Foreign spouses or civil partners of Italian citizens living in NSW can apply for Italian citizenship once the waiting period and conditions (including B1 Italian) are met. The application is filed online with the Ministry of the Interior, with the consulate handling signature authentication and checks.
Where to apply in Australia
Consulate General of Italy in Sydney for NSW residents except Cooma and Queanbeyan (Embassy in Canberra); the Italian spouse must be AIRE-registered in that district.
Other Italian posts in Australia (Embassy in Canberra, Consulate-General Melbourne, Consulates in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) run their own pages for their own districts; those were not read in this research, so details here describe the Sydney procedure and may differ elsewhere.
Contact details for every office are on the page of the embassy and consulates of Italy.
How to apply
Register on the Ministry of the Interior portal | submit Model AE online with documents | if accepted, attend the consulate to authenticate signature, show originals and pay consular fees | wait for the Ministry decision | take the oath within 6 months of the decree
Documents you need
- Full birth certificate (within 6 months, apostilled and translated)
- Criminal record certificates from home and other countries lived in since age 14 (within 6 months)
- Valid passport copy
- Marriage certificate extract from the Italian comune
- B1 Italian language certificate
- Proof of the EUR 250 payment
Fees and processing time
- Official fee: EUR 250 to the Ministry of the Interior
- Other charges: consular fees for signature authentication, copies, translation certification and duty stamps per the consular tariff
Processing time: Ministry assessment up to 24 months, extendable to 36.
Good to know
Waiting period 3 years from marriage (1.5 with children).
Official sources
Check before you apply
This page summarises information published by Italy's official channels, last checked on 24 octubre 2026. Fees and requirements can change at short notice, so confirm with the office that will handle your case.
Spotted a change? Let us know.
More services of Italy in Australia
- AIRE registration (Italians resident abroad)
- Birth registration of minor children and citizenship declaration
- Conformity stamp on copies and translations; apostille guidance
- Consular certificates (citizenship, family status, civil status)
- Electronic identity card (CIE)
- Emergency travel document (ETD)
- Italian citizenship by descent (adults)
- Italian passport (adults and minors)
- National (long-stay) visa for Italy
- Notarial acts and powers of attorney
- Reacquisition of Italian citizenship
- Registration of a death (Italian citizen died in Australia)
- Registration of marriage, divorce and other civil status changes
- Renunciation of Italian citizenship
- Repatriation of human remains or ashes to Italy
- Schengen (short-stay) visa for Italy
- Voting from abroad (Italian elections and referendums)