On June 8 and 9, 2025, Italians will be called to vote on the fifth referendum question, which proposes reducing the period of uninterrupted residence required for non-EU citizens of legal age to apply for Italian citizenship from 10 to 5 years.
If the Yes vote wins, specific provisions of Law No. 91/1992 would be repealed: Article 9, paragraph 1, letter f), which currently requires 10 years of legal residence, and part of letter b), eliminating the reference to adoption. This would allow all foreigners to apply for citizenship after 5 years of residence, aligning Italian legislation with that of other European countries.
It is estimated that around 2 million people could benefit from the change, although the actual number will be lower, considering additional requirements such as income, knowledge of the Italian language and no criminal record. Furthermore, minor children living with new citizens could obtain citizenship automatically, without having to wait until they turn 18.
The full contribution by lawyer Evaristo Maria Fabrizio is available on HuffPost:
https://www.huffingtonpost.it/blog/2025/06/06/news/referendum_sulla_cittadinanza_cosa_accade_se_vince_il_si-19375348/
