Learning Italian in Rome | ExpatStateside

You can get by in Rome on English and hand gestures for a while, but the moment you deal with a landlord, a doctor or the questura, Italian stops being a nice-to-have, and for long-term residence and citizenship it becomes a legal requirement.

The short version

For the EU long-term residence permit, you need to show Italian at level A2 of the Common European Framework (CEFR), either with a recognized certificate or by passing a free test at the Prefettura [1].
For Italian citizenship by residence or marriage, the bar is B1, one step up, proven with a certificate from a recognized body.
The big certificates are the CILS (Università per Stranieri di Siena), the CELI (Università per Stranieri di Perugia) and the PLIDA (Società Dante Alighieri). Roma Tre and the Università per Stranieri of Reggio Calabria are the other recognized bodies [1].
Rome has plenty of private schools, from intensive month-long courses to evening classes. Check that the one you pick can prepare you for, or host, the exam you need.
Plan ahead: exam sessions run on fixed dates, and results take time. Don't leave it until your permit is about to expire.

USD conversions in this guide use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1.1163 per EUR 1), rounded.

What level do you actually need?

The CEFR scale runs from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near native). Here's what each Italian milestone asks of you.

Goal	Level	How you prove it
Everyday life: shopping, the bar, small talk with neighbors	A1–A2	Nothing formal
EU long-term residence permit (permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo)	A2	Recognized certificate, Italian school diploma, or the Prefettura test [1]
Italian citizenship by residence or marriage	B1	Recognized certificate, or an Italian school qualification
Enrolling in an Italian university taught in Italian	Usually B2	Set by each university
Working comfortably in an Italian office	B2 and up	Employer's call

Two things that trip up Americans:

A2 is modest, B1 is real work. A2 means you can handle simple, routine exchanges. B1 means you can follow the main points of clear everyday speech, deal with most situations in daily life and write simple connected text. Going from zero to B1 typically takes many months of steady study, not a summer.
Italian heritage doesn't exempt you. Americans applying through an Italian spouse or after years of residence need the certificate like everyone else. Citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) is a different process with its own rules.

We couldn't open an official Ministry of the Interior page on the citizenship language rule when we checked, so confirm the current list of accepted certificates with the Prefettura or your consulate before you book an exam.

The A2 test for the long-term permit

After five years of legal residence, many Americans apply for the EU long-term residence permit, which doesn't need renewing every year or two the way an ordinary permesso does. Since December 9, 2010, applicants have had to show A2 Italian [1].

You can prove it with [1]:

an A2 or higher certificate from one of the five recognized bodies: the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, the Università per Stranieri di Siena, Roma Tre University, the Società Dante Alighieri, or the Università per Stranieri "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria
an Italian school qualification, from middle school up to a university degree
current enrollment in an Italian university, doctorate or master's program
an Italian course at a public adult education center, with a certificate at A2 or higher

Or you can take the free Prefettura test. You apply online through the Ministry of the Interior's portal (nullaostalavoro.dlci.interno.it) to the Prefettura of the province where you live, giving your personal, permit and passport details. The Prefettura has to call you in within 60 days [1]. The test is on a computer, covers short texts and common phrases, and you need 80% to pass. You can ask for a paper version, and if you fail, you can apply again [1].

Some people don't need it at all, including children under 14 and people who entered Italy as highly qualified workers, university professors or researchers, or accredited foreign journalists [1].

CILS, CELI and PLIDA: the certificates

All three are recognized for residence and citizenship purposes when they're at the right level [1]. The choice usually comes down to which exam is offered near you, and when.

CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera) comes from the Università per Stranieri di Siena. It's offered at affiliated exam centers in Italy and abroad. Siena runs 40-hour CILS prep courses (20 hours of Italian and 20 of exam prep) on its campus, with sessions on May 4–15 and November 2–11, 2026, for EUR 330 (about USD 370) plus a EUR 16 (about USD 18) stamp duty [2].
CELI (Certificati di Lingua Italiana) comes from the Università per Stranieri di Perugia's certification center. There are general CELI exams, a CELI for teenagers 12 to 18 at levels A2 to B2, and a CELI for adult immigrants at levels A1 to B1, designed to support integration [3]. Exams run at affiliated centers on a published calendar [3].
PLIDA (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri) is the certificate of the Società Dante Alighieri, which is headquartered in Rome and recognized for these purposes [1].

Each exam tests reading, listening, writing and speaking. Fees, dates and registration deadlines vary by center, so check directly with the center before you count on a session.

Language schools in Rome

Rome has dozens of private Italian schools. We list only ones we could confirm exist. Prices, schedules and accreditation change, so check each school's current details.

School	What we could confirm
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci	Says it's a CILS exam center and an accredited teacher-training center recognized by the Università per Stranieri di Siena; runs programs for US colleges [4]
Dilit International House	Part of the International House network, open since 1974 [5]
Torre di Babele	Courses from a week to a year [5]
Kappa Language School	In the Monti neighborhood [5]
Italiaidea	Centrally located [5]
Koiné	On Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, about 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the Colosseum [5]

Details for all but the first come from a roundup by Romeing, an English-language Rome magazine. The page shows no publication date, so treat the details as a starting point [5].

How to pick one

Ask about the exam. If you need A2 or B1 on paper, ask whether the school is an exam center for CILS, CELI or PLIDA, or at least runs prep courses for one.
Intensive or evening? Intensive courses, often a few hours every weekday morning, get you moving fastest. Evening and weekend classes fit around a job.
Try a trial lesson. Most schools run a placement test. Ask to sit in on a class before you pay for a month.
Watch for visa fine print. A language course alone doesn't automatically give you the right to stay in Italy long term. Get the details of any study visa from the Italian consulate before you rely on a school's paperwork.

University courses for foreigners

The two universities for foreigners, in Perugia and Siena, are a few hours from Rome by train. They run Italian courses at every level, and a month or a semester there is a classic immersion move. They also design the CELI and CILS exams [2][3], so their courses line up naturally with the certificates.

In Rome itself, Roma Tre University is one of the recognized certifying bodies for the long-term permit [1]. Ask its language center about courses and exam sessions.

Public adult education centers also run Italian classes for foreign residents, often free or nearly free, and a certificate at A2 or higher from one counts for the long-term permit [1]. Ask at your municipio, the local district office, which center serves your area.

Tips from Americans who've done it

Start before you land. Classes stateside or online get you through the first-month errands.
Use what you're learning. Order at the bar, chat with the guy at the newsstand, ask the pharmacist. Romans are generally patient with Americans who try.
Watch Italian TV with Italian subtitles. It beats English subtitles for building listening skills.
Find a language exchange. Plenty of Romans want to practice English. Trade an hour of each over a spritz.
Book the exam early. Sessions fill up, and you'll want your certificate in hand well before the permit or citizenship deadline.

Looking for a study buddy or a school recommendation? Ask in our community group for Americans in Italy.

Learning Italian in Rome: schools, exams, and the levels for residence and citizenship