Getting Italian Citizenship By Descent in 2025
Got Italian parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents? If that’s the case, chances are that you can qualify for Italian Citizenship By Descent – and get an Italian Passport in the process.
In a world that’s increasingly facing environmental risks, social conflicts and outright wars, the value of a top-tier European passport cannot be emphasized enough. And if you and your family are of Italian descent, an Italian passport may well be within your reach.
Below, you will learn what Citizenship By Descent entails, how you can qualify for it, as well as what documents you’ll need to be able to prove your Italian ancestry.
And yes, the application process will take a couple of years to complete, but getting it done will be one of THE greatest gifts you can give yourself – not to mention your future children and their children…
So, let’s get into the details below…
ITALIAN ANCESTRAL CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM: KEY FACTS & STATS
Legal Basis: Jure Sanguinis (or “the right of blood” in Latin)
Italian Population: 58.94 million (2022)
Italian Diaspora Population: Over 6 million Italian citizens live outside Italy, and around 80 million around the world can claim at least partial Italian ancestry (estimated)
Generational Limit For Citizenship By Descent Applications: 2 Generations (recently reduced)
Dual Citizenship Recognized: Yes
Italian Language & Cultural Knowledge Requirement: None
List of Italian Consulates In The USA: Click Here
Caveat Emptor: The below content is provided as general information only, and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Everyone’s personal lineage and situation is different, and applying for Italian Citizenship By Descent tends to be a complex process. Always seek professional advice before making any decisions in this regard. And if you do NOT qualify for Italian citizenship, be sure to check out the Italian Golden Visa Program as well.
The Italian diaspora and the origins of Italy’s Citizenship By Descent Program
Italy is a spectacular country boasting a top passport. The country is part of both the European Union and the Schengen Area, and its passport offers visa-free access to over 160 countries, including the USA, UK and China.
Given how uncertain a place the world has become in 2024, having a second passport from one of the most livable countries in the world is a major asset. And passing this gift onto your children and grand-children – even more so.
But before we get into the program’s mechanics and how you can apply for Italian citizenship, it’s worth understanding where the country’s Citizenship By Descent Program came from. While Italian emigration happened in three distinct phases, poverty has been a key emigration driver throughout modern Italian history:
Phase I
Going back to the late 1880s, life in Southern Italy, in particular, was marked by abject poverty. The majority of the population in the South, including Sardinia and Sicily, were landless peasants, subjected to hunger, violence and exploitation. Malnutrition and disease were rife. And so staggering numbers of Italians upped sticks in search of work and a better life elsewhere. This was the first, so-called “bread and work” (or pane e lavoro, in Italian) migration wave.
It is estimated that between 1880 and 1924, more than 4 million Italians left their home country for the Americas. And today, Italians remain one of the largest ethnic groups in the USA. In Argentina alone, more than 30 million people can claim Italian ancestry – that’s a whopping 62% of the total population, and the estimated percentage used to be even higher.
You’ll even find people of Italian descent scattered, in significant numbers, across places as far-flung as Ethiopia, South Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Phase II
The second diaspora wave took place after the end of World War II, and lasted into the 1970s. And by 1980, it was estimated that a staggering 25 million Italians had settled outside of Italy.
Phase III
While the exodus of Italian nationals from the poor southern parts of the country never fully stopped, the 21st century brought a third new wave of Italian emigration; this time, in the form of a skilled brain drain. Young Italians, to this day, are leaving their place of birth for high-paying destinations like France, Germany, Canada, Australia, the USA and the UK.
Since the 1880s, millions of ethnic Italians lost their Italian citizenship, i.e. when naturalizing the US before August 16, 1992. And consequently, so did their descendants. And it is exactly these diaspora members – an estimated 80 MILLION of them – whom could benefit from reclaiming their Italian Citizenship By Descent…
Italy needs more Italians back home
As of 2024, the average population age in Italy is a greying 46.6 years, already spelling major trouble for Italy’s labor force and economic competitiveness. Hence, Italy, like so many other European countries facing a demographic crisis, created legislation enabling tens of millions of people with Italian blood to claim back their lost ancestral citizenship.
And while Article 1 of the Law of 1912 already served to recognize Italian citizenship through paternal lineage to the citizen’s children, regardless of their place of birth, a number of further legislative changes have created one of THE most attractive (and generous) Citizenship By Descent Programs in the world. You can find out more about the legal basis for Italian Citizenship By Descent here.
The country even introduced a range of attractive tax incentives, including the acclaimed €200K Italian Flat Tax Regime for new residents, which is ideally suited for High Net Worth Individuals seeking to optimize their global tax commitments.
Let’s take a look at the program’s mechanics and requirements below…
How can I qualify for Citizenship By Descent in Italy?
Italian Nationality Law is based on the principle of jus sanguinis (or the “right of blood”, in Latin). The legislation is fairly complex, and has historically featured a generous helping of sexual discrimination (more on this below).
Article 1 of Law no. 91/92 establishes that a person born to Italian parents is Italian, regardless of where they are born. A person born in Italy to non-Italian parents, however, is NOT an Italian (the so-called jus soli principle, or the “right of soil” in Latin).
While the jus soli principle is quite common in Latin America, in Western Europe it is not. However, a number of European countries offer conditional jus soli rules, which typically requires either one or both of the child’s parents to have lived in the country for a certain period at the time of the child’s birth.)
The key requirement for claiming your Italian Citizenship By Descent is to prove that one of your ancestors was an Italian citizen. This could be a parent, or a grandparent – but no longer a great-grandparent or earlier ancestor.
(Previously, there was technically no limit to how many generations back you can go to prove your Italian lineage, however your Italian ancestor who left the country cannot have died before March 17, 1861. This rule has now been amended, and the maximum limit is two generations back (i.e. either your parents, or your grandparents).
If your Italian ancestor was male:
- He must have been alive at the right time (e.g. he didn’t die before Italy was considered a country);
- Then, your lineage “chain” dating back to them must remain uninterrupted. This is to say, none of your male Italian ancestors must have renounced their native citizenship voluntarily, (or lost it by naturalizing in another country earlier than July 1, 1912, before passing it on to their next-in-line children. This is the date upon which the Italian Government passed the first Citizenship Law No.555/1912. The law allows descendants of Italian-born ancestors to claim Italian citizenship as long as the Italian Ancestor became a US citizen AFTER the birth of their child (or children) in the US, and after July 1, 1912.);
- If your Italian ancestor naturalized in another country BEFORE July 1, 1912, you won’t qualify for Italian citizenship even if your ancestor’s child was born before they naturalized. Prior to this date, when an Italian citizen naturalized in another country, they gave up their own Italian citizenship, as well as that of all of their minor children, regardless of which country they were born in…
If your Italian ancestor was female:
- You must have been born AFTER January 1, 1948, and your mother must not have renounced her Italian citizenship on (or prior) to the day you were born, nor lost it by naturalizing in another country;
- If your mother was NOT born in Italy, but her father or mother (i.e. your maternal grandfather or grandmother) was born in Italy and was a citizen of Italy when your mother was born, then you may be eligible for Italian Citizenship By Ancestry too – provided, again, that your date of birth was not before January 1, 1948. Nonetheless, since 1975, women have been able to re-acquire their Italian citizenship on an ex nunc (which means “from now on”) basis. This is done by submitting a formal declaration of re-acquisition to the appropriate Italian consular office. (Investigate Article 219 of Law 151/1975, referred to Article 17, clause 2 of Law 91/1992);
- A similar rule pattern applies where your Italian ancestor was a grandmother or even great-grandmother, but suffice to say that the legislative landscape is complex, having evolved over time.If you believe that your situation falls within this rather opaque area, we encourage you to get in touch for an eligibility assessment.
Applying for Italian Citizenship By Descent is NOT a DIY exercise.
It is important to note that the requirements outlined above barely scratches the surface, and only looks at the most “typical” scenarios. Varying rules apply in the case of adoptions, as a single example, and you and your family’s eligibility can greatly be impacted by your respective birth dates, as well as the dates of your Italian ancestor’s naturalization in other countries.
To give you a sense of the nuances – your Italian ancestry based citizenship application will fall into one of 5 main categories:
- Category 1 (Direct Descent): Your father was born in Italy, and was an Italian citizen at the moment of you were born, and you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship.
- Category 2 (Direct Descent): Your mother was born in Italy, and was an Italian citizen at the moment you were born, and your birth occurred AFTER January 1st 1948, and you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship.
- Category 3: Your father was born in the USA or another country (outside of Italy), your grandfather was Italian at the time of your father’s birth, and neither you nor your father ever renounced your rights to Italian Citizenship.
- Category 4: Your mother was born in the USA or another Country (apart from Italy), your grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of her birth and neither you, born after Jan. 1st 1948, nor your mother ever renounced your rights to Italian Citizenship.
- Category 5: Your direct paternal or maternal ancestors were born in the USA from Italian parents, and they never renounced their right to Italian citizenship.
Hence working with a specialized Italian immigration lawyer in applying is highly advisable. Moreover, in 2024, the process of applying for Italian Citizenship By Ancestry can take up to 4 years (or longer) to complete.
This timeline will not suit everyone. For example, if you’re planning to renounce your US citizenship, you may wish to expedite the process. This will require you to travel to Italy as a tourist, as outlined in “Circolare” n. 32 of June 13, 2007, and establish legal residency there on the basis of your intent to apply for Italian citizenship.
To qualify for this special residency path, you will have to have all the supporting documentation for your citizenship application ready and on hand upon arrival. Also note that you’ll have to rent a property long term (or buy one), as Airbnb bookings and similar short-term accommodation will NOT be accepted.
It is important to note that all your major documentation will have to be apostilled and translated into Italian. Your Italian citizenship lawyer will be able to advise on you the exact documentary requirements.
If this is not a feasible solution, and you’ve not been successful in booking an consular appointment for a number of years, you could also consider the following option: Depending on the gravity of your citizenship related situation, you could also approach the Italian courts on the basis of a “denial of justice” in dealing with the Italian consular authorities. However, especially in this instance, you’re going to require expert legal assistance.
If you are serious about getting your Italian ancestral citizenship and that coveted Italian passport, we encourage you to get in touch today.
The Italian Jus Sanguinis Citizenship Application Process At A Glance
Applying for Italian citizenship via an Italian consulate in your current home country…
* All Italian Citizenship by Descent (jure sanguinis) applications are subject to an application fee of €300. If you’re applying from the United States, this fee must be paid in USD at the relevant consulate, and the fee is subject to change every trimester. The current fee is valid until June 30, 2024, at $325.80.
This fee must be paid at the Consulate the day of the appointment. Also please note that this application fee is NON REFUNDABLE, regardless of the outcome of the petition.
Why Choose Our Ancestral Citizenship Services?
IN-COUNTRY PROGRAM EXPERTS
Work with a highly experienced team of Italian immigration law specialists based in Rome and Milan.
SEVERAL HUNDRED HAPPY CLIENTS
We’ve assisted scores of families of Italian descent in reclaiming their Italian ancestry citizenship.
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Even small mistakes can cost you literally years in delays. We help you avoid pitfalls and navigate complexity with speed and ease.
To get started on your Italian Citizenship By Descent application in 2025, contact us today.
Simply complete the below form to request contact from one of our senior program specialists.
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Email: contact@goldenvisas.it
Telephone: + 39 800 126 388
Address: Via Durini 25B, 20122, Milano, Italia
Web: www.goldenvisas.it
