You can obtain Italian citizenship by marriage and thereafter apply for an Italian passport.
This process involves a certain number of steps:
1. Marriage registration
- Apply for an unabridged marriage certificate from the Department of Home Affairs;
- Send the certificate to DIRCO for an Apostille;
- Obtain a sworn translation of the marriage certificate;
- Submit the apostillised certificate with the sworn translation at the Italian Consulate where the Italian spouse is currently registered, and follow up to confirm the registration went through in Italy.
2. Italian language proficiency B1 certificate
- Learn Italian privately or through an accredited institution such as Dante Alighieri (online or in person courses in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban).
- Pass an official B1 level accredited exam. This can be done through Dante Alighieri in South Africa (called PLIDA exam) or in Italy through other institutions such as Università per Stranieri in Siena (called CILS exam).
3. Waiting period
There is a waiting period of 3 years after the date of marriage, or 18 months if you have minor children, before you can submit your application for Italian citizenship by marriage.
4. Online application
Gather the required documents and proceed with the online application (more on the documents & online application)
5. Taking the oath and applying for passport
- Wait for the Consulate’s notification that your citizenship has been approved by the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which can take 6 months to 2-3 years.
- Book an appointment with the Consulate to take the oath.
- Register with AIRE
- Book an appointment to apply for and collect your Italian passport.
Services we offer
Our Translation and Citizenship services include:
– providing the sworn translations
– having them legalised
– assistance A to Z with the online submission
– assistance with AIRE registration
For information or a quote please contact us at starlingtranslationsCT@gmail.com