Loss of Italian citizenship before 1992 and its reacquisition

The loss of Italian citizenship before 15 August 1992 affects many individuals who, under the legislation in force at the time, ceased to be Italian citizens following the acquisition of a foreign citizenship or due to other circumstances established by law. Before the reform introduced by Law No. 91 of 5 February 1992, the Italian citizenship system was considerably more restrictive and included several situations in which citizenship could be lost automatically.

To allow these individuals to recover their Italian citizenship, Decree-Law No. 36/2025, converted into Law No. 74/2025, introduced an extraordinary procedure allowing reacquisition of Italian citizenship through a simple formal declaration to be submitted between 1 July 2025 and 31 December 2027.

This reacquisition does not restore the previous citizenship retroactively, but rather constitutes a new acquisition of Italian citizenship by operation of law. The effects begin on the day following the submission of the declaration by the applicant.

Requirements for reacquisition

The procedure is available to individuals who lost Italian citizenship before 15 August 1992 and who were either born in Italy or, if born abroad, have legally resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years.

The loss of citizenship must have occurred under one of the situations provided for by the previous legislation. This includes individuals who voluntarily acquired a foreign citizenship and transferred their residence abroad, pursuant to Article 8(1) of Law No. 555/1912; those who renounced Italian citizenship after acquiring a foreign citizenship involuntarily, pursuant to Article 8(2); and those who lost Italian citizenship while minors as a consequence of their cohabiting parents losing their own Italian citizenship, as provided by Article 12 of the same law.

The purpose of this provision is therefore to allow the reacquisition of citizenship by individuals who, in many cases, lost their Italian status automatically as a consequence of the legislation then in force.

Excluded cases

The procedure does not apply to individuals who lost Italian citizenship under Article 8(3) of Law No. 555/1912, namely those who accepted employment with a foreign government or entered the military service of a foreign power and continued in such position despite a formal request by the Italian Government to abandon it within the established deadline.

The procedure also excludes individuals who lost or renounced Italian citizenship after 15 August 1992, as these situations are governed by the subsequent citizenship legislation. Likewise, it does not apply to those who failed to exercise the option provided for by Law No. 123/1983, which allowed individuals holding dual citizenship to choose one citizenship upon reaching adulthood.

Submission of the declaration and required documentation

The declaration of reacquisition must be submitted no later than 31 December 2027 before the competent Italian consular authority if the applicant resides abroad, or before the Italian municipality of residence if the applicant resides in Italy.

The documentation required depends on the individual circumstances but must generally demonstrate both the applicant’s previous possession of Italian citizenship and the reason for its loss. The required documents normally include an identity document, the Italian birth certificate or the birth certificate transcribed into the Italian civil records, a historical citizenship certificate, documentation proving the loss of Italian citizenship and, where applicable, evidence of residence in Italy. Foreign documents must be duly legalized or apostilled and accompanied by an official Italian translation.

The procedure begins with the appointment request before the competent authority. The applicant must appear in person to submit the formal declaration and provide the complete documentation. The reacquisition takes effect from the day following the declaration, regardless of the time required for any subsequent administrative checks.

Effects on minor children and final deadline

The reacquisition of Italian citizenship by a parent does not automatically result in the acquisition of Italian citizenship by minor children in every case. This effect may occur when the minor has been legally residing in Italy for at least two years at the time of the parent’s reacquisition. Otherwise, the child may need to evaluate other options available under the applicable citizenship legislation.

The possibility of reacquiring Italian citizenship through this procedure is strictly limited in time. Individuals who fail to submit their declaration by 31 December 2027 will lose access to this special opportunity, unless future legislative measures provide otherwise.

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The content of this article is intended to provide general information on the topic. For doubts or specific cases, it is advisable to seek specialized legal advice tailored to your particular situation.

Article written by Alessia Ajelli, Managing Associate of LCA Studio Legale, Italian lawyer specialized on Italian immigration and citizenship law.