Do you have an Italian parent or grandparent? You may qualify for Italian citizenship by descent—but ancestry alone is no longer enough.
Italy’s jus sanguinis, or “right of blood,” system traditionally allowed citizenship to pass from an Italian citizen to descendants born abroad. However, reforms introduced in 2025 substantially restricted who can have that citizenship recognized.
For expats, dual nationals and international families living in Milan or elsewhere in Italy, the first step is understanding whether a parent or grandparent satisfies the current requirements.
What Does Jus Sanguinis Mean?
Jus sanguinis—also written ius sanguinis—is Latin for “right of blood.” In practical terms, it means that citizenship is determined through a person’s parents rather than simply by their place of birth.
Article 1 of Italy’s Law No. 91 of 1992 establishes that the child of an Italian mother or father is an Italian citizen by birth. Italy therefore relies primarily on jus sanguinis, while citizenship based solely on being born in Italian territory—known as jus soli—is available only in limited circumstances.
Despite the phrase “right of blood,” the rule is not based on genetics, ethnicity or the percentage of Italian ancestry a person possesses. It depends on legally documented parentage and the citizenship status of each person in the family line.
Italian citizenship by descent has also traditionally been a process of recognition rather than naturalization. In other words, the applicant asks the Italian authorities to confirm citizenship that was transmitted at birth.
What Changed in 2025?
Italy changed its citizenship-by-descent system through Decree-Law No. 36 of March 28, 2025, which was converted with amendments into Law No. 74 of May 23, 2025.
The reform introduced Article 3-bis into Italy’s citizenship law. Under the new provision, a person born abroad who has another citizenship is generally considered not to have acquired Italian citizenship automatically unless a specific exception applies.
The reform did not abolish jus sanguinis. It did, however, limit the number of generations through which citizenship can usually be recognized and place greater emphasis on a recent connection with Italy.
Who Can Qualify for Italian Citizenship by Descent?
Under the current rules, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship may qualify if at least one of the following principal conditions applies:
- A parent or grandparent currently possesses—or possessed at the time of death—exclusively Italian citizenship.
- A parent or adoptive parent lived legally in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the applicant’s birth or adoption.
Different provisions apply to people born in Italy and those who do not possess another citizenship.
The reference to “exclusively Italian citizenship” is particularly important. It is not enough for a parent or grandparent simply to have been Italian. That relative must generally have held only Italian citizenship at the relevant time if the applicant is relying on this exception.
As a result, having an Italian great-grandparent is no longer sufficient on its own for most new applicants born abroad who already possess another nationality.
Quick Eligibility Checklist
Before collecting a complete set of documents, ask these initial questions:
- Were you born outside Italy?
- Were you born outside Italy, and do you hold another citizenship?
- Was one of your parents or grandparents exclusively an Italian citizen?
- Did a parent live legally in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before your birth?
- Did the original Italian ancestor remain Italian until the birth of the next person in your family line?
- Does your claim include a woman whose child was born before January 1, 1948?
- Was an application or qualifying judicial case filed by the March 27, 2025 deadline?
The answers will help determine whether a claim may be possible, but they are not a substitute for an individual legal assessment.
Are Earlier Applications Protected?
The 2025 reform contains transitional protections for certain cases initiated under the previous law.
These include qualifying applications, accompanied by the required documentation, submitted to the competent Italian consulate or municipality by 11:59 p.m. Rome time on March 27, 2025.
Protection may also apply when an appointment for submission was officially communicated by that deadline, as well as to qualifying judicial claims filed by the same cutoff.
Applications falling within these transitional categories may be examined under the rules applicable on March 27, 2025. Applicants should keep all appointment confirmations, submission receipts and official correspondence.
Why Naturalization Dates Matter
Meeting the new generational requirement is only part of the test. The applicant must also demonstrate that the transmission of citizenship was never legally interrupted.
One of the most important questions is whether an Italian ancestor became a citizen of another country before or after the birth of the next person in the family line.
For example:
- If an Italian ancestor became a naturalized foreign citizen after the birth of their child, Italian citizenship may already have passed to that child.
- If the ancestor lost Italian citizenship before the child was born, there may have been no Italian citizenship to transmit.
The result can depend on the historical law in force, the country involved, the ancestor’s age and the wording of applicable international agreements.
Since August 16, 1992, voluntarily acquiring another citizenship does not normally cause an Italian citizen to lose Italian citizenship unless the person formally renounces it, subject to relevant international agreements.
Because naturalization dates can determine whether an entire claim succeeds or fails, applicants should investigate them before paying for every civil-status certificate in the family tree.
What Is the 1948 Rule?
Modern Italian law recognizes that citizenship may pass through either the mother or the father. Historical Italian law, however, did not give women equal rights to transmit citizenship.
In an administrative application, an Italian woman is generally recognized as having transmitted citizenship only to children born on or after January 1, 1948, when the Italian Constitution entered into force.
If a child in the direct line was born to an Italian mother before that date, a consulate or municipality will ordinarily not recognize the claim administratively. These situations are commonly called “1948 cases.”
Such claims have historically been brought before the Italian courts on constitutional equality grounds. Court proceedings are not simply a way to avoid consular waiting times, and the effect of the 2025 reform on a new case requires professional legal analysis.
Anyone with a pre-1948 maternal line should speak with an Italian lawyer experienced in citizenship law before proceeding.
Which Documents Will You Need?
Exact requirements vary according to the applicant’s circumstances and the authority processing the case. A typical Italian citizenship-by-descent file may include:
- The Italian ancestor’s birth certificate from the relevant Italian municipality;
- Birth certificates for every person in the direct family line;
- Marriage, divorce and death records where applicable;
- The applicant’s birth and civil-status records;
- Naturalization certificates or official evidence that an ancestor never naturalized;
- Evidence of the citizenship held by the relevant parent or grandparent;
- Proof of a parent’s qualifying residence in Italy, when relying on the two-year rule;
- Official translations into Italian; and
- Apostilles or other legalization where required.
Names, dates, places of birth and family relationships should be consistent throughout the file. Significant discrepancies may need to be corrected before an application can be approved.
Applicants should always use the checklist issued by the authority handling their application. A document accepted by one consulate may not necessarily satisfy another office.
How Do You Apply From Milan?
The competent authority normally depends on where the applicant genuinely resides.
If you are legally resident in Milan, an administrative application may be submitted through the Italian municipality responsible for your residence. The authorities will verify that you actually live at the declared address.
Registering a fictitious address merely to obtain an appointment or use a supposedly faster municipality can result in the application being rejected and may have further legal consequences.
People residing outside Italy generally apply through the Italian consulate with jurisdiction over their home address. Consulates use their own appointment systems and may publish office-specific document requirements.
Before applying from Milan, confirm:
- That your official residence registration is complete;
- Which municipal office is responsible for citizenship applications;
- Whether appointments are available;
- Which documents the municipality requires; and
- Whether your foreign documents need translation, legalization or an apostille.
How Much Does an Application Cost?
Since January 1, 2025, an adult application for recognition of Italian citizenship by descent submitted through a consulate has generally been subject to a €600 processing fee.
The fee is charged for examining the application and does not guarantee a positive decision. Translation, apostille, certificate-ordering and professional-service costs are separate.
Fees and payment methods can vary according to the procedure, so applicants should confirm the current amount with the relevant consulate or municipality before submitting their documents.
What Happens After Recognition?
Once citizenship is recognized, the applicant’s civil-status records are registered in Italy. Italian citizens residing abroad will generally need to keep their address and civil-status information updated through the appropriate consular system.
Recognition may provide the right to:
- Apply for an Italian passport;
- Live and work in Italy;
- Live, work and study in other European Union countries under EU free-movement rules;
- Vote in applicable Italian elections; and
- Access other rights associated with Italian and EU citizenship.
Citizenship also creates responsibilities. Changes involving residence, marriage, divorce or the birth of a child should be reported to the appropriate Italian authority.
Parents should not assume that citizenship will pass automatically to every future generation. Children born abroad may be subject to the new restrictions or to separate declaration requirements and deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim Italian citizenship through a great-grandparent?
For most new applicants born abroad who already possess another citizenship, an Italian great-grandparent is no longer sufficient by itself. The current exceptions generally require a qualifying parent or grandparent, or a parent who completed the required period of residence in Italy.
Can I hold Italian citizenship and another nationality?
Italy generally permits multiple citizenship. However, applicants should also check the law of their other country, as not every country allows dual nationality.
Do I need to speak Italian?
Recognition of citizenship by descent is different from naturalization through marriage or residence. A language certificate is not ordinarily the defining eligibility requirement for a jus sanguinis recognition claim.
Can I apply in Italy while visiting as a tourist?
A municipality processes applications based on genuine legal residence, not a short visit. Applicants must follow the relevant residence-registration requirements and actually live at the declared address.
Does an Italian surname prove eligibility?
No. A surname can help with genealogical research, but eligibility depends on civil records, citizenship status, naturalization dates and the current statutory conditions.
Should I hire a lawyer?
A straightforward administrative case may not require one. Professional advice can be valuable when the family line involves pre-1948 maternal descent, adoption, missing records, conflicting naturalization evidence or uncertainty about the 2025 reform.
Start With a Family Timeline
Italian citizenship by descent remains possible, but today’s rules demand more than finding an Italian ancestor.
Before ordering every certificate, build a family timeline showing:
- Where and when each person was born;
- Which citizenships each person held;
- When any naturalization occurred;
- Whether citizenship passed before the next generation’s birth; and
- Whether a parent or grandparent satisfies the current requirements.
Family history opens the door, but legal continuity and documentary evidence determine whether it remains open.
For official guidance, consult the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ citizenship information page and the current text of Law No. 91 of 1992 on Normattiva.
You may also find Easy Milano’s guide to obtaining Italian citizenship helpful when comparing citizenship by descent with the routes available through residence or marriage.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Citizenship rules and administrative procedures can change, and individual cases may depend on historical laws or circumstances not covered here.
Article by Easy Milano editorial staff
Featured image by Paolo Bici
Originally published May 2025; comprehensively updated August 2026
