Italian citizenship
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Italian law provides several routes to the acquisition or recognition of citizenship: by descent, by marriage, by residence and through judicial proceedings. The applicable rules have been substantially amended since 2025. Tramite Italia assists the applicant with the preliminary assessment of the requirements and at every stage of the procedure.
Recognition by descent (iure sanguinis). Since 28 March 2025, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is recognised as an Italian citizen only in the cases provided for by art. 3-bis of Law 91/1992, including where a parent or grandparent holds exclusively Italian citizenship. Applications submitted by 27 March 2025 are unaffected.
Validity of the reform. The Constitutional Court has declared the questions of constitutionality raised to be unfounded (judgment no. 63/2026). By order no. 147/2026, however, it referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union the question of the compatibility of the provision with European Union law. Pending that ruling, the rules currently in force continue to apply.
Minor children. The time limits have been extended and the declaration for the acquisition of citizenship by minor children of Italian citizens by birth has been made free of charge.
Residence. For descendants of Italian citizens by birth, the required period of legal residence in Italy has been reduced from three to two years.
Routes to acquisition and recognition
| Route | Eligible persons | Competent authority | Time limit for completion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descent (iure sanguinis) | Descendants of Italian citizens, in the cases provided for by art. 3-bis of Law 91/1992 | Consulate (residents abroad) or town hall (residents in Italy) | — |
| Marriage | Foreign spouse of an Italian citizen | Ministry of the Interior, via its online portal; consulate or Prefecture for the examination of the application | 24 months, extendable to 36 |
| Residence | Foreign nationals legally resident in Italy (2 years for descendants of Italian citizens, 4 for EU citizens, 10 in all other cases) | Ministry of the Interior, via its online portal; Prefecture for the examination of the application | 24 months, extendable to 36 |
| Judicial route | Proceedings already brought or cases meeting the requirements currently in force | Competent court, specialised division | — |
Preliminary assessment of the requirements
As a result of the reform, many lines of descent that allowed recognition until 2024 no longer meet the statutory requirements. For this reason, before undertaking any other work, the Firm carries out a preliminary assessment: reconstruction of the family line, identification of the applicable statutory basis, and indication of the documentation required and of the costs. Should no route prove viable, the outcome of the assessment is communicated before any chargeable work is commenced.
Services provided by the Firm
- Analysis of the family line and identification of the applicable route to acquisition or recognition.
- Retrieval of Italian civil status records (birth, marriage, death) from the town halls and, where necessary, from parish archives.
- Apostilles, legalisations and translations of foreign documentation.
- Submission of the application and liaison with the consulate, town hall or Prefecture until the conclusion of the procedure.
Costs
In addition to professional fees, the charges prescribed by law for each route are payable. On completion of the preliminary assessment, the Firm issues a detailed, no-obligation quote.
Ways to Italian citizenship
Sources: Law 91/1992, arts. 3-bis, 4, 5, 9 (current text) · Decree-Law 36/2025 converted into Law 74/2025 · Law 199/2025 · Decree-Law 200/2025 converted into Law 26/2026 · Constitutional Court, judgment no. 63/2026 and order no. 147/2026. Information only, updated September 2026; it does not constitute legal advice on any individual case.