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ItalyRecognition of citizenship by descentLimited

Citizenship by descent in Italy

Recognition of the Italian citizenship a person inherited from an Italian ancestor. The application is examined by the Italian consulate in the applicant's country of residence abroad, so there is no need to move or obtain a residence permit. What decides the case is proven descent and the ancestor's civil status at the time the next descendant in the chain was born — the right bypasses naturalisation and residence requirements. For now consulates accept a limited number of applications, and intake will later move to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome — check the rules before filing.

Visa term
indefinite
Renewal: no
Threshold
The consular fee is EUR 600. It is not refunded, even if recognition is refused.

Source: Consolato d'Italia a Brisbane — Citizenship by descent and adoption

Who falls under the transitional period and who under the new conditions

The date of the consular appointment booking relative to 27 March 2025 divides applicants into two groups with different requirements.

Booked an appointment before the reform

  • Filed an application or received a confirmed appointment date from the consulate before 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025
  • The case is examined under the rules in force before the reform, without the new conditions on ancestors and residence in Italy
  • The same applies to people born in Italy and to those who hold no other citizenship and cannot acquire one — the new restrictions do not extend to them

Files an application after 24 May 2025

  • Born abroad, holds another citizenship and did not manage to book an appointment before 27 March 2025
  • Must prove one of two conditions: a parent or grandparent holds — or held at the time of death — Italian citizenship only; or a parent, including an adoptive parent, lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant's birth or adoption
  • The single-citizenship condition is checked only for parents and grandparents — a more distant ancestor does not count for it

When this programme will not suit you

You were once an Italian citizen and lost the citizenship no later than 15 August 1992 on acquiring the citizenship of another country

Reacquisition of citizenship for former citizens: declarations are accepted from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2027, the consular fee is EUR 250

You are not the descendant of an Italian but the spouse of an Italian citizen

Citizenship by marriage (iure matrimonii) — a separate procedure with its own conditions and documents

Your ancestor naturalised in another country before the next descendant in the chain was born

The chain of transmission of citizenship by descent is broken and recognition is impossible — consider a residence permit for work, family reunification or other grounds

You need a decision quickly, not an examination that may legally take up to three years

Residence permit programmes with shorter processing times will solve the task faster than recognition of citizenship by descent

Documents to gather

Documents are gathered for the whole chain: the Italian ancestor, every direct-line descendant and the applicant.

  • An extract of the Italian ancestor's birth record from the Italian comune where they were born
  • Marriage, divorce and death certificates of the ancestor, where applicable
  • A certificate from the foreign authorities that the ancestor did not naturalise before the next descendant in the chain was born, or giving the date of naturalisation
  • Birth and marriage certificates of every direct-line descendant, including the applicant, and the applicant's divorce decree, where applicable
  • A consular certificate that neither the ancestors nor the applicant renounced Italian citizenship
  • Proof of residence in the consular district
  • Under the new rules — proof of one of the conditions: certificates that the parent or grandparent held no other citizenship or renounced it, or a historical certificate of the parent's two years of residence in Italy
  • Apostille and a certified translation into Italian for all foreign documents

How the process runs

How recognition of citizenship by descent proceeds at the consulate.

  1. 1

    Booking an appointment through the Prenot@mi system

    The applicant books an appointment date at the consulate of their place of residence through the online Prenot@mi system — without a booking the application will not be accepted. Until the end of 2028 each consulate accepts a limited number of applications a year, and there may be no free dates: in Brisbane, for example, all dates for 2026 and 2027 are already taken.

  2. 2

    Filing the application and documents in person

    The applicant attends the consulate in person and hands in the application with the complete set of documents on the ancestor and on themselves; a separate procedure applies to minors. All originals stay at the consulate and are not returned.

  3. 3

    Payment of the consular fee

    The EUR 600 fee is paid on filing. The law makes it compulsory regardless of the outcome — the money is not refunded, even if recognition is refused.

  4. 4

    Examination of the case by the consulate

    up to 36 months

    The consulate checks the chain of descent and the authenticity of the documents. For new applications the law allows up to 36 months for this, for earlier ones up to 730 days. The authority may request further documents.

  5. 5

    Decision and registration with the Italian comune

    The reply arrives at the applicant's email address. On a positive decision the details are sent to the Italian comune, where the applicant is entered in the register of civil status records — from that moment the citizenship is recognised.

Timelines and rights

Work

Once recognised, the person works in Italy as a citizen: no residence permit and no work authorisation are needed.

Residence

Living in Italy is not required for recognition — the application is filed at the consulate in the country of residence abroad. Two years of residence in Italy are required of the citizen parent where recognition proceeds on that ground.

Who you can bring with you

Separate rules apply to children who do not acquire citizenship automatically.

Children born abroad without automatic transmission of citizenship
If at least one of the parents is an Italian citizen by birth, both parents or the guardian file a declaration in person at the consulate within three years of the child's birth; if the parents attend separately, the date of the second declaration counts. The child acquires citizenship from the day after the declaration, not from birth — this is not citizenship by descent. Since 1 January 2026 the declaration is free of charge
Children under the transitional rules (who were minors on 24 May 2025)
Applies where the parent was recognised as a citizen on an application, appointment booking or court claim made before 27 March 2025. The declaration is filed at the consulate by 31 May 2029: by the parents, or by the child themselves once they have turned 18. Since 1 January 2026 the declaration is free of charge
Relatives descending from the same ancestor
Several family members descending from one ancestor file separate applications but may use a shared set of documents on the ancestor, provided they all belong to the same consular district

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

There is no need to go through a residence permit and permanent residence: citizenship is recognised directly, bypassing the residence permit.

Route to citizenship

Applicants born abroad who hold another citizenship must meet one of the conditions: a parent or grandparent holds — or held at the time of death — Italian citizenship only; or a citizen parent lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant's birth. A more distant ancestor with a single citizenship does not qualify.

Frequently asked questions about Citizenship by descent

How much does it cost to apply for recognition of citizenship by descent?
The consular fee is EUR 600. It is paid on filing and is not refunded, even if recognition is refused: the fee is compulsory by law and does not guarantee a positive outcome.
What happens if I did not manage to book an appointment before 27 March 2025?
The application is examined under the new rules of law 74/2025. Anyone born abroad who holds another citizenship must prove one of two conditions: a parent or grandparent holds — or held at the time of death — Italian citizenship only; or a parent, including an adoptive parent, lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant's birth or adoption. The previous rules apply to those who filed an application or received a confirmed appointment date from the consulate before 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025.
How is citizenship passed to minor children where it does not transfer automatically?
Since 24 May 2025 such children have a separate route: if at least one of the parents is an Italian citizen by birth, the parents file a declaration in person at the consulate within three years of the child's birth. Under the transitional rules, for those who were still minors on 24 May 2025 the declaration can be filed by 31 May 2029. Since 1 January 2026 these declarations are free of charge, and the child acquires citizenship from the day after the declaration, not from birth.
How long does the consulate take to decide?
For new applications the law allows up to 36 months for examination — this is set by article 10 of Legislative Decree No. 71 of 3 February 2011; previously the term was 730 days. The reply arrives by email; on a positive decision the details are sent to the Italian comune for registration in the register of civil status records. From 1 January 2029 applications from adults living abroad will be accepted only by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, and they will be filed by post.
If I was previously an Italian citizen and lost the citizenship, does this programme suit me?
No, a separate procedure for reacquiring citizenship applies to former citizens. Declarations are accepted from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2027, and the consular fee is EUR 250. It is open to those born in Italy or who lived there for at least two consecutive years and lost their citizenship no later than 15 August 1992 on acquiring the citizenship of another country: voluntarily, automatically followed by renouncing Italian citizenship, or as a minor together with a parent. Citizenship is restored from the day after the declaration, not retrospectively, and it does not pass to children or grandchildren through this procedure.

Other ways to move to Italy

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Italy.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 9 October 2026.