Italian citizenship for children born abroad: free declaration and new 2029 deadline

In summary: what changes in 2026?

• Extended deadline: There is now time until 31 May 2029 for children born before 25 May 2025.
• No administrative fee: The declaration is free of charge (the €250 contribution has been abolished).
• Children born after May 2025: For those born after May 2025, the deadline is three years from the date of birth.

The rules on italian citizenship for minors born abroad to Italian parents have recently been amended, introducing new procedures for acquiring citizenship “by operation of law” in cases where citizenship is not automatically acquired at birth.

Many parents ask how to obtain Italian citizenship for a child born abroad and what the current deadlines are for submitting the declaration.

One of the most significant changes concerns the deadline for submitting the declaration of intent for the acquisition of citizenship on behalf of the minor, under the transitional provisions.

With Law No. 26 of 28 February 2026, which converted Decree-Law No. 200 of 31 December 2025 (the “Milleproroghe Decree”), the deadline for submitting the declaration has been extended from 31 May 2026 to 31 May 2029 for all eligible individuals.

Italian citizenship for children born abroad: declaration

Under Italian law, citizenship is primarily transmitted according to the principle of iure sanguinis, meaning by descent from an Italian citizen.

However, citizenship is not always acquired automatically at birth.

Recent legislative amendments have introduced a specific procedure for certain minor children born abroad to Italian citizens.

In these cases, citizenship may be acquired through a declaration by the parents, rather than automatically.

This is referred to as acquisition of citizenship “by operation of law”, even though it remains linked to descent from an Italian citizen.

This means that:

• the minor does not become an Italian citizen from the day of birth;
• citizenship is acquired from the day following the declaration made by the parents before the competent authority (normally at the Italian Consulate).

Italian citizenship for minor children born abroad: the legal framework

Not all minors born abroad to Italian parents are in the same legal position.

The law distinguishes between Italian citizenship acquired automatically at birth and citizenship that must be acquired through a declaration by the parents.

These changes form part of the broader amendments introduced in 2025 to the Italian citizenship law and concern minor children born abroad to at least one parent who is an Italian citizen by birth. Under Law No. 74/2025, they no longer automatically acquire Italian citizenship iure sanguinis in all circumstances, as was previously the case.

The 2025 reform restricted the cases of automatic transmission of Italian citizenship to minors born abroad.

Where the conditions for automatic transmission are not met, the minor may acquire Italian citizenship by operation of law only following a declaration of intent submitted by the parents within the prescribed time limits.

Is my child already an Italian citizen or do I need to submit a declaration?

There are cases in which a child is an Italian citizen from birth by direct operation of law.

In these cases, no declaration of intent is required, only the registration of the birth certificate.

A child born abroad is automatically an Italian citizen if at least one of the following conditions applies:

• at least one parent is an Italian citizen by birth and has lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years before the child’s birth
• at least one parent holds exclusively Italian citizenship
• the child does not possess another citizenship
• a direct ascendant up to the second degree (parent or grandparent) possesses or possessed only Italian citizenship at the time of death

In these circumstances:

• the child is an Italian citizen from birth
• no declaration of acquisition is required
• parents only need to register the birth certificate with the Italian Consulate or the competent Italian municipality.

What parents must do in these cases

When the child is already an Italian citizen:

• the birth certificate must be registered
• this is not considered acquisition of citizenship, but simply recognition of an existing legal status
• no time limits apply, and therefore the 31 May 2029 deadline does not apply.

Italian citizenship and Italian grandparents: when a second-degree ascendant is relevant

The condition relating to grandparents within the context of Italian citizenship iure sanguinis refers to a specific provision introduced by the recent amendments to Law No. 91/1992 (in particular Article 3-bis, paragraph 1, letter c)), which governs the automatic acquisition of citizenship for minors born abroad.

This provision states that a child is an Italian citizen if “a direct ascendant up to the second degree (parent or grandparent) possesses or possessed only Italian citizenship at the time of death”, meaning that such ascendant never acquired another citizenship or held Italian citizenship exclusively.

However, this rule does not override the general principle of transmission through the bloodline: Italian citizenship is transmitted from parent to child only if the parent was an Italian citizen at the time of the child’s birth.

If the parent (child of the Italian grandparent) becomes naturalised as a foreign citizen before the minor’s birth, the chain is broken, making the fact that the grandparent held only Italian citizenship irrelevant. Consulates apply this logic to prevent transmission beyond a break caused by naturalisation.

Is your family situation complex? Do not risk mistakes that could compromise your child’s future. Contact our lawyers for a case assessment.

When parents MUST submit a declaration for their children to acquire Italian citizenship

Following the amendments introduced in 2025, not all children born abroad to at least one Italian citizen automatically become Italian citizens.

If the minor born abroad does not fall within the automatic citizenship cases described above, but has at least one parent who is an Italian citizen by birth, Italian citizenship is not acquired automatically and parents must submit a formal declaration at the competent Italian Consulate or at the Italian municipality of residence within a specific deadline.

A declaration is required when:

• the child is born abroad
• the conditions allowing automatic transmission of citizenship are not met
• at least one parent is an Italian citizen by birth

In these cases, the minor acquires citizenship by operation of law, not iure sanguinis, only if parents submit the declaration within the prescribed deadlines.

The declaration is admissible only if:

• at least one parent is an Italian citizen by birth

A small clarification: the procedure for acquiring citizenship by operation of law is generally intended for children of Italian citizens by birth. If the Italian parent acquired citizenship through naturalisation, marriage or other routes, the situation may differ and must be assessed case by case under the applicable rules.

Do you have doubts about the 2029 deadline for your child? Contact our lawyers for a case assessment.

Consulate procedure: how to submit the application correctly

The declaration:

• must be made in person
• before a civil status officer
• at the Italian Consulate abroad or the competent Italian municipality
• within the statutory time limits (three years from birth or filiation under the ordinary regime, or 31 May 2029 in transitional cases).

Without this declaration, the minor does not become an Italian citizen, even if they are the child of an Italian citizen.

2026 deadlines: when does the deadline expire for minors’ Italian citizenship?

As already highlighted, after the citizenship reform introduced in 2025, not all children born abroad to Italian parents automatically become Italian citizens.

In some cases, parents must submit a declaration of intent for the minor to acquire Italian citizenship.

There are two possible situations.

1. Minors born after 25 May 2025

If the child is born abroad after 25 May 2025 and does not fall within the cases of automatic citizenship, parents may submit a declaration of intent before the Italian Consulate or the competent municipality.

The deadline for submitting the declaration was extended to three years from birth or from the date on which filiation is established (including adoption) by Law No. 199 of 30 December 2025 (Budget Law 2026), Article 1, paragraph 513, which amended Article 4, paragraph 1-bis, letter b) of Law No. 91/1992.

2. Minors born before 25 May 2025

For minors who were already born before the reform entered into force, a transitional regime applies.

In these cases, the declaration may be submitted until 31 May 2029, following the extension introduced by Law No. 26 of 28 February 2026.

In summary:

• children born before 25 May 2025 → declaration by 31 May 2029
• children born after 25 May 2025 → declaration within three years of birth.

How much does Italian citizenship cost for minor children in 2026?

Another important aspect of the declaration procedure concerns the costs involved.

In the past, certain requests were subject to an administrative contribution of €250 (payable to the Ministry of the Interior).

However, for declarations of acquisition of citizenship by operation of law submitted from 1 January 2026, this contribution is no longer required.

The abolition of the contribution was also confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior Circular Prot. 889/2026, which clarified the application of the new rules to procedures under Article 4, paragraph 1-bis of Law No. 91/1992.

Applicants may still incur other costs, such as:

• document translations;
• legalisations or apostilles;
• certificates.

How to submit the declaration for minors to acquire Italian citizenship

The procedure for acquiring Italian citizenship by operation of law generally involves several administrative steps at the competent Italian Consulate or, if the family resides in Italy, at the municipality of residence.

In summary, the procedure involves:

• submission of the request and the required documentation to the competent Italian Consulate (often through the consular portal or other online booking systems);
• verification of the documents by the consular authority;
• booking an appointment at the Consulate or at the competent municipality;
• a formal declaration made by the parents or the person exercising parental responsibility before the consular authority or the civil status officer.

Following the declaration, the minor acquires Italian citizenship by operation of law, with effect from the day after the declaration.

Important: the declaration must be made in person before the competent authority and cannot be submitted online only.

In summary: what changed in 2026

In 2026, the rules on citizenship for minors born abroad were further clarified through:

• the Budget Law 2026, which extended the declaration deadline to three years and abolished the €250 contribution;
• Law No. 26 of 28 February 2026 (Milleproroghe), which extended the deadline under the transitional regime to 31 May 2029;
• the Ministry of the Interior Circular Prot. 889/2026, which provided operational guidance on the application of Article 4, paragraph 1-bis of Law No. 91/1992.

And therefore:

• from 1 January 2026, the declaration for minors born abroad is exempt from the €250 contribution;
• the deadline for submitting the declaration has been extended to three years from birth or filiation for all minors falling within the new legal framework;
• minors born before 25 May 2025, if still under age on 24 May 2025, remain subject to the transitional regime, but the deadline is set at 31 May 2029;
• children who fall within the cases of automatic transmission of citizenship iure sanguinis are already Italian citizens from birth and do not need any declaration, only registration of the birth certificate;
• practical implementation is not yet fully uniform among Consulates, so it is essential to check the practice of the competent Consulate before submitting the application.

Summary table: when a declaration is required and when it is not

Scenario for minors’ citizenship in 2026

After the extension of the deadlines for declarations for minors born abroad, children of Italian citizens, hope for many other aspiring Italian citizens is now focused on the Italian Constitutional Court, whose decision may revisit the restrictions introduced by Law No. 74/2025.

The hearing is scheduled for 11 March 2026; afterwards (hopefully within three months) a decision will be issued.

What changes in 2026 for Italian citizenship for minors born abroad

extension to 2029

abolition of the contribution

declaration procedure

pending decision of the Joint Divisions of the Supreme Court (Sezioni Unite)

Legal assistance for Italian citizenship for minors born abroad

Differences between the applicable regimes, strict deadlines and the lack of retroactive effect make this area particularly sensitive.

An error in the procedure, an application submitted out of time, or an incorrect assessment of eligibility requirements may result in the definitive loss of the possibility of transmitting citizenship to the minor.

For this reason, it is advisable to be assisted by a legal professional who monitors developments in citizenship and international immigration law.

A law firm dealing with immigration and international citizenship law can:

• verify whether the minor falls within the transitional regime
• check the parents’ requirements
• liaise with the competent Consulate
• assist in preparing the documentation correctly
• prevent errors that could compromise the application

Boccadutri International Law Firm can assist you throughout all stages of the request and review your case and its specific features.

Do not hesitate to contact the Immigration Law Department.

FAQ on Italian citizenship for minors born abroad

 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
    4.9 Google130 reviews 
 
  
 
 

Calogero Boccadutri

Calogero Boccadutri is the Managing Partner of Boccadutri International Law Firm. He has trial experience in Forex, Personal Injury and Administrative litigation.