Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language.
The Italian Language Certificates are titles attesting the degree of communication skills in Italian as a Foreign Language.
The recipients are all foreign citizens, Italian citizens residing abroad (descendants of Italian emigrants) and foreign immigrants in Italy.
No previous degree is required to take the exams.
For the administration of the tests abroad through the Italian Cultural Institutes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stipulated agreements with the following Institutions:
Università per Stranieri di Perugia (CELI – CIC)
Università per Stranieri di Siena (CILS)
Università degli Studi Roma Tre (IT – ele.IT)
Società Dante Alighieri (PLIDA)
Correspondence of certifications with the Common European Framework of Reference
| Università per Stranieri di Perugia | Università per Stranieri di Siena |
Università degli Studi di Roma Tre | Dante Alighieri | |
| LIVELLO C2 Proficiency |
CELI 5 | CILS Quattro-C2 | IT | PLIDA C2 |
| LIVELLO C1 Advanced |
CELI 4 | CILS Tre-C1 | —— | PLIDA C1 |
| LIVELLO B2 Upper-intermediate |
CELI 3 | CILS Due B2 | —— | PLIDA B2 |
| LIVELLO B1* Intermediate |
CELI 2 | CILS Uno B1 | ele.IT | PLIDA B1 |
| LIVELLO A2 Elementary |
CELI 1 | CILS A2 | —— | PLIDA A2 |
| LIVELLO A1 Beginner |
CELI 1 | CILS A1 | —— | PLIDA A1 |
*As of December 4th, 2018 (Italian law No. 132, of December 1, 2018) a requirement for being granted Italian citizenship pursuant to art. 5 and 9 of Law 91/1992, is adequate knowledge of the Italian language. Adequate knowledge is defined to be no less than level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Fulfillment of this requirement is met by the acquisition of a title/certification issued by an institution of public education/educational institution or a certification issued by an authorized/recognized certifying body.