On March 28, 2025, the Italian Council of Ministers approved changes to the rules concerning the recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The law decree was published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale outlining new provisions for claiming Italian citizenship by descent. The changes apply to both the administrative and judicial process, meaning applications filed at the Italian consulate, Italian municipalities, and at the Italian courts.
The new eligibility rules outlined in the decree, which also apply to individuals born before the date of the decree, are as follows:
- You have an Italian parent (or adoptive parent) that was born in Italy
- You have an Italian parent (or adoptive parent) who resided in Italy for two consecutive years prior to your birth or adoption
- You have an Italian grandparent that was born in Italy
In summary, the decree has established a generational limit, allowing descendants to apply for recognition of Italian citizenship if they have an Italian-born ancestor to the second degree (i.e. grandparent).
For those that have already been recognized as Italian citizens:
- You are still a citizen if recognized via the Italian consulate, municipality, or through a court case
For those with a pending citizenship application, the previous citizenship eligibility rules will apply if:
- You have submitted your application to an Italian consulate or an Italian municipality by 11:59 p.m. Rome time on March 27th
- You have filed an Italian court case by 11:59 p.m. Rome time on March 27th
For recognized Italian citizens with minor children, in order for the child to also be recognized as an Italian citizen, either of the following must be true:
- A request to register the child must have been submitted to the Italian consulate or comune before March 28, 2025
- The child was already recognized
- The parent was born in Italy
- The parent lived in Italy for two consecutive years before the child’s birth
What happens next?
This decree will be in effect for 60 days, and is valid during that time. After 60 days, Italian Parliament will need to convert the decree into law. It is unlikely that they will make major changes to the decree before approving the law.
Further updates on the interpretation of the provisions included in the March 28, 2025 decree, as well updates regarding the conversion into law of the aforementioned decree, will be released as they become available.
Additional bills and provisions were proposed with the decree but they have yet to take effect and details will be released with the approval of the law.
For current updates on Italian citizenship, be sure to visit italiancitizenshipassistance.com or contact us if you have further questions.
