Is the old rule coming back?
Nobody knows yet. Italy’s Constitutional Court upheld the new law in March 2026. In July 2026 it asked the EU Court of Justice whether EU law allows the 2025 rule to treat people born abroad before March 28, 2025 as never having been Italian. The Italian court describes the rule as a bar on acquiring citizenship, not as taking it away. That answer could take many months. Until then, the 2025 rules apply.
I applied before March 28, 2025. What happens to me?
Applications made by 11.59pm Rome time on March 27, 2025, or booked with an appointment given by then, are judged under the old rules. Keep proof of your application or booking date.
My great-grandfather was Italian. Do I qualify?
Usually not any more. Unless your parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship, or your Italian parent lived in Italy for 2 years before you were born, the line from a great-grandparent no longer works.
My grandmother was born in Italy but became American. Does that count?
Not under the current rules. She has to have held only Italian citizenship, now or when she died. Becoming a citizen of another country means she didn’t.
Can I keep my British, American or Canadian passport?
Yes. Italy allows dual citizenship, and so do the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Can my children become Italian?
If you’re Italian by birth and your child was born abroad without becoming Italian automatically, you can register them by declaration: 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. It’s been free since January 1, 2026.
What about the mother’s line and “1948 cases”?
Before January 1, 1948, Italian women couldn’t pass on citizenship, and people used the courts to get round that. For anyone who didn’t apply before the 2025 cut-off, the new rules now apply on top, so the same “only Italian citizenship” test usually decides the case.
Will I have to do military service or pay Italian tax?
No military service: Italy suspended conscription in 2005. Italian income tax depends on where you live, not on citizenship.
Should I pay a company to do this for me?
You don’t have to. Many people apply themselves. If you do pay for help, check first that you meet the 2025 rules, because the consulate fee isn’t refunded if you’re turned down.
Living there
An Italian passport lets you live and work in any EU country, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.