Reacquisition of italian Citizenship: complete guide 2025–2027

Reacquire your italian Citizenship Between 2025 and 2027: requirements, procedures, and deadlines

From 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2027, a temporary window allows individuals who lost their Italian citizenship before 1992 to reacquire it through a simple formal declaration.

This opportunity was introduced by Decree-Law No. 36/2025, converted into Law No. 74/2025 and is paired with another time window that allows you to apply for Italian Citizenship for minor children born abroad (by May 31, 2026).

If Citizenship is reacquired through this option, the person becomes an Italian citizen again as of the day following the declaration.

This means that even if you were originally an Italian citizen by birth, citizenship will be reacquired by operation of law, taking legal effect from the new date, not retroactively.

Who is eligible to reacquire italian Citizenship?

You may submit an application if you:

• Were born in Italy, or were born abroad and have legally resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years;
• Lost your Italian citizenship before 15 August 1992 due to one of the following:
  • Voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship and moving abroad (Art. 8, No. 1, Law No. 555/1912);
  • Renunciation of Italian citizenship following the involuntary acquisition of a foreign one (Art. 8, No. 2);
  • Loss of citizenship as a minor due to the loss of citizenship by your cohabiting parent(s) (Art. 12).

This provision aims to remedy all cases of automatic (and therefore involuntary) loss of citizenship, offering a voluntary path to reacquisition.

Practical example

Maria, born in Italy in 1950, acquired Canadian citizenship in 1980, thereby losing her Italian one.

Since she lost her Citizenship before 1992, she can apply to reacquire it between July 2025 and December 2027.

Who is not eligible?

You are excluded from this opportunity if you:

• Lost your Citizenship (or renounced it) under the circumstances set out in Article 8, No. 3, of Law No. 555/1912: “any person who, having accepted employment from a foreign government or entered into foreign military service, persists in such employment despite being instructed by the Italian government to leave within a set time”;
• Lost your Italian citizenship (or renounced it)  after 15 August 1992;
• Did not exercise the option provided under Article 5, paragraph 2, of Law No. 123/1983: “a minor child, including adopted, of an Italian father or mother who, in the case of dual nationality, could opt for only one nationality within a year of reaching legal age”.

How, where, and when to submit your application

Italian Citizenship can be reacquired by making a simple formal declaration during a scheduled appointment.

The declaration must be submitted between 1 July 2025 and 31 December 2027 at:

• Italian consular offices in your country of residence;
• Your local municipality (Comune) in Italy, if you live there.

Required documentation

The documents required are largely the same for those born in Italy and those born abroad, though specific requirements may vary slightly by municipality or consulate. It is essential to verify this when booking your appointment.

For those born in Italy

Required documents:

• Valid ID;
• Italian birth certificate. (Please note: in some cases the original full deed is required, as in London or Brisbane);
• Proof of previous possession of Italian citizenship (Historical Certificate of Citizenship);
• Evidence of loss of citizenship (e.g. certificate of acquisition of foreign citizenship or certificate of statelessness);
• Certificate of family status or equivalent;
• Receipt of payment of the consular/administrative fee (this varies depending on where the application is submitted).

For those born abroad

Required documents:

• Valid ID;
• Birth certificate registered in Italy (Please note: in some cases the original certificate is required, such as in London or Brisbane);
• Historical certificate of residency in Italy;
• Proof of previous possession of Italian citizenship (Historical Certificate of Citizenship);
• Evidence of loss of citizenship (e.g. certificate of acquisition of foreign citizenship or certificate of statelessness);
• Receipt of payment of the consular/administrative fee (this varies depending on where the application is submitted).

All foreign documents must be legalised (apostilled) and translated into Italian.

How the reacquisition procedure works in practice

1. Booking the appointment (initial step)

The first step is to book an appointment, no documents need to be submitted at this stage.

• Appointments must be scheduled online only, using the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs platform: Prenot@Mi.
• Each applicant must book their own individual appointment.

2. Preparing the documentation (next step)

After booking, collect all the required documents so that you can present a complete file on the day of your appointment.

Documents are not submitted in advance.

You must physically bring them to the Consulate or Comune on the day of the appointment.

Important: some Consulates, such as the one in London, require the consular fee to be paid and received at least two days prior to the appointment date. Careful planning is therefore essential.

3. Submitting the declaration and documents

On the day of the appointment:

• You attend the appointment at the Consulate or Comune (depending on whether you reside abroad or in Italy);
• You make a formal declaration to reacquire Italian Citizenship;
• You submit all the required documents in paper format, properly translated and legalised if applicable.

The legal effect of the reacquisition takes place the day after the declaration is made (not the day it is accepted or reviewed).

For assistance in preparing your documentation or further information, contact the Immigration Law Department at Boccadutri International Law Firm.

The Law firm constantly follows the developments related to the changes in the law on Citizenship iure sanguinis and in general on the changes to the ways to become Italian citizens.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

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