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Citizenship · Italy

Italian citizenship

For descendants of Italian emigrants checking whether their claim survived D.L. 36/2025, and for residents of Italy counting years towards naturalisation.

Since 28 March 2025, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship keeps an Italian claim by descent only if one of three exceptions applies. Where none does, the route is residence: 10 years for most non-EU citizens, 2 for children and grandchildren of Italians by birth. We check your line against both before you order a single certificate.

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Facts checked on

Status of citizenship by descent

ChangedCitizenship by residence (L. 91/1992 art. 9) and by descent after D.L. 36/2025

Updated

What the 2025 decree changed

Citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis) was restricted by D.L. 36/2025 (converted by L. 74/2025): people born abroad with another citizenship are deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship unless the application/court claim was filed by 27.03.2025 (23:59 Rome time), a parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship, or a parent lived in Italy for 2 continuous years after becoming Italian and before the child's birth.

D.Lgs. 19 giugno 2026, n. 117 — Testo unico imposte sui redditi (arts. 2, 11, 86, 225, 246, 377; applies from 1 January 2027)

Applications and court claims filed by 27 March 2025, 23:59 Rome time, fall outside the new restriction and are decided under the earlier rules.

Routes that stay open

  • ItalyInvestor Visa for Italy (D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 26-bis)€250,000Checked on
  • ItalyDigital nomad / remote worker permit (D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 27 co. 1 q-bis and 1-sexies; DM 29.02.2024)Not publishedno data in EUR — the decree sets minimum annual income from lawful sources at 3x the minimum level for exemption from healthcare co-payments; the euro figure commonly quoted (about EUR 28,000) was not found in a primary source.Checked on
  • ItalyEU Blue Card (D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 27-quater)Not publishedno data in EUR — annual salary must be not lower than the national collective agreement pay and in any case not lower than the average annual gross salary measured by ISTAT.Checked on
  • ItalyEmployment permit under the annual quota decree (decreto flussi)

Dated list of changesCitizenship routes in other EU countries

Italian citizenship in figures

ItalyEUSchengen

Years to citizenship
10 yearsChecked onsource
Laws behind these figures

In detail

Citizenship in Italy after the 2025 reform

Law 91/1992 now has an article 3-bis: people born abroad with another citizenship are deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship, unless an exception applies. Three questions decide your case.

Descent claims after 27 March 2025

D.L. 36/2025, converted by L. 74/2025, took effect on 28 March 2025. A claim filed with a consulate, a comune or a court by 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025 is outside the restriction. Anything filed later has to pass one of the exceptions.

The first exception is a parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship. A great-grandfather who emigrated and naturalised elsewhere does not help if every link after him also carried a second passport.

The second is a parent who lived in Italy for 2 continuous years after becoming Italian and before your birth. Both conditions count: 2 years spent in Italy after you were born do not qualify, and neither do 2 years spent there before the parent was recognised.

When descent fails: the residence route

Naturalisation under article 9 of Law 91/1992 needs 10 years of legal residence for a non-EU citizen, 4 for an EU citizen, 5 for a stateless person and 3 for someone born in Italy. Every applicant needs B1 Italian.

The shortest count, 2 years, is for descendants of Italian citizens by birth up to the second degree. A grandchild whose descent claim now fails can still move to Italy on a residence permit and apply after 2 years instead of 10.

An employee who arrives with an Italian job offer on a work permit or an EU Blue Card starts the same clock. The EU long-term permit comes after 5 years; citizenship is a separate application.

Citizenship by investment in Italy

Italy does not sell citizenship. The investor visa under article 26-bis is a residence permit valid for 2 years, with routes from €250,000 in an innovative startup up to €2,000,000 in government bonds, and no real-estate option.

The investment has to be made within 3 months of entry and held for at least 2 years. Citizenship then follows the ordinary residence count: 10 years for a non-EU investor.

Who this route is now closed to

  • People born abroad with another citizenship, who filed nothing by 27 March 2025, whose Italian parent and grandparent both held a second citizenship, and whose parent did not live in Italy for 2 continuous years before their birth.
  • Investors looking for a passport in exchange for capital: the €250,000 minimum buys a 2-year residence permit, not citizenship.
  • Anyone who will not live in Italy or cannot reach B1 Italian: the residence route requires both.

How we handle it

We map your line generation by generation, test it against the three exceptions of article 3-bis and tell you in writing which one applies, or that none does, before you pay for certified records. If descent is closed, we set out the residence count that applies to you.

What recognition gives youEUSchengen

Rights of an Italian citizen

  • YesFree movement, work and residence in Italy and across the EU and Schengen areaChecked on
  • 10 yearsThe residence count for non-EU applicants who do not qualify by descentChecked onNormattivaResidence years by category

Eligibility

Who still qualifies

Each person on the line is tested separately; a parent who qualifies does not by itself qualify an adult child born abroad.

Legal basis:Legge 91/1992 art. 9 — naturalisation by residence

Descent claim filed now

  • A parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship
  • Or a parent who lived in Italy for 2 continuous years after becoming Italian and before your birth
  • Or an application or court claim already filed by 27 March 2025, 23:59 Rome time
  • Civil records for every generation from the Italian ancestor to you
Why claims fail

Children and spouses

  • Children born abroad with another citizenship: assessed under article 3-bis on their own line
  • Minor children of a person who naturalises by residence: rules not covered in our reference; we check them in the quote
  • Spouses: citizenship by marriage is not covered in our reference and is quoted separately

The cut-off minute

The limit is 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025, and the date that counts is the filing of the application or court claim.

Only Italian, not also Italian

The parent or grandparent must have held Italian citizenship alone. One naturalisation abroad in that generation removes this exception.

Two years, in the right order

The parent’s 2 continuous years in Italy must fall after the parent became Italian and before your birth.

Who this is not for

  • Descendants whose only Italian link without a second citizenship is a great-grandparent or earlier, unless a parent lived in Italy for 2 continuous years before their birth
  • Applicants who expect recognition without Italian civil records for each generation

Why we test the line first

Most of the cost of a descent claim sits in certified records, apostilles and translations. Testing the three exceptions of article 3-bis on names and dates first tells you whether that spend can lead anywhere.

Did your line survive the 2025 change?

Send names, dates and places of birth from the Italian ancestor to you. We reply with a written quote, usually within one business day.

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Process

From family tree to recognition

Five steps for a descent claim; who does what is marked on each.

  1. 01We

    Line check

    We test each generation against the 27 March 2025 cut-off and the two remaining exceptions.

    Written assessment: which exception applies, or that none does

  2. 02You

    Civil records

    You order birth, marriage and death records for each generation; we tell you which need an apostille.

    Certified records for the whole line

  3. 03We

    File assembly

    We check names and dates across the records, list the translations into Italian and assemble the file.

    Indexed application file

  4. 04We

    Filing

    We prepare the application for the competent authority and the list of what you bring to the appointment.

    Filed application and its receipt

  5. 05Authority

    Decision

    The authority reviews the records and decides on recognition.

    Recognition and registration in Italian civil records

    What you hold at the end

    • Written assessment of your line under article 3-bis
    • Index of every record, apostille and translation in the file
    • Copy of the filed application with its receipt
Our part
Not published
AuthorityItalian consulate, comune or court
Not published

If descent is closed

  • We set out the residence count that applies: 2 years for children and grandchildren of Italians by birth, 10 for other non-EU citizens
  • B1 Italian is required on every residence application

Get a quoteDocument checklist

Risks

Why citizenship claims in Italy fail

The reasons that follow from article 3-bis and article 9, and what closes each one before filing.

Checked on

ReasonWhat closes itLegal basis
Descent claim filed after 27 March 2025 with no exceptionWe test the two remaining exceptions on names and dates before any record is ordered.Not published
Parent or grandparent also held another citizenshipWe ask for the naturalisation history of each generation and flag the one that breaks the exception.Not published
Parent’s stay in Italy shorter than 2 continuous years, or after the birthWe match residence records against the parent’s recognition date and your date of birth.Not published
Too few years of legal residence for the categoryWe count your years under the category that applies: 10, 4, 5, 3 or 2.10 yearsChecked onLegge 91/1992 art. 9 — naturalisation by residence
No B1 Italian certificateWe check the certificate before filing; without B1 the residence application is not complete.10 yearsChecked onLegge 91/1992 art. 9 — naturalisation by residence

After recognition

  • A child born abroad later with another citizenship falls under article 3-bis unless you live in Italy for 2 continuous years before the birth.

Residence route

Years of residence before you can apply

Naturalisation by residence needs 10 years for most non-EU citizens and B1 Italian for everyone.

  1. Permit validityNot published
  2. Years to permanent residence5 yearsChecked onsource
  3. Years to citizenship10 yearsChecked onsource
  • 10 years of legal residence for non-EU citizens
  • 4 years for EU citizens, 5 for stateless persons, 3 for people born in Italy
  • 2 years for descendants of Italian citizens by birth up to the second degree
  • B1 Italian for every applicant
Citizenship law:Legge 91/1992 art. 9 — naturalisation by residence

Changes

Italy: changes by date

Updated

Citizenship by residence (L. 91/1992 art. 9) and by descent after D.L. 36/2025Changed

DateWhat changedApplies toSource
ReformNew consolidated income tax code (D.Lgs. 117/2026) published; it replaces the TUIR from 1 January 2027 without changing the flat-tax and impatriate rules.ItalyNormattiva
TransitionEnd of the MiCA transitional period for former OAM-registered crypto providers that applied for authorisation by 30.12.2025.ItalyNormattiva
ReformNew consolidated VAT code (D.Lgs. 10/2026) in force; it applies from 1 January 2027 (standard rate unchanged at 22%).ItalyNormattiva
ReformFlat tax for new residents raised to EUR 300,000 per year (EUR 50,000 per family member) for transfers from 2026; IRAP surcharges for banks and insurers (L. 199/2025). Second IRPEF bracket is 33% (previously 35%) for 2026.What this means for you:Only relevant if you move to Italy on the residence route and consider the flat tax for new residents.ItalyNormattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato)
ReformDeadline for Italian crypto providers to apply for MiCA authorisation; non-applicants had to cease operating.ItalyNormattiva
ReformD.L. 36/2025 (converted by L. 74/2025) restricted citizenship by descent for people born abroad, with a cut-off for applications filed by 27.03.2025.What this means for you:If your claim was not filed by 27 March 2025, you need one of the two exceptions or the residence route.ItalyNormattiva
ReformFlat tax for new residents doubled from EUR 100,000 to EUR 200,000 for transfers after D.L. 113/2024 entered into force.ItalyNormattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato)
ReformDigital nomad / remote worker permit became operational with the Interior Ministry decree of 29.02.2024.ItalyNormattiva
ReformNew impatriate regime (D.Lgs. 209/2023): 50% exemption (60% with minor children) capped at EUR 600,000, 5 years, stricter eligibility; new tax residency rules.ItalyNormattiva

Get a quoteHow often we check changes

Documents

Documents you hold for the file

Who issues each record, whether it needs an apostille and an Italian translation, and who prepares it.

Checked on

DocumentWho issues itApostilleTranslationWho prepares
Descent claim
Birth record of the Italian ancestorComune of birth in ItalyNoNoYou provide
Birth and marriage records of each later generationCivil registry of the country of birthYesYesYou provide
Proof of whether each ancestor naturalised abroadNaturalisation authority of the country concernedYesYesYou provide
Line assessment under article 3-bisClearfileNoNoWe prepare
Application and document indexPrepared on the authority’s formNoNoWe prepare
Residence route
B1 Italian language certificateRecognised certifying bodyNoNoYou provide
Criminal record certificatePolice of each country of past residenceYesYesYou provide
Count of legal residence yearsClearfile, from your permitsNoNoWe prepare

Send us your family line; we reply with the exact record list for each generation.Get a quote

Request

Check your Italian line

Tell us who the Italian ancestor was and when each generation was born. The quote comes in writing, with the record list.

Privacy Policy

Family details are used only to assess this request.

We usually reply within one business day.

Legal disclaimer

The information on this site is general and is not legal advice for your specific situation.

Legal disclaimer

Questions

Italian citizenship: questions

Short answers first; the sections above carry the dates and sources.

By descent

Can I still get Italian citizenship by descent in 2026?

Yes, if one exception applies: a parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship, or a parent lived in Italy for 2 continuous years after becoming Italian and before your birth. Claims filed by 27 March 2025 are also outside the restriction.

What was the cut-off date for Italian citizenship by descent?

27 March 2025, 23:59 Rome time, for the application or court claim to be filed.

My great-grandfather was Italian. Do I still qualify?

Only through a later generation. If your grandparent or parent held Italian citizenship alone, the line qualifies; if each of them also held another citizenship and nothing was filed by 27 March 2025, it does not. A grandchild of an Italian by birth can still naturalise after 2 years of legal residence in Italy.

Residence and investment

How long does Italian citizenship by residence take?

The residence requirement is 10 years for non-EU citizens, 4 for EU citizens, 5 for stateless persons, 3 for people born in Italy and 2 for descendants of Italians by birth up to the second degree. The decision time is not published in our reference.

Is there citizenship by investment in Italy?

No. The investor visa, from €250,000 in an innovative startup, gives a 2-year residence permit. Citizenship comes only after the residence years, 10 for a non-EU investor.

Do I need to speak Italian?

For naturalisation by residence, yes: B1 Italian is required.

Sources

Laws behind this page

Italian statutes as published on Normattiva, with the date we last checked them.

2Sources
SourcePublisherTypeChecked on
Laws and regulations
Legge 91/1992 art. 9 — naturalisation by residenceNormattivaLaws and regulationsChecked on
Legge 91/1992 art. 3-bis — limits on citizenship by descent (added by D.L. 36/2025, converted by L. 74/2025)NormattivaLaws and regulationsChecked on
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Italian Citizenship by Descent After 2025 | Clearfile