Rules by country
Italian citizenship by descent after Law 74/2025
Law 74/2025 narrowed Italian citizenship by descent for people born abroad who hold another citizenship. That limit is now pending before the EU Court of Justice: on 23 July 2026 the Italian Constitutional Court deposited order 147/2026 referring it there, and the limit applies until the referral is decided. Two routes remain open and are marked as narrowed. People recognised, or with an appointment communicated, by 11:59 pm (Rome time) on 27 March 2025, and maternal-line court cases, sit in a legacy module.
Organiser, not legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the consulate or a lawyer. Read the current official page before you rely on any rule here: the Italian consular network's citizenship by descent pages.
Parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship (narrowed by Law 74/2025) narrowed
One of the routes still open after Law 74/2025: the parent or grandparent held Italian citizenship only. Great-grandparent lines are no longer recognised on this route.
Rules
- Under Law 91/1992 as amended by Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is recognised as Italian by descent only in the cases the law lists. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- Referral to the EU Court of Justice (order 147/2026): pending since 23 July 2026. The 2025 limit (article 3-bis of Law 91/1992, added by Decree-Law 36/2025 as converted into Law 74/2025) is before the EU Court of Justice. On 23 July 2026 the Italian Constitutional Court deposited order 147/2026, asking whether articles 9 TEU and 20 TFEU on EU citizenship preclude that limit for people born abroad who hold another citizenship. The court restated its earlier view (judgment 63/2026) that the limit does not breach those articles. The referral is pending, and the limit applies until it is decided. Source: Press release on order 147 of 2026: referral on the 2025 limit to the EU Court of Justice, press release of 23 July 2026, the day order 147/2026 was deposited, read 28 September 2026.
- One listed case: a parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship (at the date of death, if deceased). Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- The application needs the Italian ancestor's complete civil records and those of each generation after: birth, marriage and death records, and naturalisation records. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- At least one consular office books an appointment online and then takes the application by mail, with the appointment date counting as the filing date. Offices set their own procedures. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
Documents the register asks for
| Document | For | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Everyone in the chain | Birth records for every generation from the Italian ancestor. |
| Marriage certificate | Everyone in the chain (when the chain records this event) | Marriage records for every generation. |
| Death certificate | Everyone in the chain (when the chain records this event) | Death records; for this route the ancestor's citizenship at death matters. |
| Record of no naturalisation | The qualifying ancestor | Shows the ancestor held no other citizenship. |
| Naturalisation record | Each ancestor (when the chain records this event) | A naturalisation record, with its date, for any ancestor who naturalised. |
| Name change record | Everyone in the chain (when the chain records this event) | Links changed names across the records. |
| Photo ID (certified copy) | You | Your own identity document. |
Dates
- Law 74/2025 cut-off for earlier rules (11:59 pm Rome time): 27 March 2025.
- Referral of the 2025 limit to the EU Court of Justice (order 147/2026), pending: 23 July 2026.
Apostille by default: yes. Translation by default: yes. You can switch either per document.
Parent who lived in Italy two years before your birth (narrowed by Law 74/2025) narrowed
A route still open after Law 74/2025: your Italian parent lived in Italy for two consecutive years after becoming Italian and before your birth.
Rules
- Under Law 91/1992 as amended by Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is recognised as Italian by descent only in the cases the law lists. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- Referral to the EU Court of Justice (order 147/2026): pending since 23 July 2026. The 2025 limit (article 3-bis of Law 91/1992, added by Decree-Law 36/2025 as converted into Law 74/2025) is before the EU Court of Justice. On 23 July 2026 the Italian Constitutional Court deposited order 147/2026, asking whether articles 9 TEU and 20 TFEU on EU citizenship preclude that limit for people born abroad who hold another citizenship. The court restated its earlier view (judgment 63/2026) that the limit does not breach those articles. The referral is pending, and the limit applies until it is decided. Source: Press release on order 147 of 2026: referral on the 2025 limit to the EU Court of Justice, press release of 23 July 2026, the day order 147/2026 was deposited, read 28 September 2026.
- Another listed case: a parent, adoptive included, who was Italian and lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the child's birth or adoption. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- The application needs the Italian ancestor's complete civil records and those of each generation after: birth, marriage and death records, and naturalisation records. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
Documents the register asks for
| Document | For | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Everyone in the chain | Your birth record and your parent's. |
| Marriage certificate | Everyone in the chain (when the chain records this event) | Marriage records. |
| Proof of citizenship | The qualifying ancestor | When and how the parent became Italian. |
| Proof of residence or days present | The qualifying ancestor | Two consecutive years of residence in Italy before your birth. |
| Photo ID (certified copy) | You | Your own identity document. |
Dates
- Law 74/2025 cut-off for earlier rules (11:59 pm Rome time): 27 March 2025.
- Referral of the 2025 limit to the EU Court of Justice (order 147/2026), pending: 23 July 2026.
Apostille by default: yes. Translation by default: yes. You can switch either per document.
Legacy: files from before the 27 March 2025 cut-off and court cases for the 1948 line legacy
For people recognised by 11:59 pm (Rome time) on 27 March 2025, or applying after an appointment communicated by then, who follow the earlier rules, and for maternal-line court cases. A legacy module: keep the records straight, and take the current position from an Italian lawyer.
Rules
- The earlier rules still apply to a person already recognised as Italian by 11:59 pm (Rome time) on 27 March 2025, by an administrative procedure or a court case, and to an application submitted after an appointment communicated by 11:59 pm (Rome time) on 27 March 2025. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- Referral to the EU Court of Justice (order 147/2026): pending since 23 July 2026. The 2025 limit (article 3-bis of Law 91/1992, added by Decree-Law 36/2025 as converted into Law 74/2025) is before the EU Court of Justice. On 23 July 2026 the Italian Constitutional Court deposited order 147/2026, asking whether articles 9 TEU and 20 TFEU on EU citizenship preclude that limit for people born abroad who hold another citizenship. The court restated its earlier view (judgment 63/2026) that the limit does not breach those articles. The referral is pending, and the limit applies until it is decided. Source: Press release on order 147 of 2026: referral on the 2025 limit to the EU Court of Justice, press release of 23 July 2026, the day order 147/2026 was deposited, read 28 September 2026.
- Cases through a woman whose child was born before 1 January 1948 went to Italian courts rather than consulates. How Law 74/2025 treats such cases filed after 27 March 2025 is contested; the app keeps them in a legacy module only. Source: Court route for maternal line cases (children born before 1 January 1948), not opened. Setting to confirm: Court cases for the maternal line before 1948: legacy module. No primary source was opened for the court route in this pass. Take the current position from an Italian lawyer before filing.
- The application needs the Italian ancestor's complete civil records and those of each generation after: birth, marriage and death records, and naturalisation records. Source: Citizenship by descent, page with checklists dated 29 May 2026, read 28 September 2026.
Documents the register asks for
| Document | For | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Everyone in the chain | Birth records for every generation. |
| Marriage certificate | Everyone in the chain (when the chain records this event) | Marriage records for every generation. |
| Death certificate | Everyone in the chain (when the chain records this event) | Death records. |
| Naturalisation record | Each ancestor (when the chain records this event) | Naturalisation records with dates, to show the line was unbroken. |
| Record of no naturalisation | The qualifying ancestor | Where the ancestor never naturalised, proof of that. |
| Proof of earlier filing or court case | You | Proof of the recognition, the appointment communicated or the court case by 11:59 pm (Rome time) on 27 March 2025. |
| Photo ID (certified copy) | You | Your own identity document. |
Dates
- Law 74/2025 cut-off for earlier rules (11:59 pm Rome time): 27 March 2025.
- Referral of the 2025 limit to the EU Court of Justice (order 147/2026), pending: 23 July 2026.
Apostille by default: yes. Translation by default: yes. You can switch either per document.
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