Italian Citizenship Application

Find out whether you are still entitled to apply for Italian citizenship under the new rules.

Italian citizenship is much more than a formal status: it allows you to live, work and study in Italy and in all other European Union countries.

In recent years, the legislature has restricted the unlimited transmission of citizenship by descent and has changed the deadlines for certain categories of minor children and for reacquisition.

In some cases, precise deadlines have been introduced for submitting applications or declarations; missing them may result in the permanent loss of certain opportunities.

This is why it is important to:

• Check immediately whether you still meet the conditions set out by the current law.
• Understand which procedure is fastest (iure sanguinis, marriage, residence, reacquisition).
• Avoid mistakes that can lead to the rejection of the application or the need to bring court proceedings.

Boccadutri International Law Firm assists foreign nationals and descendants of Italians worldwide in preparing and managing Italian citizenship applications, constantly monitoring the latest legislative developments and administrative practices.

Do you have doubts about your situation? Request an initial legal assessment: one of our lawyers will examine your case and indicate the most suitable strategy.

We handle all the main forms of Italian citizenship

Boccadutri International Law Firm assists:

• Descendants of Italians who want to apply for citizenship iure sanguinis (by descent).
• People married to or in a civil union with Italian citizens who intend to apply for citizenship by marriage (ius matrimonii).
• Foreign nationals who have lived in Italy for years and wish to obtain citizenship by residence.
• Those who have lost their citizenship and want to assess reacquisition in light of the new time windows introduced by the reform.

Three steps to understand immediately whether you are still eligible

1. Fill in the online form
   Tell us about your line of descent, your years of residence, your marriage or any previous applications.
2. A lawyer analyzes your case
   A professional from our Immigration Law Department verifies your situation in light of the latest rules, circulars and judgments.
3. Receive a personalized action plan
   We will tell you whether you can proceed, which route is most suitable (descent, marriage, residence, reacquisition) and which documents are needed to get started.

No obligation: you decide whether to entrust the Firm with full management of the application.

Italian citizenship iure sanguinis (by descent)

Italian citizenship iure sanguinis is based on the transmission of Italian citizen status along the family line.

The rules on Italian citizenship iure sanguinis have changed radically: today, having an Italian ancestor is no longer enough; specific requirements are needed regarding generations (limited to two generations: grandparent -> parent -> me), residence, language and timing.

Our team verifies your position in light of the most recent reforms and guides you step by step through the procedure best suited to your case.

Descent from an Italian woman and “1948” cases

Italian law continues to distinguish between descendants of an Italian woman who were born before and after the Constitution entered into force.

• Descendants of an Italian woman who were born on or after January 1, 1948 can obtain administrative recognition through Italian consulates or municipalities.
• Descendants of an Italian woman whose children were born on or before December 31, 1947 generally need to bring legal action for recognition of citizenship before the Italian judicial authorities.

Studio Boccadutri assists with both administrative procedures and court actions, assessing the genealogical line, the available documentation and any need to apply to the courts.

Ancestor born before Italian unification

For those who still retain the right to apply for citizenship under the old legislation and can therefore trace their line back to more distant ancestors (those who can prove that they were unable to apply before the new law entered into force because it was impossible to book a consular appointment), it is important to know that:

• if the Italian ancestor was born before March 17, 1861, the date on which the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, the right to citizenship depends on whether the ancestor died after Unification as an Italian citizen.

Otherwise, the conditions for recognition iure sanguinis may not exist even under the old legislation, and other routes (residence, marriage, reacquisition) must be assessed.

Recent changes and limits introduced

In recent years, legislative measures have been discussed and, in part, approved that affect the conditions for recognizing citizenship by descent, introducing limits linked to the generation of the Italian ascendant and reacquisition mechanisms linked to residence in Italy.
To avoid preparing an application on assumptions that are no longer current, it is essential to verify the legislation in force at the time of application, also in light of new ministerial interpretations and subsequent reforms.

Italian citizenship by marriage (ius matrimonii)

Citizenship ius matrimonii may be requested by anyone who is married to or in a civil union with an Italian citizen.

Civil unions in Italy are recognized between same-sex partners, while marriage may also be entered into abroad, provided it is recognized by the Italian authorities.

Main requirements

• The spouse or partner must already be an Italian citizen; if they acquire citizenship after the marriage/union, the time limits run from the date of acquisition.
• The marriage or union does not need to have been celebrated in Italy, nor do the spouses necessarily need to reside in Italy.
• Residence in Italy or abroad affects the minimum residence or marriage periods that must be met before applying.

If you reside in Italy legally and continuously, the application may be submitted once a specific period of time has passed from the date of the marriage; if you reside abroad, the period is generally longer. If there are minor children, whether biological or adopted, the time limits are reduced.

Checks on the marriage and knowledge of Italian

• The marriage or civil union is subject to checks to ascertain its stability and the absence of separation, annulment or dissolution; otherwise, the application may be rejected.
• Knowledge of Italian at least at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required; in certain specific cases, alternative qualifications may be recognized.

Italian citizenship by residence

Citizenship by residence applies to those who have legally lived in Italy for a certain number of years, which varies according to the applicant’s status.

Residence must be continuous, duly registered with the Registry Office and accompanied by a valid residence permit for citizens of non-EU countries.

Required residence periods

• 4 years of residence for citizens of the European Union.
• 5 years for stateless persons and political refugees.
• 5 years for foreign adults adopted by Italian citizens.
• 10 years for non-EU citizens.

A residence permit and physical presence are not enough: there must be continuity of registration with the Registry Office, with no periods of untraceability or deregistration that could lead to refusal.

The Firm checks the registry position in advance and helps regularize any issues before the application is submitted.

Additional requirements

In addition to residence, the following are generally required:

• Knowledge of Italian at least at level B1.
• Sufficient personal or family income in the three years preceding the application, with thresholds that vary according to the members of the household.
• No relevant criminal convictions or situations of social dangerousness.

Statutory entitlement and reacquisition of citizenship: recent changes

For certain categories of minor children of Italian citizens born abroad and for cases of reacquisition of citizenship, the 2026 Budget Law and other legislative measures have introduced changes to the deadlines and the contributions to be paid.

Among the most significant elements:

• Extension of the deadlines for making the declaration of intent to acquire citizenship for minor children, extended to up to three years from birth or from the date of recognition/adoption.
• Exemption from the 250-euro fee for certain declarations submitted from January 1, 2026, including with reference to situations already existing by specific deadlines.
• Transitional windows for persons who had lost citizenship under the 1912 law and who can reacquire it by a precise deadline, upon payment of a fee.

These changes show how important it is to verify the applicable legislation on a case-by-case basis, especially for minor children and for those seeking reacquisition after loss of citizenship.

A constantly evolving regulatory framework

Citizenship is now at the center of political and institutional debate, with reform proposals that include, for example, forms of access linked to schooling in Italy (so-called “ius scholae”) and changes to citizenship by descent.

Not all these proposals are already law, but the direction taken by the legislature and case law affects consular practices and how applications are managed.

For this reason, Studio Boccadutri:

• Constantly updates its procedures based on the most recent laws, ministerial circulars and judgments.
• Informs the client, from the outset, about possible scenarios and the risks of changes during the course of the application.

Key points of the new legislation: what has changed compared with the past

Without going into technical details, today, broadly speaking, the situation is as follows:

• For citizenship by descent, “any Italian ancestor” is no longer sufficient: the law has set limits linked to generations (parents or grandparents born in Italy) and to the actual existence of a connection with Italy.
• For minor children of Italians born abroad, the 2026 Budget Law extended the deadlines for the declaration of intent and eliminated the fee for some applications, but only within precise deadlines.
• For citizenship by residence, years of lawful stay in Italy, continuity of registry registration, adequate income and knowledge of Italian at least at B1 level are still required.
• For citizenship by marriage, B1 language certification is mandatory (subject to specific exceptions), as is the check on the stability of the relationship (no separations or annulments at the time of the decision).

The law changes often: before you begin collecting documents, it is essential to verify which rules are currently in force for your situation.

How we can assist you

Boccadutri International Law Firm offers comprehensive assistance at every stage of your Italian citizenship application:

• Preliminary assessment of your eligibility (descent, marriage, residence, reacquisition).
• Search for and verification of the documents needed in Italy and abroad, including through our dedicated document search services for citizenship iure sanguinis.
• Preparation and submission of the application to the competent authorities (Municipalities, Prefectures, Consulates).
• Assistance in dealings with public administrations, in managing any requests for additional documents and throughout waiting periods.
• Legal representation in court in the event of refusal, unjustified delay or the need to bring legal action (for example in “1948” cases).

Request a legal assessment

Fill in the form on this page to tell us about your case (line of descent, years of residence, marriage/civil union, any previous attempts).

A lawyer from our Immigration Law Department will reply, explaining the next steps and the chances of success of the procedure.

Your situation is unique: a careful and up-to-date analysis of the legislation can make the difference between a rejected application and citizenship finally being recognized.