Recognition/acquisition of Italian citizenship
According to Law 91/1992, as amended by Decree Law 36/2025 and Law 74/2025, Italian citizenship may be recognized or acquired:
- By descent from an Italian ancestor (citizenship by descent “iure sanguinis”)
- By acquisition through “Beneficio di legge” (acquisition of Italian citizenship by minors born abroad)
- By marriage or civil union
- Based on Law No. 124 of 8 March 2006
- By reacquisition (reacquisition of Italian citizenship) possible through:
- Declaration pursuant to Article 17(1) of Law 91/1992;
- Residence in Italy pursuant to Article 13 of Law 91/1992
A summary of the main changes introduced by Decree Law 36/2025, converted into law by Law 74/2025, is provided at the bottom of this general introduction page.
N.B. Applications submitted before 27 March 2025, and those accompanied by the necessary documentation, for which confirmation of the appointment by the Consular Office (automatic confirmation email following registration on the prenot@mi portal) was issued by 23:59 Rome time, on 27 March 2025, are subject to the previous regulations (therefore the provisions introduced by Decree Law 36/2025 and Law 74/2025 do not apply).
New provisions introduced by Decree Law 36/2025, as converted into law by Law 74/2025
While referring to a reading of the relevant sections of the website and the legislation on Italian citizenship, a summary of the changes introduced by Decree Law 36/2025, as converted into law by Law 74/2025, is provided as follows
a) Citizenship by descent from an Italian ancestor (iure sanguinis)
The current legislation on citizenship, Law No. 91 of 1992, as well as the previous Law No. 555 of 1912, are based on the principle of ius sanguinis, i.e. the transmission of citizenship by descent from an Italian citizen. In particular, Article 1 of Law 91/1992 establishes that:
‘The child of an Italian father or mother is an Italian citizen by birth.’
However, Law 91/1992 was recently amended by Decree-Law No. 36/2025, converted with amendments by Law No. 74/2025, which introduced some restrictions on the automatic transmission of Italian citizenship.
a.1) Restrictions on the automatic transmission of citizenship for those born abroad
The new Article 3-bis, paragraph 1, of Law 91/1992 establishes that ‘a person born abroad, even before the date of entry into force of this article AND holds another citizenship, is considered never to have acquired Italian citizenship’.
a.2) Exceptions to these restrictions
Notwithstanding the above, Article 3-bis provides for exceptions that allow for the recognition of citizenship at birth, even for those born abroad and holding another citizenship, in the following cases:
- Italian citizenship is recognized on the basis of an application submitted to the Consulate General by 11:59 p.m. (Rome time) on 27 March 2025, or on the basis of an appointment confirmed to the applicant (automatic email of confirmation which follows the registration on the prenot@mi portal) by the same date;
- The applicant’s parent or grandparent holds, or held at the time of death, only the Italian citizenship.
- A parent (including adoptive parents), who is an Italian citizen, has been resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth or adoption of the child.
N.B.1 The exceptions do not affect the principle of the iure sanguinis transmission of citizenship, which will continue to apply, and with it the necessary checks that the transmission was not interrupted.
N.B.2 The application of exception no. 1 means that both the applications submitted before 27 March 2025 and the applications, accompanied by the necessary documentation, for which confirmation of the appointment by the Consular Office (automatic email of confirmation which follows the registration on the prenot@mi portal) was issued by 23:59 Rome time, on 27 March 2025, are decided upon according to the previous rules.
(b) Acquisition of citizenship by benefit by law
The Decree Law 36/2025, as converted by Law 74/2025 envisages cases of acquisition of Italian citizenship by benefit by law, which apply in particular to minors born abroad, that is children of Italian citizens by birth who do not automatically transmit citizenship (i.e. minors who do NOT meet the conditions set out in (a1) for the recognition of citizenship at birth).
Such minors may obtain citizenship in the following cases:
(b.1) Declaration of intent by the parents within one year of birth or filiation
The minor may acquire Italian citizenship if:
• at least one of the parents is an Italian citizen by birth;
• both parents submit a declaration of intent to acquire citizenship within one year of the minor’s birth or from the subsequent date on which filiation, including adoption, by an Italian citizen is established.
(b.2) Declaration by 31 May 2026
This option applies to those who meet all of the following requirements:
• were minors on 24 May 2025 (date of entry into force of Law 74/2025);
• are children of Italian citizens by birth, whose citizenship was recognised following an application submitted by 23:59 on 27 March 2025 (or with an appointment confirmed by that date);
• their parents submit a declaration of intent to acquire citizenship by 31 May 2026. If the minor turns 18 before that date, the declaration must be submitted in person by the person concerned by 31 May 2026.
In cases of acquisition of Italian citizenship by benefit by of law, the citizenship is NOT acquired by birth, but from the day following the declaration made at the Consulate.
(c) Reopening of the deadline for regaining Italian citizenship
Law 74/2025 has reopened the deadline for regaining Italian citizenship by means of a specific declaration.
Eligibility to reacquire the Italian citizenship is reserved to people born in Italy or who have resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years, who have lost Italian citizenship before 16 August 1992, for one of the following reasons:
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- naturalization in a foreign country;
- renunciation of Italian citizenship following the involuntary acquisition of foreign citizenship;
- loss of citizenship by a cohabiting parent, in the case of minor children.
Those who have renounced or lost Italian citizenship since 16 August 1992, for any reason, are not eligible for this option.
This Consulate General does not offer legal services for the preparation and application of documentation required for Citizenship applications.
Email or telephone messages regarding appointment requests and/or the status of the file being processed will not be considered.