Descendants of Italian ancestors have the right to apply for the recognition of Italian citizenship - let's find out how!
Italian citizenship has traditionally been based on the principle of ius sanguinis, that is, the principle whereby a child of an Italian mother or father is an Italian citizen by birth.
Until March 27, 2025, this principle had no generational limits. However, from that date onwards, with the enactment of the so-called “Tajani Decree” – i.e., Decree-law 36/2025 and its subsequent conversion into Law 74/2025 – only those who have (or had) a grandparent or parent who was exclusively Italian can obtain recognition of Italian citizenship, provided that no one in the line of descent renounced or lost their Italian citizenship (e.g., by becoming a citizen of another country) before the birth or during the minor age of the descendant.
The process to request recognition of Italian citizenship can be initiated at the Italian Consulate in the applicant’s country of residence or in Italy – provided the applicant moves to Italy for the entire duration of the process and officially registers as a resident – at a local Italian municipality.
Before starting the process of recognition of Italian citizenship, it is essential to verify the line of descent and supporting documentation, as well as the consistency of names and dates across documents, since any discrepancies could cause delays and/or hinder a successful outcome of the process.
Those who, following the entry into force of Decree-Law 36/2025 and Law 74/2025, no longer meet the requirements to apply for recognition of Italian citizenship under the new regulations may still, under certain conditions, be able to claim their rights under the previous regulations.
Contact us for assistance and to apply for Italian citizenship by descent for you and your children!
While law n. 555/1912 was effective, allowed only men - and therefore not women - to pass on the Italian citizesnhip to their descendants.
With the entry into force of the Italian Constitution on January 1st, 1948, the condition of men and women has been made equivalent but not with retroactive effects, therefore children born from Italian women before 1948 were not automatically Italian citizens at least until 2009 when the Italian Supreme Court - with judgement n. 4466/2009 - stated the incostitutionality of the discrimination between men and women and recognized that children born from Italian women before January 1st, 1948 and their descendants shall have the right to be recognized as Italian citizens.
This principle has not been trasposed into the administrative procedures that regulate the recognition of Italian citizenship therefore Italian Consulates and Embassies still continue to apply the law applicable at that time and reject applications for the recognition of Italian citizenship through maternal line before 1948 - but don't lose any hope: applicants can start judicial proceedings before the Court of the Italian city where the Italian ancestor was born and without the need to move their residence to Italy.
Contact us to receive assistance to start judicial proceedings before Italian Courts for the recognition of Italian citizenship through maternal line!
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