📌 New rules regarding italian citizenship by descent
Italian citizenship by descent (cittadinanza italiana per discendenza) is a legal right for individuals who can trace their ancestry to an Italian citizen. In 2025, major legal reforms were introduced that significantly changed the rules, costs, and accessibility of this process — especially for descendants living abroad.
🔍 What Changed in 2025? (Decreto-Legge n. 36/2025)
In early 2025, the Italian government introduced sweeping reforms to restrict and regulate citizenship by descent. These changes are part of a broader policy aimed at limiting the volume of requests and tightening ties between applicants and Italy.
✅ Legislative Status
The decree was initially issued on March 28, 2025, and required parliamentary approval within 60 days to become permanent law. This approval process was completed as follows:
- May 15, 2025: The Italian Senate approved the decree with 81 votes in favor and 37 against.
- May 20, 2025: The Chamber of Deputies passed the decree with 137 votes in favor and 83 against.
With these approvals, the decree has been converted into law and is now officially part of Italy’s legal framework governing citizenship.
Italian nationality law is codified primarily in:
- Law 91/1992: The foundational modern citizenship law
- Presidential Decree No. 572/1993: Implementation procedures
- Decree-Law No. 36/2025: The most recent and sweeping reform (March 2025)
Key Changes:
The new law introduces significant restrictions on citizenship by descent:
- Generational Limitation: Only children and grandchildren of Italian citizens born in Italy are eligible for citizenship recognition through administrative channels (consulates or municipalities).
- Exclusion of Distant Descendants: Great-grandchildren and subsequent generations are no longer automatically eligible and must meet additional criteria, such as residing legally in Italy for at least two years before applying.
- Proof of Effective Connection: Applicants must demonstrate a substantial connection to Italy, such as having a parent who resided in Italy for two consecutive years prior to the applicant’s birth or being born in Italy themselves.
- Centralization of Application Processing: All citizenship applications are now processed centrally by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome; Italian consulates abroad no longer accept new applications.
- Increased Fees: Application fees have doubled, with consular and municipal applications now costing up to €600 per adult applicant, and judicial applications requiring a court filing fee of €600 per petitioner.
✅ Who Is Still Eligible in 2025?
You may still qualify if:
- Your Italian ancestor was alive (and still a citizen) at the time their child was born.
- You can trace direct descent without any breaks in citizenship transmission.
- You fall within two generations removed from your Italian-born ancestor — or you meet the new conditions for cultural/territorial connection.
- You or your parent were not naturalized as citizens of another country before your birth.
Important Note:
For female ancestors, births before January 1, 1948 must still go through the Italian court system due to gender discrimination in old laws — this hasn’t changed yet but remains under legal challenge.
⚖️ Special Cases (Still Valid in 2025)
- Judicial Applications for Pre-1948 Female Lines:
These remain possible, but court costs are higher, and wait times have increased. - Adoption Cases:
Adoption must have occurred before the age of 18 and must be legally recognized under Italian law. - Reclaiming Citizenship Lost Through Naturalization:
Individuals whose ancestors lost Italian citizenship through naturalization may still be eligible under certain conditions — legal advice is recommended here.
📈 What Might Change in the Future (2025–2026 Forecast)?
While 2025 reforms were sweeping, more changes could follow. These include:
- Even stricter generational limits (possibly capped at children only)
- Mandatory Italian language proficiency exams
- Residency in Italy for a minimum number of years before applying
- Restrictions on dual citizenship in cases of non-EU citizens
Italy continues to face political pressure to reduce administrative burdens and manage migration more strictly. However, lobbying by Italian diaspora communities (especially in Brazil, Argentina, and the U.S.) could slow or soften some of these proposals.
📄 Required Documents (2025 Edition)
You will need:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates from each generation
- Naturalization (or non-naturalization) documents
- Certified translations into Italian
- Apostilles/legalizations
- Your ID and passport
- Proof of residence
- Documentation of cultural ties (language courses, family records, etc.)
🏛️ Application Routes: Comune, Consulate, or Court
| Route | Best for | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Comune | Applicants with residency in Italy | Requires legal stay in Italy for several months |
| Consulate | Residents abroad (e.g. Brazil, USA) | Long waiting lists, sometimes over 3–5 years |
| Court (Tribunale di Roma) | Pre-1948 cases or denied applicants | Expensive, requires legal representation |
💡 Tips for Success
- Gather documents now — before future changes make things harder.
- Get professional help if applying via court or for older generations.
- Show cultural links — take language courses, visit Italy, join Italian organizations.
- Check your consulate’s website weekly — appointment openings appear without notice.
- Avoid agencies that guarantee unrealistic timelines or results.
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