Italy has modified the rules for attaining Italian citizenship, impacting millions claiming ancestral citizenship. Italy’s citizenship rules for the descendants of overseas emigrants have effectively been tightened.
Earlier, a great-grandparent or great-great-grandparent was enough to get an Italian citizenship. Now, Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has restricted the eligibility criteria to children and grandchildren of Italian nationals.
Previously, everyone with an Italian ancestor who lived after March 17, 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was established, qualified for citizenship.
The new Italian citizenship rules, which entered into force in March, were codified into law on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
New Regulations for Italy’s citizenship
The new regulations require applicants to have at least one Italian parent or grandparent to apply under jus sanguinis. They must also demonstrate Italian language proficiency, which was formerly required for naturalization by residency or marriage. The competence test is a five-part state exam administered multiple times per year, or a higher-level equivalency test for those who do not reside in Italy.
In the first phase, the decree-law approved in March stated that Italian descendants born abroad will automatically be citizens for only two generations: only those with at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy will be citizens from birth.
In the second phase, with a first draft law (also approved in March), further and more detailed changes to the citizenship law were to be introduced. This law primarily requires citizens born and residing abroad to maintain real ties with Italy over time, exercising the rights and duties of citizenship at least once every twenty-five years.
According to Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani, the order, which was issued in Italy’s official gazette of laws on March 28, aims to crack down on “abusers” who become Italian as a “novelty” or to alleviate travel restrictions.
Recently, the Trump administration has tightened its grip on illegal immigration. There were reports about Latin Americans using Italian passports to enter the United States without a visa and then staying permanently.
According to the Henley Passport Index, Italy ranks third in the world for visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel, making it one of the most sought-after and, up until now, easiest to obtain passports.
Countries with the highest rates of Italian emigration saw a significant increase in citizenship recognitions in recent years. From the end of 2014 to the end of 2024, the number of citizens residing abroad increased from around 4.6 million to 6.4 million, a 40% rise in 10 years. There are over 60,000 ongoing legal proceedings for the determination of citizenship.
Residents abroad have been asked to no longer contact consulates but instead go to a special centralised office at the Italian Foreign Ministry. Consulates have been directed to focus on providing services to those who are already citizens, not on “creating” new citizens.
Italy is also gearing up for a pivotal referendum on easing the country’s naturalisation rules. The referendum will ask Italians to vote on halving from 10 to 5 years the period of legal residence in Italy of non-EU foreigners of age for the request to be granted Italian citizenship. On Sunday, June 8th, polling booths will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and again on Monday, June 9th, from 7 am.