Exemptions from the Italian language test: citizenship (B1) and carta di soggiorno (A2)
According to art. 9.1 of Law 91/1992 (in-force text read on Normattiva on 31 October 2026) and the Ministry of the Interior's Vademecum (circular no. 20475 of 23 April 2025), you do not need the B1 certificate for citizenship if you signed the integration agreement, hold the EU long-term residence permit, or have serious limitations certified by a public health facility. For the carta di soggiorno, the Prefecture's A2 test is not needed, for example, if you already have a certificate at A2 or higher or an Italian school diploma (decree of the Minister of the Interior of 7 December 2021).
Summary: your case
| Your case | Citizenship (B1 certificate) | Carta di soggiorno (A2 test) |
|---|---|---|
| Integration agreement signed | Exempt | Takes the test, unless an A2 level is recognised in the agreement's credits |
| EU long-term residence permit | Exempt | Not needed: it is the permit you already have |
| Serious limitations certified by a public health facility | Exempt | Exempt |
| A2 certificate from a recognised body | Not enough: B1 or higher is needed | Does not take the test |
| B1 certificate from a recognised body | Valid | Does not take the test |
| Italian lower or upper secondary school diploma | Valid instead of the certificate (qualification in Italian) | Does not take the test |
| Child under 14 | Not covered in the sources we read | Does not take the test |
| EU citizen, or family member with a «carta di soggiorno per familiare» | Must have the B1 | Not covered in the sources we read |
Citizenship: who does not need the B1 certificate
People applying for citizenship by marriage or by residence (articles 5 and 9 of Law 91/1992) must know Italian at level B1 or higher. The law and the Ministry exclude these cases:
You are excluded from the requirement if you signed the integration agreement (art. 4-bis of the Consolidated Immigration Act). The Ministry's Vademecum adds that these are people who came to Italy through family reunification or family cohesion; they prove it with the Prefecture's certificate (Sportello unico) and write the agreement's details in the application.
You are excluded if you hold the EU long-term residence permit (the «carta di soggiorno»). According to the Vademecum the old «CE» long-term permit also counts if it was issued from 9 December 2010, when the Italian test came into force.
With judgment no. 25 of 2025 the Constitutional Court exempted people with serious limitations in learning the language because of age, illness or disability. You need a certificate from a public health facility: according to the Ministry a GP's certificate is not enough. If you live in Italy and have a foreign medical certificate, add one from an Italian public health facility; if you live abroad, present the foreign certificate translated and legalised.
If you are not exempt you can present, instead of the B1 certificate, a qualification from a recognised public or state-equivalent school, from lower secondary school (scuola media) upwards, taken in Italian. For a public school a self-declaration with the details is enough; for a private or state-equivalent school you need a certified copy.
Who still needs the B1
According to the Ministry's Vademecum: citizens of the European Union; holders of the «carta di soggiorno» for family members of Italian or EU citizens (this is not the EU long-term residence permit); British citizens and their family members with the Withdrawal Agreement («Brexit») residence card.
Which certificates count
A certificate at B1 or higher from a recognised body. The Vademecum lists: University for Foreigners of Siena (CILS), University for Foreigners of Perugia (CELI), Roma Tre University (CERT.IT), Società Dante Alighieri (PLIDA) and the University for Foreigners «Dante Alighieri» of Reggio Calabria. You can also get the certificate at a CPIA (public adult education centre). Certificates from regional vocational training courses are not valid.
Carta di soggiorno: the A2 Italian test
To get the EU long-term residence permit (the «carta di soggiorno») you must pass an Italian language test (art. 9, paragraph 2-bis, of the Consolidated Immigration Act) at level A2: understanding frequently used sentences and expressions. The rules are in the decree of the Minister of the Interior of 7 December 2021.
- Apply online to the Prefecture of the province where you live, on the Ministry of the Interior's Portale Servizi.
- The Prefecture calls you within 60 days, with day, time and place.
- The test is on a computer, or on paper if you ask. For example the Prefecture of Lecco describes three parts: listening (25 minutes), reading (25 minutes) and written interaction (10 minutes).
- To pass you need at least 80% of the total score. The result goes to the Questura, which issues the permit if the other requirements are met.
- If you fail you can apply again: according to the Ministry only 90 days after the previous test.
Who does not take the A2 test
- children under 14 of the applicant and of the spouse;
- people with serious learning limitations due to age, illness or disability, certified by a public health facility;
- holders of a certificate at A2 or higher from a recognised body (so also the B1 taken for citizenship);
- people with a final CPIA course certificate at A2 or higher, or with A2 recognised in the integration agreement's credits;
- people with an Italian lower or upper secondary school diploma, students at an Italian university, or doing a PhD or university master's in Italy;
- some workers (managers and highly qualified workers, university professors and researchers, translators and interpreters, accredited journalists: art. 27 of the Consolidated Immigration Act);
- holders of international protection, and permits for research at universities and bodies supervised by the Ministry of University.
Income and other requirements for the carta: carta di soggiorno requirements.
More guides
In italiano: Chi è esonerato dal test di italiano