Italian Citizenship by Descent – Ministry of Interior’s 2025 Circular on Law 74/2025
Overview of the 2025 Reform and Circular Guidance
In May 2025, Italy enacted Law 74/2025, a reform of citizenship law that significantly changed how Italian citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis) is recognized for individuals born abroad. The core principle introduced by the reform (via a new Article 3-bis of Law 91/1992) is that children born outside Italy do not automatically acquire Italian citizenship at birth just because one parent is Italian, unless specific conditions are met.On 28 May 2025, the Ministry of the Interior issued Circular no. 26185. to provide guidance on applying these new rules, ensuring consistent implementation by consulates and municipal offices. This page focuses on one key aspect of that guidance: Article 3-bis, paragraph 1, letter (c) of Law 91/1992 (as amended) – the rule concerning “exclusively” Italian ascendants and how it affects cases where a parent in the lineage renounced Italian citizenship before their child’s birth.
Together, these measures have completely transformed the framework of recognition by descent (iure sanguinis), introducing a more restrictive and evidence-driven system that affects both practitioners and applicants across the world.
Until this reform, the principle of ius sanguinis operated with almost automatic effect: “the child of an Italian citizen is Italian from birth.” It was sufficient to demonstrate uninterrupted descent from an Italian ancestor through official records. There was no generational limit, and millions of descendants of Italians abroad — often several generations removed — relied on this rule to obtain recognition. Today, that simplicity no longer exists.
The End of Automatic Citizenship for Those Born Abroad
Under the new Article 3-bis of Law No. 91/1992, any person born abroad who already holds another nationality is now deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship, unless one of a few specific exceptions applies. This single rule reverses decades of established interpretation. To be recognised as Italian today, an applicant must prove that they fall within one of the statutory exceptions listed in letters (a) to (d) of Article 3-bis.
Who Is Still Eligible
You may still qualify for recognition if your case meets one of the following conditions:
– Applications submitted before 27 March 2025: If you had already filed your citizenship application or received confirmation of an appointment with the consulate or an Italian municipality before that date, your case will continue under the old legal framework. These applicants benefit from a transitional safeguard that preserves their rights under the previous system.
– Exclusive Italian parent or grandparent: If one of your parents or grandparents was exclusively Italian (that is, held only Italian nationality) when you were born and the transmission of citizenship has never been interrupted, you may still be recognised as an Italian citizen. This exception is narrow and requires formal proof, such as negative naturalisation certificates and other verified records.
– Parent’s residence in Italy: If one of your parents lived in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before your birth, the presumption of non-acquisition does not apply. This rule is designed to protect families with a recent, tangible connection to Italy.
New Procedures Introduced by the Reform
The 2025 reform also introduced new avenues for recognition and acquisition of citizenship:
– Special procedure for minors: A temporary window is open until 31 May 2026 for minors under 18 as of 24 May 2025, whose parents are Italian by birth. They may acquire citizenship through a simplified declaration process, subject to an administrative contribution of €250.
– Reacquisition for former Italians: Those who were born in Italy or lived there for at least two years and lost citizenship before 16 August 1992 under the 1912 law (Law No. 555/1912) can now regain it through a simple declaration made between 1 July 2025 and 31 December 2027. This measure offers a form of historical reparation for individuals who automatically lost citizenship because Italy once prohibited dual nationality.
– Naturalisation for descendants: For descendants who cannot claim citizenship by descent, Article 9 of Law 91/1992 now allows an application for naturalisation after only two years of legal residence in Italy (reduced from three), provided they have a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen by birth.
Increased Administrative Demands and Evidentiary Requirements
The Circular instructs all civil-status officers and consular officials to verify every element of an applicant’s lineage. Each generation must be examined to ensure that citizenship was never lost before the next child’s birth. If an interruption is found — for example, if a parent renounced or lost Italian citizenship before the applicant was born — the application must be denied with a formal decision.
Applicants are now required to produce extensive documentation: birth and marriage certificates for all generations, certificates of non-naturalisation or non-renunciation from foreign authorities, official translations, and legalisations or apostilles where applicable. Consulates and municipalities have no discretion to accept incomplete files. Even minor inconsistencies in dates or spellings can lead to delays or rejection.
The Human Side of the Reform
For legal practitioners, this reform demands deeper investigation and precise interpretation. For ordinary applicants, however, it has made the process dauntingly complex. Gathering multi-jurisdictional documents, arranging sworn translations, and securing an appointment at an Italian consulate — often after months or years of waiting — can feel overwhelming. Many applicants fear that one procedural misstep could invalidate their efforts entirely.
The reality is that Italian citizenship law, already complex before the reform, has now become an intricate web of exceptions, deadlines, and evidentiary thresholds. Even for professionals, navigating it requires close familiarity with both administrative practice and the subtle distinctions introduced by the Circular.
How Professional Guidance Can Help
Understanding and managing an application for Italian citizenship under the new 2025 reform is anything but straightforward. The recent changes have made the system highly technical and demanding, even for experienced professionals. Each case must be assessed in light of your family’s personal history, the dates and circumstances in which citizenship may have been lost or transmitted, and the specific rules applied by the Italian consulate or municipality responsible for your file. Even a minor discrepancy in a certificate or translation can determine whether an application is accepted or refused.
For this reason, relying on qualified assistance is essential. The reform has introduced stricter evidentiary standards, new procedural categories, and narrow transitional windows — all of which must be interpreted and applied correctly from the very beginning. A single omission or misunderstanding of the requirements may result in long delays or an outright rejection.
MMW Europe offers specialised legal and procedural support for individuals and families seeking Italian citizenship:
– Identifying the correct legal route for your situation, whether recognition by descent, reacquisition, benefit-of-law acquisition, or residence-based naturalisation.
– Reconstructing and verifying family lineage, ensuring that the line of citizenship has never been interrupted.
– Collecting, authenticating, translating, and legalising all necessary documents in full conformity with ministerial and consular standards.
– Preparing and presenting your application accurately and professionally to the competent Italian authorities, with clear guidance at every stage.
Italian citizenship continues to be a right for many, but it is now a right that must be claimed with care, accuracy, and method. If you are unsure how to begin or which option applies to your case, reach out to our experts and we will analyse your circumstances, explain the applicable rules, and guide you step by step so that your application rests on solid legal and procedural foundations.