EU

Citizenship

Eligibility

Depends on family line and filing history

12–36+ months

Estimated processing time

Italian Citizenship by Descent may be suitable for individuals and families who have Italian ancestry and want to understand whether they may still qualify under the current rules, an earlier-filed claim, a 1948 case, or a family line affected by the recent “Minor Issue” ruling. 

Benefits of Italian Citizenship

Recognized Italian citizens are also citizens of the European Union. This may provide the right to live, work, study, and establish a business in Italy and other EU Member States, subject to applicable EU and national rules. Italian citizenship can therefore support long-term mobility, family planning, education, lifestyle, and business objectives.

Italy remains one of the world’s most desirable countries in which to live, work, study, retire, or spend part of the year. Italian citizenship may allow eligible individuals and families to build a deeper connection with Italy, whether through relocation, property ownership, education, professional opportunities, or a long-term relationship with their ancestral country.

For many applicants, Italian citizenship by descent is not only about mobility. It is also about the formal recognition of a family history that may stretch across generations. Applicants often pursue Italian citizenship to reconnect with their ancestry, preserve family heritage, and pass a meaningful legal and cultural status to future generations.

Italian citizenship may support long-term family planning. Minor children may be affected by a parent’s recognized citizenship status under the applicable rules, and spouses may have separate routes to citizenship by marriage after the relevant conditions are met. Each family member’s position should be assessed individually.

Italy generally permits dual citizenship. Applicants should also confirm whether dual citizenship is permitted under the laws of their current country or countries of citizenship before applying.

Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, Italian citizenship by descent may be pursued through different routes. These may include an administrative application through an Italian consulate, an application directly through an Italian municipality, or a court process in Italy, including certain 1948 cases or cases where judicial review is appropriate. The correct route depends on the applicant’s residence, family line, filing history, maternal or paternal ancestry, documentation, and current legal framework.

Who Can Get Italian Citizenship by Descent

Applicants may be able to seek recognition of Italian citizenship by descent if they can demonstrate a qualifying Italian family line and show that citizenship was transmitted through each generation without being interrupted under the applicable law. 

Following Italy’s 2025 reform, eligibility is now more case-specific than before. Applicants born abroad who hold another citizenship may need to fall within one of the recognized exceptions or have a claim that is governed by the previous legal framework. 

Under current guidance, many new applicants born abroad may need to establish a qualifying connection through a parent or grandparent, subject to the applicable legal requirements. 

This may include cases where a parent or grandparent held exclusively Italian citizenship at the relevant time, or where a parent had the required period of residence in Italy before the applicant’s birth or adoption. Each case must be reviewed against the specific facts and documentation.

Some applicants who filed administrative or judicial claims before the relevant March 2025 deadline may continue to be assessed under the previous legal framework, depending on when and how the application was filed. 

This is especially important for applicants who already had consular appointments, court filings, or applications in progress before the reform took effect. 

Applicants whose family line was previously considered blocked because an Italian ancestor naturalized abroad while the next person in the line was still a minor may need a fresh assessment in light of the Court of Cassation’s 2026 ruling. 

This ruling may be particularly relevant where the next person in the line was born abroad in a country where citizenship was acquired automatically at birth. 

Applicants whose Italian citizenship line passes through a woman whose child was born before January 1, 1948 may need to pursue recognition through the Italian courts rather than through the standard administrative route. 

These cases remain highly technical and should be reviewed by professionals familiar with Italian citizenship litigation. 

Children may be affected by a parent’s recognition as an Italian citizen, but their position depends on their age, family line, residence, timing, and applicable rules. 

Minor children and adult children may need to be assessed differently. 

Siblings may be able to apply through the same Italian family line, but each applicant must still satisfy the relevant requirements. 

In some circumstances, siblings may be able to share a core set of family documents or participate in the same court case, depending on the route, jurisdiction, and legal strategy. 

Italian Citizenship by Descent Requirements

To seek recognition of Italian citizenship by descent, applicants generally need to prove a qualifying Italian family line and demonstrate that citizenship was transmitted through each generation under the law applicable to their case. Because the rules have changed, eligibility should be assessed carefully before an application is prepared.

Requirement 1: A Qualifying Italian Ancestor or Family Connection 

The applicant must identify the Italian family line through which citizenship may have been transmitted. 

This may involve a parent, grandparent, or earlier ancestor, depending on whether the case falls under current rules, previous rules, a pending application, a court claim, or another recognized exception. 

Requirement 2: Transmission of Citizenship Through Each Generation

The applicant must show that Italian citizenship was transmitted through the family line and was not interrupted under the applicable law. 

This requires careful review of dates of birth, marriage, naturalization, residence, citizenship status, and any possible renunciation. 

Requirement 3: Review of the 2025 Reform 

Italy’s 2025 citizenship reform has changed the way many Citizenship by Descent claims are assessed. 

For many new applicants born abroad, eligibility may depend on whether the applicant has a qualifying parent or grandparent connection, whether an exception applies, or whether the claim was already filed before the relevant deadline. 

Requirement 4: Naturalization History 

Naturalization records are central to Italian Citizenship by Descent. 

Applicants must determine whether an Italian ancestor naturalized abroad, when the naturalization occurred, whether it occurred before or after the birth of the next person in the line, and whether the case is affected by the Court of Cassation’s ruling on the “Minor Issue”. 

Requirement 5: Maternal Lines and 1948 Cases 

If the citizenship line passes through a woman whose child was born before January 1, 1948, the applicant may need to pursue recognition through the Italian courts. 

These cases require legal analysis and cannot usually proceed through the ordinary consular route. 

Requirement 6: The Minor Issue 

The “Minor Issue” may arise when an Italian ancestor naturalized abroad while the next person in the line was still a minor. 

The Court of Cassation’s 2026 ruling clarified that a minor born abroad with Italian citizenship by descent and another citizenship acquired at birth may, in certain circumstances, have retained Italian citizenship despite the parent’s later naturalization abroad.

Applicants previously affected by this issue should have their case reviewed again. 

Requirement 7: Documentation 

Applicants must provide official documents proving the citizenship line. 

This may include birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, naturalization records, certificates of non-naturalization, divorce records, name change records, apostilles, translations, and other supporting evidence. 

Documents must usually be obtained in the correct format, legalized or apostilled where required, and translated into Italian. 

Requirement 8: Correct Application Route 

The correct application route depends on the applicant’s circumstances. 

Possible routes may include: 

  • An application through an Italian consulate 
  • An application through an Italian municipality, if the applicant establishes residence in Italy 
  • A court case in Italy, including certain 1948 cases or other judicial routes 

The appropriate strategy depends on eligibility, residence, documents, timing, consular availability, and the specific legal issues in the family line. 

Speak To An Expert

When it comes to Italian Citizenship by Descent, careful eligibility analysis is now more important than ever. Our team understands the practical and legal complexity, including the 2025 reform, 1948 cases, consular and municipal applications, court routes, and the recent Court of Cassation ruling on the “Minor Issue”. Every family line is different. A private assessment can help determine whether you may qualify under the current rules, whether a previous or pending claim may still proceed, whether the “Minor Issue” affects your case, and which application route may be most appropriate.

When it comes to Italian Citizenship by Descent, careful eligibility analysis is now more important than ever. Our team understands the practical and legal complexity, including the 2025 reform, 1948 cases, consular and municipal applications, court routes, and the recent Court of Cassation ruling on the “Minor Issue”. Every family line is different. A private assessment can help determine whether you may qualify under the current rules, whether a previous or pending claim may still proceed, whether the “Minor Issue” affects your case, and which application route may be most appropriate.

Speak To An Expert

Application Process

  • Month 1

    Eligibility Review and Client Onboarding

    The process begins with Latitude’s genealogical intake form and an initial review of your Italian family line.

    Using the information provided, our Citizenship by Descent team assesses your potential eligibility, including your ancestor’s citizenship history, naturalization records, maternal or paternal line, possible 1948 issues, filing history, and whether the case may be affected by the 2025 reform or the recent “Minor Issue” ruling.

    Following this assessment, we provide a Client Agreement for review and signature.

    Once the signed agreement and retainer payment are received, our team begins building your file and advising on the documents required for your application route.

  • Months 1-8

    Building Your Citizenship File

    Latitude works with you to obtain the required civil, naturalization, and identity documents.

    This may include birth, marriage, death, divorce, naturalization, and non-naturalization records across multiple jurisdictions.

    As documents are obtained, our team reviews them for consistency, accuracy, names, dates, spelling variations, and formatting issues. Where required, documents are translated, apostilled, legalized, or corrected.

    During this stage, we also help determine whether the application should proceed through a consulate, municipality, or Italian court, depending on your eligibility, residence, filing history, and legal route.

  • Months 9–24+

    Application Submission and Citizenship Recognition

    Once the file is complete, the application is submitted through the appropriate route.

    This may involve an Italian consulate, an Italian municipality, or a court process in Italy.

    The relevant authority reviews the application, supporting documents, and citizenship line. Processing times vary significantly depending on the route, the authority involved, document complexity, court timelines, and any legal issues in the case.

    Official guidance indicates that certain newer administrative applications may be subject to a longer statutory processing period than earlier applications, while older applications may continue under previous timing rules.

    If the application is successful, Italian citizenship is recognized. Latitude can then help with the next steps, which may include registration with the relevant Italian authorities and applying for an Italian passport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Italian Citizenship by Descent, also known as jure sanguinis, allows eligible individuals with Italian ancestry to seek recognition of Italian citizenship through a qualifying family line. 

Eligibility depends on the applicant’s family history, naturalization records, filing date, applicable legal framework, and supporting documents. 

Yes, Italian citizenship by descent is still available, but the rules are now more restrictive for many applicants born abroad. 

Following the 2025 reform, eligibility is more case-specific and may depend on parent or grandparent connections, residence history, earlier filing dates, court claims, or recognized exceptions. 

It depends. Under the previous framework, many applicants could apply through more distant Italian-born ancestors if citizenship had passed through each generation without interruption. Following the 2025 reform, many new applications are more limited. 

However, some earlier-filed claims, court cases, 1948 cases, and specific family lines may still require detailed review. Applicants should not assume either eligibility or ineligibility without a full assessment. 

Italy’s 2025 citizenship reform significantly reduced the cases in which citizenship is considered to have been transmitted automatically to people born abroad. 

For many new applicants, eligibility may now depend on whether a parent or grandparent held exclusively Italian citizenship at the relevant time, whether a parent had the required period of residence in Italy before the applicant’s birth or adoption, or whether the case falls under an earlier-filed application or other exception. 

The “Minor Issue” refers to a dispute affecting family lines where an Italian ancestor naturalized abroad while the next person in the citizenship line was still a minor. 

Some applications were previously challenged or rejected on the basis that the minor child lost Italian citizenship when the parent naturalized abroad. 

In Judgment No. 24045/2026, the Court of Cassation clarified that a minor born abroad to an Italian parent in a country where citizenship was acquired automatically at birth may have retained Italian citizenship even if the Italian parent later naturalized abroad, unless a specific contrary rule applied or the individual later formally renounced Italian citizenship as an adult. 

This may strengthen many claims that were previously considered blocked by the Minor Issue. 

No. The Minor Issue ruling is very important, but it does not remove all eligibility restrictions. Italy’s 2025 reform still affects many new applications, and eligibility depends on the applicant’s family line, filing history, dates, documents, naturalization history, and legal route. 

Eligibility depends on the facts of the case. Some applicants may qualify through a parent or grandparent connection, some may be covered by earlier-filed applications or judicial claims, and others may need to assess whether a 1948 case, Minor Issue argument, or another route may apply. 

A full review of the family line and documents is required. 

A 1948 case usually refers to an Italian citizenship claim involving a woman in the direct line whose child was born before January 1, 1948. 

These claims are typically pursued through the Italian courts rather than through the ordinary consular route. 

Yes, but the route depends on the timing and facts. 

Where the citizenship line passes through a woman whose child was born before January 1, 1948, the applicant may need to apply through the Italian courts. Other maternal lines may be assessed differently depending on dates and the applicable rules. 

Children may be affected by a parent’s recognized Italian citizenship, but this depends on the child’s age, the parent’s status, timing, residence, registration, and the applicable rules. 

Minor and adult children should be assessed separately. 

Yes, siblings may be able to apply through the same family line if they each meet the relevant requirements. 

In some cases, siblings may be able to share core family documents or join the same court case. However, each applicant’s eligibility, residence, and application route must be assessed individually. 

A spouse does not automatically become an Italian citizen when you are recognized as an Italian citizen. 

However, spouses of Italian citizens may have a separate route to citizenship by marriage or civil union, subject to residence, timing, language, and other legal requirements. 

Italian language ability is not generally required for recognition of Italian Citizenship by Descent. 

However, language requirements may apply to other citizenship routes, such as citizenship by marriage or naturalization. 

Not necessarily. Some applicants apply through the Italian consulate responsible for their place of residence. Others may apply directly through an Italian municipality if they establish residence in Italy. Some cases must or may be pursued through the Italian courts. 

The correct route depends on your residence, family line, filing history, documents, and legal issues. 

Timelines vary significantly depending on the route. Consular applications, municipal applications, and court cases can each have different processing times. Document collection, translations, apostilles, court schedules, consular availability, and case complexity can all affect the timeline. 

Some administrative applications are subject to statutory processing periods, and newer applications may be treated differently from those filed before the 2025 reform. 

Applicants usually need official records proving each generation in the Italian family line. 

Documents may include birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, naturalization records, certificates of non-naturalization, divorce records, name change documents, identity documents, apostilles, legalizations, and certified translations. 

The exact document list depends on the family line and application route. 

Naturalization history is one of the most important parts of an Italian Citizenship by Descent case. 

You need to know whether the Italian ancestor naturalized, when naturalization occurred, whether it occurred before or after the birth of the next person in the line, and whether the case is affected by the Minor Issue or any other legal rule. 

You should consider having your case reviewed again. 

The Court of Cassation’s 2026 ruling may change the analysis for many applicants whose family line was previously considered blocked because an Italian ancestor naturalized abroad while the next person in the line was still a minor. 

Yes. A person recognized as an Italian citizen is also an EU citizen. 

This may allow the person to live, work, study, and establish a business in Italy and other EU Member States, subject to applicable EU and national rules. 

No. Italian citizenship does not automatically make you tax resident in Italy. 

Tax residence depends on where you live, work, spend time, maintain personal and economic ties, and other factors under Italian and international tax rules. Professional tax advice should be obtained before relocating or restructuring assets. 

Yes, Italy generally permits dual citizenship. 

Applicants should also confirm whether their current country or countries of citizenship permit dual citizenship before applying. 

No. Recognition is not guaranteed. 

All applications depend on eligibility, documentation, legal analysis, naturalization history, filing route, government or court review, and the applicable law. 

Italian Citizenship by Descent may be suitable if you have Italian ancestry and want to understand whether you may qualify for recognition as an Italian citizen. 

The right route depends on your family line, documents, filing history, residence, naturalization records, maternal or paternal ancestry, possible 1948 issues, Minor Issue considerations, and the current legal framework. 

A private assessment can help determine whether Italian citizenship by descent may be available to you or your family. 

Speak to one of our Citizenship by Descent experts today

Latitude’s Citizenship by Descent team helps clients assess Italian ancestry claims, review documents, identify eligibility issues, and determine the most appropriate route forward. Following Italy’s 2025 reform and the recent Court of Cassation ruling on the Minor Issue, professional review is especially important. Some applicants may no longer qualify under the same route they expected, while others who were previously discouraged may now need a fresh assessment. Speak with a member of our Citizenship by Descent team to explore whether Italian citizenship by descent may be available to you and your family.

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