There have been radical changes to the laws surrounding Italian citizenship by descent in the past year, as we have written about numerous times on our blog and discussed on our podcast. A new bill has now been introduced in parliament that could change matters for those with 3rd and 4th generation Italian ancestors. In this article, we’ll discuss the context of this bill and how it could impact Italian citizenship jure sanguinis going forward.
The recent changes to Italian citizenship by descent
Earlier this year, the controversial Tajani Decree was converted in Law No. 74/2025. It limited the accessibility of Italian citizenship by descent to only those with Italian parents or grandparents. (However, applications submitted before March 28, 2025, or after, as long as the citizenship appointment was secured prior to that date, will still be processed according to the old rules). Furthermore, if the Italian ancestor the applicant is making a claim through passed away before the applicant’s death, he or she must have exclusively held Italian citizenship at the time of death. If Italian citizenship was acquired later in life for the ancestor, he or she must have resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years before the birth of the applicant. In some cases, a residency requirement is needed even for minor children born to an Italian parent.
The Constitutional Court’s upcoming decisions
The Tajani Decree has not been without controversy, with many applicants being forced to petition the Italian courts to enforce their rights to be recognized as Italian citizens since birth, claiming the unlawful retroactivity of the decree. Furthermore, soon the Constitutional Court will be reviewing the new law that converted the Tajani Decree. However, only parts of the Tajani Decree will be under scrutiny, raised by the Court of Turin back in September 2025. The Constitutional Court had ruled previously and independently of the Tajani Decree that the old rules for citizenship by descent were not unconstitutional. Even though the Tajani Decree had not been involved in these rulings, it does provide hope for the outcome of their upcoming decision, and now a new proposal could provide even more hope for those with Italian ancestors who seek citizenship.
A new proposal for Italian citizenship by descent
Recently, a new bill has been introduced to the Italian Parliament by former senator Ricardo Merlo. Originally from Argentina, he himself acquired Italian citizenship jure sanguinis, and founded the Associative Movement Italians Abroad (MAIE). The MAIE represents the interests of Italians living abroad.
The bill essentially proposes an alternative pathway to citizenship jure sanguinis for those with Italian ancestors in the third, fourth generation and beyond. If passed, it would allow such persons to obtain Italian citizenship by descent if they can demonstrate competency in the Italian language at the B1 level (more on this below). This would not apply to those with Italian parents or grandparents who could still obtain citizenship regardless of knowledge of the Italian language.
This is not the first time such a proposal has been discussed, though with the recent changes in citizenship law, it is an interesting potential avenue to citizenship for those with Italian ancestors further back in the family line. The bill will now need to be approved by both chambers of the Italian parliament in order to become a law and it is certainly something that we at ICA will keep updated on.
The B1 language exam
Having knowledge of the Italian language at the B1 level is a lower intermediary competency in the language. “B1” refers to the CEFR framework used to evaluate language comprehension and speaking levels for non-native learners of a new language. At the B1 level, learners of Italian are able to understand main ideas on familiar, general topics (such as personal life, work, travels, etc.) The speaker is also able to communicate clearly, if still basically, on topics that are familiar to them.
Two official language exams are CELI and CILS, both offered by the University for Foreigners of Perugia and the University for Foreigners of Siena. There is also PLIDA, offered by the Dante Alighieri Society. You do not need to be physically present at one of these institutions in order to take one of the exams, as many language schools both across Italy and internationally offer them. The regular B1 exam and the B1 exam specifically for citizenship are slightly different, but both test the same grammar and comprehension level. Listening, reading, writing, and speaking are all tested. Failure to pass one of the parts means having to redo the entire exam.
It is lastly important to note that the B1 language exam is already required for those applying for Italian citizenship by marriage and naturalization.
Conclusion
Amongst these ever-evolving changes to Italian citizenship, we at ICA are committed to keeping potential applicants up to date so that they can make informed decisions regarding applying for Italian citizenship and navigating Italian immigration laws. If you are interested in taking the B1 exam for citizenship or would like your case evaluated, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
