Italian Citizenship: Language Test Exemption For Disabled And Elderly Applicants

The Italian Constitutional Court has ruled that individuals with documented disabilities should no longer be required to demonstrate knowledge of the Italian language in order to obtain Citizenship.

In decision no. 25, the Court declared Article 9.1 of Law no. 91/1992 unconstitutional, which had required all foreign nationals applying for Italian Citizenship—whether by marriage or naturalization—to prove intermediate-level proficiency in Italian, without allowing any exceptions.

According to the Court, this provision failed to account for individuals who, due to serious and documented disabilities, are unable to learn the language.

As a result, the blanket requirement violated the principle of equality enshrined in Article 3 of the Italian Constitution.