Italian Citizenship & Dual Nationality
The ten-year naturalization route, the B1 language test, the faster marriage and birth routes — and the NVR seal that keeps your Bangladeshi passport alongside.
Naturalization after ten years
For non-EU residents the standard route is ten years of legal residence, a clean criminal record, income that shows you can support yourself, and a B1-level Italian certificate. The application is filed online through the Interior Ministry portal, with the €250 fee and revenue stamps, at the Prefettura linked to your registered residence.
Processing runs long — routinely several years from filing to oath — so every permesso renewal in between has to stay on schedule, because the citizenship file inherits any gaps in lawful residence. Plan the paperwork chain, not just the application.
Faster routes
Marriage to an Italian citizen cuts the wait to two years of legal residence in Italy after the marriage — three if you live abroad. Refugees and stateless persons qualify after five years, and EU citizens after four. Children born in Italy get no automatic citizenship, but they can elect to become citizens between turning 18 and 19, provided they lived in Italy continuously to that birthday.
Dual nationality and the NVR seal
Italy has allowed dual nationality since 1992, and Bangladesh allows it through the NVR seal — so the Italian oath does not cancel your Bangladeshi passport. Register the NVR with the Embassy in Rome before you naturalize, keep the Bangladeshi passport valid, and after the oath add the NVR seal to your new Italian passport so both travel documents stay legally paired.
Frequently asked questions
Which B1 certificates count?
Certificates issued by university-approved centres — CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CERT — at B1 level or above all count, and the certification must be valid on the filing date. Integration courses at provincial centres sometimes bundle the exam; check the centre is on the approved list.
Does time on a pending renewal receipt count?
Yes, as long as your residence stayed lawful — a permit that lapsed because the kit was filed late breaks the continuity, while a properly filed renewal keeps it intact. This is exactly why the permesso planner matters.
How much income does the application expect?
There is no fixed threshold, but the file must show you are not dependent on social assistance. Tax returns, pay slips and a registered residence are the evidence pattern; families on legitimate low incomes with clean ISEE records still qualify.
Will a criminal record from Bangladesh block the application?
Convictions are assessed case by case — pending charges and serious convictions are the usual blockers, while old minor matters often do not sink the file. The Embassy-legalised Bangladeshi police clearance is part of the document set either way.
Does my Italy-born child have to choose one passport?
No — with the NVR seal your child holds Bangladeshi citizenship from birth and can add Italian citizenship at 18 through the election, keeping both. Register the birth with the Embassy early so the Bangladeshi side is documented before the Italian one is.