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Italy dual citizenship with Russia: can you keep both passports in 2026

10 min read ·

Italy does not require giving up your previous citizenship on naturalisation, marriage or citizenship by descent. We cover timelines, language and income requirements, the 2025 reform, children, taxes and notifying the Russian Interior Ministry.

In short

Yes: Italy does not require renouncing your previous citizenship, so the Russian passport is kept on naturalisation or marriage, and you only need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry.

Previous passport on naturalisationKept
Country ruleNo renunciation needed, including citizenship by descent
Legal basisArticle 11 of Italian Law No. 91 of 05.02.1992
What Russia requiresnotify the Interior Ministry within 60 days
CheckedOctober 2026

Russia allows a second citizenship and so does Italy, so the question is not whether you can keep both passports but how to get the Italian one: routes, timelines and documents differ a lot.

What Italy requires on naturalisation

Italian citizenship is governed by Law No. 91 of 5 February 1992. Article 11 allows an Italian citizen to hold, acquire and reacquire a foreign citizenship, and a naturalising foreigner does not have to leave the previous one. No route requires renunciation, including marriage and descent.

Under Article 9, citizens of non-EU countries are granted citizenship after 10 years of lawful residence registered in Italy. You need income for the last 3 years above a threshold: about 8,263 euros a year for one person, about 11,362 euros with a spouse and about 516 euros more per child. Since 2018 Italian at B1 level has been mandatory, except for holders of an EU long-term residence permit.

Under Article 5, a spouse of an Italian citizen applies after 2 years of lawful residence in Italy after the marriage or after 3 years of marriage abroad; with joint children the periods are halved. The marriage must not be dissolved by the time of the decision.

The legal processing time is up to 24 months, extendable to 36. In 2025 a reform restricted citizenship by descent for those born abroad, but it did not change the rules for naturalisation by residence and marriage.

What Russia requires

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, but inside the country treats you only as a Russian citizen (Article 10 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ on Citizenship).

  • Within 60 days of receiving the second passport, file a notification with the Interior Ministry (MVD). If you are abroad at that moment, the period runs from the day you enter Russia.
  • Attach a copy of the foreign passport or another document proving the citizenship.
  • Failure to notify falls under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code: a fine of up to $2,400 or up to one year of income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.
  • Late or incomplete notification: a fine of $10-15 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
  • A residence permit abroad must be reported under the same rules (Article 11 of Law No. 138-FZ).

A Russian citizen with a second passport may not hold state or municipal office, serve in government bodies or stand for election. The duties of a Russian citizen, including military service, remain, and inside Russia the second passport is not taken into account.

How to keep both passports: step by step

  1. Build up residence: 10 years of lawful residence with registration, or 2 years after marrying an Italian citizen.
  2. Prove income with tax returns for 3 years: it must be above the threshold for your family.
  3. Pass an Italian exam at B1 level at an accredited centre, unless you hold an EU long-term residence permit.
  4. Apply online to the Italian Interior Ministry, paying the 250 euro fee and 16 euro stamp duty, about $300 in total.
  5. Take the oath at the town hall within 6 months of notification of the decision and get an Italian passport.
  6. Notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days of receiving the passport, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you are abroad.

The Russian criminal record certificate and birth certificate need an apostille and translation; the criminal record certificate is valid for 6 months.

What happens to children

A child with an Italian citizen parent usually becomes Italian by birth, and with the other parent a Russian citizen also Russian; no renunciation is needed. Minor children living with a parent who acquires Italian citizenship become Italian with them. A child of foreigners born in Italy can declare for citizenship within a year after turning 18 if they lived in the country lawfully and without a break.

Taxes and military service

You become an Italian tax resident through registration, domicile or your centre of interests in the country for more than 183 days a year. A resident pays income tax on worldwide income on a scale up to 43% plus regional and municipal surcharges. Russia suspended most of the double taxation treaty with Italy on its side in 2023.

Compulsory military service in Italy has been suspended since 2005. The military duty of a Russian citizen with a second passport remains.

Common mistakes

  • Living without registered residence. Residence for citizenship is counted from town hall registration, not from the residence permit.
  • Applying with income below the threshold in even one of the last 3 years: a common reason for refusal.
  • Missing the oath deadline. Without the oath within 6 months of notification, the decision lapses.
  • Counting on citizenship by descent through a great-grandparent. After the 2025 reform this route is closed for most people.
  • Missing the Russian Interior Ministry notification. The deadline is 60 days from receiving the Italian passport or from entering Russia.

How to get Italian citizenship

The main routes for Russian citizens are naturalisation after 10 years of lawful residence in Italy and citizenship by marriage after 2 years. After the 2025 reform, citizenship by descent is mainly open to children and grandchildren of Italian citizens who held only Italian citizenship, and it also does not require giving up the Russian passport.

Requirements, timelines and costs are on the page Italian citizenship.

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

Italian citizenship on the first application

The law does not stop you applying for Italian citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: residence without registration, income below the threshold in one of the years, an expired criminal record certificate and a missed oath deadline. We check your residence and income, prepare the documents and the application to the Italian Interior Ministry, see it through to the oath and remind you to notify the Russian Interior Ministry. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process.

The cost of support depends on the route and family size; our consultant in the chat will calculate it.

Talk to a consultant now

This topic in other countries

Dual citizenship rules with Russia in other countries:

More on this country:

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

FAQ

Can you hold Italian and Russian citizenship at the same time?
Yes: Italy does not require renouncing your previous citizenship, so the Russian passport is kept on naturalisation or marriage, and you only need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry.
Do I need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry about Italian citizenship?
Yes. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days under Article 10 of Law No. 138-FZ; failing to notify carries criminal liability under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.
Does Italy allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Italian law allows multiple citizenships and does not require renouncing the previous one on naturalisation or marriage.
Do I have to renounce Russian citizenship to become Italian?
No. The Russian passport is kept; you only need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days.
How many years must you live in Italy before citizenship?
For Russian citizens, 10 years of lawful registered residence. For spouses of Italian citizens, 2 years in Italy after the marriage or 3 years of marriage abroad, halved with children.
What level of Italian is needed for citizenship?
B1, proven by a certificate from an accredited centre. It is not needed for holders of an EU long-term residence permit.
How much does Italian citizenship cost?
A 250 euro fee and 16 euro stamp duty, about $300 in total, plus the exam, translations and apostilles.
Will a child have Italian and Russian citizenship?
Yes. A child of an Italian and a Russian citizen usually gets both citizenships by birth, and children of a naturalised parent become Italian with them.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

We handle the whole process end to end: we check your documents, match a program to your situation and give you honest timelines and costs. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.

The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.

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