Italian citizenship can be acquired through marriage to an Italian citizen or by naturalization after a period of legal residency. A significant aspect of either citizenship application process is demonstrating sufficient knowledge of the Italian language.

Legal Framework

The requirement for a B1 language certificate stems from the changes made by the Italian government in recent years to ensure that applicants have an adequate understanding of the language. This requirement is codified in the Decreto Legge n. 113/2018, which amended the previous regulations about Italian citizenship.

B1 Language Certificate – what is it and where to apply for it

The B1 language certificate corresponds to the B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This level signifies an intermediate level of proficiency.

A B1 level indicates that the individual can understand and communicate in Italian on familiar topics regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.

B1 certificates have different names according to the issuing institution. There are 4 official institution that can issue the B1 certificate:

• CELI (Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana) by the University for Foreigners of Perugia.
• CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera) by the University for Foreigners of Siena.
• PLIDA (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri) by the Dante Alighieri Society.
• Cert.IT by the University of Rome “Roma Tre”.

How to prepare for the exam

As a first step, you will need to assess your Italian knowledge.

If you are not sure what your level is, you can email us at ciao@fastrackitaliancitizenship.com to assess it today – free of charge! Alternatively you can also take our free Italian language test to discover your level of proficiency in Italian!

If you need either little or more structured help, you can attend a B1 course which is generally tailored on the citizenship B1 test.

The B1 exam typically includes sections on listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

If you need more specific details, click on the following links to know more about the requirements for citizenship by marriage and citizenship by naturalization.

If you think you are ready to take the plunge and dive into your citizenship application process, click on the button below to avail of our free eligibility assessment.