Italian citizenship
News, information and practical advice about Italian citizenship.
Ghost rulings and fake ancestors: The Italian citizenship scams targeting foreigners
New cases of fraud around Italian citizenship by descent are coming to light, most of them in cases where unscrupulous agencies target South Americans with Italian ancestry.
How Italy could make citizenship harder to get and easier to lose
MPs on Monday began debating a bill that would make it easier for naturalised Italians or those who acquired Italian citizenship to lose their rights, while making it harder to qualify in the first place.
Milan grants more Italian citizenships every year as national total falls
The number of people gaining Italian citizenship in Milan has more than doubled in four years, the council said, even as new limits pushed the national total down.
Brazilians targeted in fake Italian citizenship scam
Two public officials in northern Italy have been suspended and a mayor placed under investigation for their role in selling false passports to Brazilian clients, national media reported over the weekend.
How rejected ‘minor issue’ applicants can have a fresh chance at Italian citizenship
After a Supreme Court ruling partially overturned Italy’s ‘minor issue’, who is eligible to have their application reviewed – and what do you need to do?
What is Italy’s AIRE and who needs to register?
You may have heard that Italian citizens living abroad, including people with dual citizenship, are required to register with AIRE. So what is it exactly and who does it apply to?
Descendants of Italian emigrants blocked by ‘minor issue’ get new shot at citizenship
Applicants for ancestry-based Italian citizenship blocked by a 1912 law will have a chance to have their case reviewed, under new guidance based on a ruling from Italy’s highest court.
A 20-year wait and fluent Italian: How the far right wants to tighten citizenship rules
As Italy’s governing parties race to appear tougher on citizenship, the new far-right Futuro Nazionale is demanding new rules plus "assimilation to Greco-Roman civilisation."
‘Shot itself in the foot’: How Italy’s citizenship crackdown stranded its diaspora
Before Italy tightened its citizenship rules, applicants were booking flights and signing leases on the strength of a government campaign urging them to connect with their roots.
Who can still apply for Italian citizenship via ancestry?
After Italy tightened the law in 2025, who is still eligible for Italian citizenship by descent and what exactly are the rules on applying?
Descendants of Italian emigrants get new chance to claim citizenship after EU court referral
Hundreds of thousands of people blocked from claiming citizenship by ancestry were urged to file new claims immediately after Italy referred the restrictions to Europe’s highest court.
Citizenship-stripping and deportations: What are Italy’s ruling parties proposing?
Two of the parties in Italy's ruling coalition have put forward competing bills targeting foreigners in Italy. But what do they actually say?
Italy moves to widen rarely-used power to strip citizenship rights
Italy's ruling parties put forward competing bills this week aimed at increasing powers to revoke citizenship, currently used only for terrorism convictions.
US families take Italian citizenship law to country's highest court
Two US families went to Italy’s highest court on Tuesday to challenge the limits imposed by Giorgia Meloni’s government on claiming citizenship via ancestry.
REVEALED: How many people get Italian citizenship every year
If you're thinking of applying for Italian citizenship, you're far from alone. Here's what the latest data tells us about new citizens and where they come from.
How to organise your language test for Italian citizenship
People applying for Italian citizenship by residency or marriage need to prove proficiency in the Italian language by taking a test. But where can you take it and how can you book it?
What’s next in the battle against Italy’s citizenship clampdown?
A challenge to last year’s crackdown on ancestry-based Italian citizenship may be on the path to defeat, but more are in the works.
Why do so many people think you can't have Italian dual citizenship?
Some countries don’t allow dual citizenship, but Italy isn’t among them. So why does this belief persist among so many Italians?
Italy's Constitutional Court hears challenge to citizenship crackdown
The court said challenges to the new limits on gaining Italian citizenship through ancestry were "partially unfounded" following a hearing on Wednesday, with a final ruling yet to come.
Italy's planned changes to immigration and citizenship rules in 2026
From a court ruling that could overturn last year's citizenship restrictions to new EU asylum rules and digital border controls, here's what to expect from Italy's immigration system in 2026.
How Americans with Italian ancestry can now move to Italy for work
After Italy restricted citizenship by descent earlier this year, a new decree opens up a work visa pathway for US nationals who can prove Italian ancestry.
Court to decide if Italy's citizenship crackdown is legal
Italy's Constitutional Court will rule on whether a law change that blocked thousands from claiming citizenship by descent should stand, after challenges from Italian nationals abroad.
How descendants of Italians can move to Italy under new rules
Italy is opening a new pathway for some people of Italian descent to move to the country to work, nine months after drastically restricting citizenship by descent.