After Italy’s government issued an emergency decree drastically restricting who can apply for ancestry-based Italian citizenship in March, many prospective applicants found themselves abruptly shut out of the process from one day to the next.
The final version of the decree, approved by parliament in May, however, included a key caveat: Italian nationals with children under the age of 18 could pass on citizenship under the old, more lenient rules, provided they applied by May 31st, 2026.
The Local spoke to Giuditta De Ricco and Valentina Giannessi, a lawyer and consultant specialising in citizenship at the Italian law firm Mazzeschi, about how parents can apply before the deadline.
How has the law changed?
Italy’s new ancestry-based (or ius sanguinis) citizenship law applies a two-generational limit to applications, meaning only those with an Italian parent or grandparent are now eligible.
This marks a major change from the previous rules, which had allowed anyone with an Italian ancestor, with no generational limit, to apply as long as they could prove an unbroken chain of descent.
READ ALSO: Who can still apply for Italian citizenship via ancestry?
Bar a few exceptions, the new law also requires foreign-born applicants to have a parent or grandparent who “holds, or held at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship”.
That means parents and grandparents who hold dual citizenship cannot pass Italian citizenship on to children or grandchildren born abroad unless they renounce their other, non-Italian citizenship.
You can find a more detailed breakdown of the changes HERE.
Who does the grace period apply to?
According to the text of the new decree and the Senate’s instructions regarding its application, Italian nationals with children who were under the age of 18 on May 24th, 2025 (when the law came into effect) can submit a ‘declaration of intent’ by 11.59pm Rome time on May 31st, 2026 for the child to be recognised as an Italian citizen.
Under this exemption, Italian dual nationals may pass on Italian citizenship to their foreign-born minor children provided they meet the May 31st deadline, despite the parent’s dual citizen status.
The exemption only applies to parents who are Italian citizens by descent or ius sanguinis – so not those who acquired Italian citizenship through residency-based naturalisation or marriage.
The parent must have been officially recognised as an Italian citizen through the ius sanguinis route by May 24th, 2025.
Children who were under the age of 18 on May 24th, 2025, but turn 18 before May 31st, 2026, are still eligible to apply under the exemption, but must make the declaration in their own name.
Where should I apply?
Italians resident abroad should file the declaration with their nearest Italian consulate.
Those living in Italy, say De Ricco and Giannessi, should apply at the comune (town hall) where they are registered as residents.
How can I apply?
Many Italian consulates have now released instructions on how to apply: see the New York consulate’s guidelines here.
If your consulate or comune hasn’t published any guidelines, you should contact them for information on how to proceed.
In many cases, applications can be submitted via email; you’ll then be called to a follow-up appointment to complete the process.
What does my application need to include?
While the decree only mentions a ‘declaration of intent’, the instructions provided by consulates make it clear that this should be accompanied by full supporting documentation.
While individual consulates and comuni can impose their own requirements, the requested documents are likely to include:
- An apostilled or legalised copy of the child’s full birth certificate
- A sworn translation of this document into Italian
- A copy of the photo page of both parents’ valid passports and the child’s valid foreign passport
- Documentation proving that one of the parents is an Italian citizen ius sanguinis, such as a certificate issued by the relevant consulate or comune.
- A request form provided by the consulate or comune, filled out and signed by both parents.
De Ricco says she advises clients to “always double-check specific guidelines from their consulate because they're not identical.”
To apply as a foreign resident, the parent should first make sure they are registered with AIRE, Italy’s register of Italian citizens living abroad.
READ ALSO: What is Italy’s AIRE and who needs to register?
Applicants will also need to register their marriage in Italy if they haven’t already, De Ricco adds (non-married couples can provide a certified declaration of paternity).
You’ll also need to pay a €250 application processing fee to the interior ministry and provide proof of payment at the appointment.
That means you won’t want to leave it to the last minute to file your declaration, as you’ll need to allow plenty of time to gather the necessary supporting documents.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
If you miss the deadline, you can still apply for Italian citizenship for your child, but the restrictions become a lot tighter.
To be eligible for citizenship, the foreign-born child of an Italian dual national must first reside in Italy for two continuous years (this applies equally to minors and adults).
People in this situation aren’t actually applying for citizenship through the ancestry route, notes De Ricco, but through a fast-track version of residency-based citizenship, or naturalisation (the typical residency requirement for most applicants is between four and ten years).
READ ALSO: Who's entitled to Italian citizenship by residency and how do you apply?
That means that those who apply as adults will be subject to additional restrictions that apply to naturalisation candidates, including meeting minimum income and Italian language requirements.
Are there any other exceptions?
According to De Ricco and Giannessi, once the May 31st, 2026 deadline has passed, people with dual citizenship of Italy and another country will only be able to pass their citizenship on to their foreign-born children in one of the following circumstances:
- They present a declaration of intent to apply for citizenship for their child (using the same procedure as the one outlined above) within one year of the child's birth.
- They are legally resident in Italy for two continuous years after acquiring ius sanguinis citizenship and before having or adopting their child.
If neither of these applies, the child must have a grandparent who holds (or held at the time of their death) exclusively Italian citizenship in order to be eligible for citizenship via the ius sanguinis route.
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