Citizenship
Decree-Law No. 36 of March 28, 2025, has been converted, with amendments, into Law No. 74 of May 23, 2025, which came into force on May 24, 2025.
The conversion law amends Law No. 91 of February 5, 1992. The updated full text is available at the following link.
Particular attention is drawn to the new Article 3-bis:
Article 3-bis
By way of derogation from Articles 1, 2, 3, 14, and 20 of this law; Article 5 of Law No. 123 of April 21, 1983; Articles 1, 2, 7, 10, 12, and 19 of Law No. 555 of June 13, 1912; and Articles 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 of the Civil Code approved by Royal Decree No. 2358 of June 25, 1865, a person born abroad—even before the entry into force of this Article—who holds another citizenship, is deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship, unless one of the following conditions applies:
a) the person’s citizenship status was recognized, in accordance with the legislation in force as of March 27, 2025, upon submission of a formal application, with the necessary documentation, to the competent consular office or mayor no later than 11:59 PM (Rome time) on the same date;
a-bis) the person’s citizenship status was recognized, in accordance with the legislation in force as of March 27, 2025, upon submission of a formal application, with the necessary documentation, to the competent consular office or mayor on the date specified in an appointment notice that was communicated to the applicant by the competent office no later than 11:59 PM (Rome time) on the same date;
b) the person’s citizenship status was established judicially, in accordance with the legislation in force as of March 27, 2025, based on a legal action filed no later than 11:59 PM (Rome time) on the same date;
c) a parent or grandparent (up to the second degree) held solely Italian citizenship, or held only Italian citizenship at the time of death;
d) a parent or adoptive parent resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and prior to the birth or adoption of the child.
Therefore, under the newly amended Law No. 91 of 1992, the following individuals are recognized as Italian citizens by descent (iure sanguinis) from birth:
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Individuals born in Italy, regardless of the date of birth;
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Individuals who exclusively possess Italian citizenship, i.e., who have no other citizenship and are not eligible for any other citizenship;
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Individuals who fall within any of the cases outlined in letters a), a-bis), b), c), and d) of Article 3-bis.
In light of the new law, the following is clarified:
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Only applications submitted before 11:59 PM (Rome time) on March 27, 2025, accompanied by the required documentation, are governed by the previous legislation.
“Submitted” is defined as:
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Delivered in person to the consular office before the specified deadline;
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Sent by mail with tracking showing a timestamp prior to the deadline;
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Sent by mail without tracking but received by the consular office before the deadline;
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Submitted through the Fast-It platform before the deadline.
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Only applications accompanied by the required documentation and submitted to the consular office on the date of an appointment communicated to the applicant by the competent office before 11:59 PM (Rome time) on March 27, 2025, are governed by the previous legislation.
“Appointment communicated by the competent office” refers to a confirmation received by the applicant via email, either through the Prenot@mi platform or from the official email address of the consular section handling the application.
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In all other circumstances, the new legislation applies.
Required Documentation
Applicants must submit the following:
As outlined in Ministry of the Interior Circular K.28.1 of April 8, 1991:
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Birth certificate extract of the Italian ancestor who emigrated abroad, issued by the Italian municipality of birth;
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Birth certificates (with official Italian translations) for all direct descendants, including that of the applicant;
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Marriage certificate of the Italian ancestor (with official Italian translation if issued abroad);
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Marriage certificates of the descendants in direct line, including the applicant’s parents;
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Certificate issued by the relevant foreign authority, with official Italian translation, confirming that the Italian ancestor did not acquire the foreign country’s citizenship before the birth of the applicant’s ancestor;
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Certificate from the competent Italian consular authority stating that neither the direct ancestors nor the applicant have ever renounced Italian citizenship, pursuant to Article 7 of Law No. 555 of June 13, 1912;
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Proof of residence.
To comply with the new legislation, the following must also be submitted where applicable:
To demonstrate exclusive possession of Italian citizenship, such as:
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Negative citizenship certificates;
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Certificates of renunciation of foreign citizenships;
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Certificates of non-registration on foreign electoral rolls;
To demonstrate residence in Italy for at least two consecutive years:
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Historical certificate of residency or citizenship.
PROCEDURES
Applicants for Italian Citizenship by descent are required to make an appointment through the online Prenot@mi system.
All applications for the Recognition of the Italian Citizenship by Descent (jure sanguinis) are subject to a fee of 600 euro. This fee must be paid in USD and changes every trimester. Until december 31 2025, the fee is equal to 700,80 dollars.
The fee must be paid at the Consulate the day of the appointment with a cashier’s check or a money order made out to: Consulate General of Italy – Boston.
The application fee is NON REFUNDABLE, regardless of the outcome of the petition.
FORM 1 and 2 – To be completed by the applicant and should be signed before a Consular Officer the day of the appointment.
FORM 3 – To be completed and signed by the living ancestor in the lineage, to be signed in person, before a Consular Officer on the day of the appointment, otherwise the ancestor’s signature must be notarized by a notary public. If living in a country outside the US, his signature must be legalized by the competent Italian Consulate in such Country.
FORM 4 – To be completed by applicant and should be signed before a Consular Officer the day of the appointment. for each deceased ancestor (direct line only) born outside of Italy.
Acquisition of Italian citizenship for minors (click here for Vital Records)
Additional requirements: Copy of the parent’s passport and a copy of the foreign parent’s birth certificate (translation, if in English, not required).
Information and forms: