On May 23, 2025, the Italian Parliament converted the Tajani Decree into law (legge n. 74/2025), outlining new eligibility rules concerning the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis). The Ministry of the Interior issued a circolare, or memo, on May 28, 2025, which provides the operational instructions on how the law is to be applied. This…
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With the change in Italian Citizenship Law, which officially took effect on May 24, 2025 and created more restrictive criteria for the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent, many are considering a path to Italian citizenship through residence. In fact, the law allows for those with an Italian parent or grandparent to apply for Italian citizenship after…
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A recent ruling by the Italian Constitutional Court changed the language requirement for Italian citizenship by marriage and residency applications. This article will outline what was stated in the ruling and review the eligibility requirements to apply for Italian citizenship through marriage or residence. Italian Citizenship by Naturalization Italian citizenship by marriage, or jure matrimonii,…
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This article will outline how individuals who have an Italian-born ancestor can apply for Italian citizenship in relation to residency. It will also explore the requirements for the purpose of providing a comprehensive overview of the application process. If you have an ancestor who was born in Italy, you meet one of the criteria that qualifies…
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If you do not qualify for Italian citizenship by descent, there are many other routes to legally remain in Italy long term, some of them which can allow you to apply for citizenship later. One key document in the transition from being a short-term resident to a citizen is the carta di soggiorno or permesso…
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In one of our previous articles we analyzed the reasons why many people, especially in the U.S. qualify for Italian citizenship by descent. Among these are the mass migration waves from Italy to the United States, which occurred starting from the late 1800 and the efficiency of the Italian and U.S. record keeping system, which…
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If you do not qualify for Italian citizenship by descent or by marriage there is an alternative route to obtaining Italian citizenship and it entails establishing residency in Italy. EU citizens can apply for citizenship by residency after four years of legal residency in Italy. On the other hand, non-EU citizens need a visa to…
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ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY RESIDENCY As explored in many of our previous articles, Italian citizenship can be acquired in several ways. So far we have focused on citizenship by virtue of having Italian parents/ancestors (which is commonly referred to as citizenship by “iure sanguinis” – “by right of blood”) however, there are also other ways of…
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