it work in other countries? « France, for example, provides for the granting of citizenship after 5 years of residence since 1790 « explains Professor Bonetti. «The same duration also for the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany; The latter changed the law in 2024 and even allows the acquisition after only 3 years for those with more successful integration. Spain, on the other hand, includes 10 years as Italy, but reduces them to 2 years for the Latin American Ispanofoni, which make up 80% of its immigration « .

Political reactions

The proposal raised debates among Italian political forces. Leave like +Europe, the Italian radicals and the Italian Socialist Party They supported the initiative, seeing it as an opportunity to promote integration and recognize the rights of foreigners who contribute to Italian society. On the other hand, political forces such as We moderates They expressed concerns, believing that a reduction in the period of residence may not guarantee adequate roots of individuals in Italian society. Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajaniand the President of the Senate Ignazio La Russa instead they openly invited voters to abstention.