Italian citizenship by descent: who still qualifies

Who qualifies now

If you were born abroad and hold another citizenship, Italy now treats you as never having been Italian, unless one of these applies:

• YesA parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenshipThey must have had no other citizenship, either now or when they died. A grandmother born in Italy who never became American, Canadian, Australian or British would count.
• YesAn Italian parent who lived in Italy for 2 years in a row before you were bornThe 2 years must come after they became Italian and before your birth (or adoption).
• Old rulesYou were recognized, or had applied, by the cut-offThe cut-off was 11.59pm Rome time on March 27, 2025. Applications made by then, or booked with an appointment given by then, follow the old rules.
• For childrenUnder-18s with a parent who is Italian by birthParents can make a declaration to register the child: within 3 years of the birth for a child born after May 24, 2025, or by May 31, 2029 for a child who was already under 18 on that date. Since January 1, 2026 it’s free.
• Usually notEveryone elseFor example, a great-grandparent who emigrated, or a grandparent who later became a citizen of another country.

What “only Italian citizenship” means in practice

Most Italian emigrants eventually became citizens of their new country. If your Italian-born parent or grandparent did that, they no longer held only Italian citizenship, and that route is closed for you. If they never took another citizenship, it may still be open. You’ll need official proof from each country they lived in that they never naturalized there.

Key dates

• March 27, 2025, 11.59pm Rome time: the cut-off. The decree was dated March 28, 2025 and took effect immediately.
• May 23, 2025: Parliament turned the decree into law, with changes, as Law 74/2025. It took effect on May 24, 2025.
• January 1, 2026: the declaration for children became free, and the time limit went from 1 year to 3 years.
• February 28, 2026: the deadline for children who were already under 18 on May 24, 2025 was extended from May 31, 2026 to May 31, 2029.
• March 2026: the Constitutional Court rejected a challenge from the Court of Turin. The law stayed in force.
• July 2026: the Constitutional Court referred a separate challenge to the EU Court of Justice. The answer is still awaited.

What an Italian passport gives you

The right to live, work, study and retire in all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.

Common snags

• Proving a negative. Showing that an ancestor never became a citizen elsewhere means getting records from that country’s immigration authorities, which can take months.
• Apostilles and translations. Every foreign certificate needs an apostille and an Italian translation.
• Incomplete applications are rejected, and you pay the €600 fee again with a new appointment.
• Paid help. Many companies sell Italian citizenship services. Check the rules here first: since 2025 a lot of people no longer qualify, whatever they’re told.