Italian citizenship by descent after the 2025 law
Last reviewed against the official sources below: October 31, 2026.
| Who qualifies (born abroad, with another citizenship) | Only if a parent or grandparent holds, or held at death, only Italian citizenship; or a parent lived in Italy 2 straight years after becoming Italian and before your birth; or you applied under the old rules by the March 27, 2025 cutoff |
|---|---|
| Generation limit | Parent or grandparent (first or second degree) |
| Filing authority | Italian consulate for where you live (abroad) or the Italian municipality |
| Effective dates | Decree-Law 36 of March 28, 2025; converted by Law 74 of May 23, 2025, in force May 24, 2025 |
| Court challenge | Upheld by the Constitutional Court, ruling 63/2026 (filed April 30, 2026) |
What changed in 2025
Decree-Law 36 of March 28, 2025 was converted, with amendments, by Law 74 of May 23, 2025. It added Article 3-bis to Law 91/1992. Source: esteri.it Source: Gazzetta Ufficiale
Under Article 3-bis, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is not considered to have automatically acquired Italian citizenship unless one of the listed conditions applies. Source: esteri.it
Who still qualifies
- A parent or grandparent holds, or held at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship. Source: esteri.it
- A parent or adoptive parent lived in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before your birth or adoption. Source: esteri.it
- Your status was recognized on an application filed, with the required documents, by 11:59 PM Rome time on March 27, 2025, or on an appointment date communicated to you by then, or in a court case filed by then. Source: Consulate Boston
- You hold only Italian citizenship and no other. Source: Consulate Los Angeles
Self-declarations that a parent or grandparent had no other citizenship aren't accepted. Source: Consulate Los Angeles Proof can include negative citizenship certificates, certificates of renunciation of foreign citizenship, or certificates of non-enrolment in foreign electoral registers; two years' residence is shown with a historical certificate of residence. Source: esteri.it
The 2026 Constitutional Court ruling
On April 30, 2026 the Constitutional Court filed ruling 63/2026, rejecting the challenges to Article 3-bis raised by the Turin court (partly unfounded, partly inadmissible). Source: Constitutional Court press release Source: Ruling 63/2026
Naturalization breaks
Consulates ask for a certificate from the foreign authority confirming the Italian ancestor didn't acquire that country's citizenship before the birth of the next person in your line, plus a consular certificate that no one in the line renounced Italian citizenship. Source: Consulate Boston
Other routes that still exist
- Declaration for minor children of an Italian citizen by birth (Article 4, paragraph 1-bis).
- Reacquiring citizenship lost by August 15, 1992: declarations accepted July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027.
Documents and appointments
Each consulate publishes its own list. See the U.S. consulate documents checklist, the printable checklist and booking on Prenot@mi.
Dual citizenship
Italy has allowed dual citizenship since 1992. Source: esteri.it
Printable Italy document checklist Pre-screen for Italy
Italy articles
- Italian Citizenship by Descent After the 2025 Changes Italy
- Italy's March 27, 2025 Cutoff: Do the Old Citizenship Rules Still Apply to You? Italy
- How to Book an Italian Citizenship Appointment on Prenot@mi Italy
- Italian Citizenship by Descent Documents Checklist (U.S. Consulates) Italy
- Italian Citizenship Through a Grandparent Who Held Only Italian Citizenship Italy
Official sources
- esteri.it: Citizenship
- Gazzetta Ufficiale: Law 74/2025
- Consulate Boston
- Consulate Los Angeles
- Constitutional Court, ruling 63/2026 press release