Guide

Italy's citizenship law change in 2025: what the decree changed for descent

Updated 2026-08-15

For a century Italy recognized descent with no generational limit. A single decree ended that in March 2025. What changed, who it affects, and what remains open.

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Question 1

Which country is your ancestor from?

Pick the strongest line if you have several: a closer generation almost always beats a more distant one.

The old rule, and why it mattered

What Decree-Law 36/2025 did: the generational limits

Two-generation limit: an applicant born abroad who holds another citizenship is treated as never having acquired Italian citizenship unless a parent or grandparent holds, or held at the time of death, only Italian citizenship, or a citizen parent was resident in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant's birth (consular page).
Conversion with amendments: Decree-Law 36 of 28 March 2025 was converted by Law 74 of 23 May 2025, in force from 24 May 2025.
Pending applications protected: applications booked and confirmed by 11:59pm Rome time on 27 March 2025 are assessed under the previous criteria, which is why booking and filing evidence has become valuable.
Higher fees: the consular application fee is EUR 600 for an applicant of legal age.
Litigation continues: the reform has been tested in the Italian courts since it was enacted; check the current state of the case law with an Italian citizenship lawyer before treating a claim as settled either way.

What to do depending on your line

Conditions and dates come from an Italian consulate's page, read on 22 October 2026 (consular page); the EUR 600 fee from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That Ministry and your consulate's instructions are the authority at any moment, and practice varies.

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Questions, answered directly

What are the new generational limits on Italian citizenship?

Under Decree-Law 36/2025, converted by Law 74 of May 23, 2025, a dual national born abroad needs a parent or grandparent holding (or at death holding) only Italian citizenship. Or a citizen parent lived in Italy two continuous years after becoming a citizen, before the birth. Bookings confirmed by 11:59pm Rome time on March 27, 2025 use the old rules.

Can I still get Italian citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Generally no for new applications: Decree-Law 36/2025, converted by Law 74/2025, limited recognition to a parent or grandparent born in Italy. Bookings confirmed by 11:59pm Rome time on 27 March 2025 use the old rules, and earlier court cases continue. The reform has been litigated since 2025: verify before abandoning a claim.

What is a 1948 case?

Before January 1, 1948, Italian citizenship passed only through fathers. Lines that depend on a woman transmitting citizenship before 1948 could not use the administrative route and instead won recognition through the Italian courts. The 2025 reforms sit on top of this: a 1948-case line must now also satisfy the new generational limits unless already filed.

Sources

This site's own datasets, every figure quoted from its source and dated:

The Descent Claim Cost and Wait carries 6 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 145 to 278 EUR, read 7 November 2026.
The Descent Eligibility Rules carries 3 published figures read from 3 sources' own pages, from 1,095 to 1,095 day, read 7 November 2026.

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