If you're applying for Italian citizenship by marriage or by residence, you need a certificate showing Italian at B1 level or higher, such as CILS or CELI, from a recognized certifying body. If you're claiming citizenship by descent, you don't, and the 2025 reform did not add a language test for descent. This guide covers who needs the Italian B1 citizenship certificate, which exams count, what B1 means in practice and a study plan from zero. Rules are as of October 2026; confirm them with your consulate or prefecture, and treat this as a guide, not legal advice.
Who needs the Italian B1 citizenship certificate?
Applicants under article 5 (marriage or civil union with an Italian citizen) and article 9 (residence, also called naturalization) of Law 91/1992. Article 9.1, added in 2018, requires knowledge of Italian at no lower than B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference, and it applies to applications submitted from 4 December 2018 onward.
| Route | B1 certificate | Other key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage or civil union (art. 5) | Required | 2 years of marriage with legal residence in Italy, or 3 years if you live abroad; halved if you have children |
| Residence (art. 9) | Required | Years of legal residence: 10 for most non-EU citizens, 4 for EU citizens, 2 if a parent or grandparent is or was an Italian citizen by birth |
| Descent (iure sanguinis) | Not required | Eligibility narrowed in 2025 |
There are exemptions. According to Italian consular guidance, you don't need to submit a certificate if you signed the integration agreement (accordo di integrazione) under article 4-bis of the Consolidated Immigration Act, if you hold an EU long-term residence permit issued in Italy, if you hold a recognized Italian school or university qualification, or if a public medical certificate documents serious limits on your ability to learn a language because of age, illness or disability (Italian Embassy in Washington).
What changed in 2025, and does descent now need B1?
No language test was added. Decree-Law 36 of 28 March 2025, converted into Law 74 of 23 May 2025, narrowed who is automatically Italian by descent, but recognition itself still has no language requirement. What changed is who qualifies.
For people born abroad who hold another citizenship, descent now generally works only in specific cases: for example, when a parent or grandparent holds or held only Italian citizenship, or when a parent lived in Italy for two continuous years after becoming Italian and before the child was born. Applications filed by 11:59 pm Rome time on 27 March 2025 follow the old rules.
The reform is still being argued in court. The Constitutional Court upheld it in judgment 63/2026, then, in an order published in July 2026, referred a further question on EU law to the Court of Justice of the European Union and suspended those proceedings (Constitutional Court, order 147/2026).
This is where B1 returns. If the new rules close the descent route for you, naturalization may still be open. Since 2025, a foreign national whose parent or grandparent is or was an Italian citizen by birth can apply after two years of legal residence in Italy instead of three, and that application, like every naturalization, needs B1.
Which Italian B1 certificates are accepted?
Certificates from the bodies in Italy's CLIQ quality system: the University for Foreigners of Siena (CILS), the University for Foreigners of Perugia (CELI), the Società Dante Alighieri (PLIDA) and Roma Tre University (CERT.IT). Italian consulates also list the University for Foreigners of Reggio Calabria. The certificate must be at B1 level or above.
| Certifying body | Exam | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Università per Stranieri di Siena | CILS | Offers CILS B1 Cittadinanza, a version valid only for citizenship |
| Università per Stranieri di Perugia | CELI | CELI 2 is the B1 exam; the version for adult immigrants is called CELI 2 i Cittadinanza |
| Società Dante Alighieri | PLIDA | PLIDA B1 |
| Università Roma Tre | CERT.IT | B1 level |
If you choose CILS, pick the version carefully. CILS B1 Cittadinanza counts only for citizenship and has to be passed in one sitting: fail one section and you retake the whole exam. The standard CILS B1 counts for citizenship and also for work or study, and sections you pass stay valid for 18 months, so you resit only what you failed. Results for the Cittadinanza version arrive in about two months, for the standard exam in about three. In 2026, Siena scheduled six B1 Cittadinanza sessions, the last on 3 December (CILS 2026 exam dates), and each local exam center sets its own registration deadline.
What does B1 Italian actually mean?
B1 is the first "independent user" level. You understand the main points of clear speech on familiar topics, cope with most everyday situations, write simple connected text and give brief reasons for your opinions and plans. It isn't fluency, but it's real Italian (the CEFR levels explained).
In practice, B1 means you can phone a landlord about a broken boiler, write a short email to a neighbor, and tell an examiner how you met your spouse and why you moved, in the past tense, without rehearsing every sentence. The CILS B1 Cittadinanza tests these skills in four parts: listening, reading with grammar, writing, and a short speaking test.
The grammar between A1 and B1 is a well-defined list:
- the present tense, irregular verbs included: essere, avere, andare, fare, volere, dovere
- the passato prossimo with avere and essere: Mi sono trasferito a Bologna tre anni fa (I moved to Bologna three years ago)
- the imperfetto, and when to use it instead of the passato prossimo
- reflexive verbs: mi alzo, ci sposiamo
- direct and indirect object pronouns, plus ci and ne
- the futuro semplice: L'anno prossimo cercherò casa (next year I'll look for a place to live)
- the conditional for polite requests: Vorrei prenotare un appuntamento (I'd like to book an appointment)
How long does it take to reach B1 in Italian?
For an English speaker starting from zero, think in terms of a year or more. Cambridge English, which builds its exams on the CEFR, estimates roughly 350 to 400 guided learning hours to reach B1, and that is a fair yardstick for Italian too. The US Foreign Service Institute puts Italian in its easiest group for English speakers, with about 24 weeks of full-time classes to reach professional working proficiency, a level well above B1. Studying at home around a job, at about an hour a day, that adds up to roughly 12 to 18 months.
The real variable is time per day. A regular daily hour beats a long weekend session, because B1 grammar needs repetition until it comes without thinking. And if you're worried you've started too late, read our piece on learning a language as an adult.
How should you study from zero to B1?
As rough guidance, plan on about an hour a day over 12 to 18 months, and adjust once you see your real pace. The last stretch is about the exam format, not new grammar.
- About months 1 to 3: A1. Pronunciation, the present tense, numbers, dates and personal details, until you can fill in a form and introduce your family.
- About months 4 to 8: A2. The passato prossimo, reflexive verbs and everyday tasks: shops, the doctor, transport. Start writing four or five sentences a day.
- About months 9 to 15: B1. The imperfetto, pronouns, the future and the conditional. Write short emails and record yourself describing past experiences.
- The last two or three months: exam practice. Do your certifying body's sample papers under timed conditions; CILS publishes past exams with audio. Book a session and keep your daily lessons going.
Book the exam when the practice papers feel comfortable, not when the calendar says so. A failed Cittadinanza exam means paying for the whole thing again.
How can Qlango help you reach B1?
Qlango's Italian course follows the CEFR from A1 up to C2, so the road to B1 maps level for level: A1, then A2, then B1, each with the vocabulary, grammar and everyday situations that level brings.
Short daily lessons and spaced repetition build the vocabulary B1 asks for, and writing answers yourself trains spelling and verb endings. The weekly learning plan keeps your study regular, and statistics show your progress over weeks and months. You can also chat with other learners, with message translation and AI help to write a reply: low-stakes writing practice.
When you add the course, you choose the language you learn through. It's free to start, and Premium adds offline learning and an AI teacher you can ask unlimited questions, for example why it's sono andato but ho mangiato. Every course and level is on the languages page.
FAQ
Do I need B1 Italian for citizenship by descent?
No. As of October 2026, recognition by descent has no language requirement, even after the 2025 reform. B1 applies to citizenship by marriage and by residence.
Does a qualification from an Italian school count?
Yes, if it comes from a public or private school or university recognized by Italy's Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs: such a qualification exempts you from the certificate. A language certificate, on the other hand, has to come from a recognized certifying body: CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CERT.IT or the University for Foreigners of Reggio Calabria.
Should I take CILS B1 standard or B1 Cittadinanza?
Cittadinanza if citizenship is your only goal and you're confident of passing every section at once. Standard if you want to keep the sections you pass, or need the certificate for work or study as well.
B1 is built one short lesson at a time. Open Qlango's Italian course, start A1 today, and let the weekly plan keep you going.
