Everything you need to understand Italian citizenship by descent.

Law 74/2025 (converting Decree-Law No. 36 of March 28, 2025) added Article 3-bis to Italy's citizenship law, limiting citizenship by descent (Jure Sanguinis) for people born abroad. Before this law, Italians could theoretically claim citizenship through ancestors going back many generations. For people born abroad who hold another citizenship, the law now requires a parent or grandparent who holds, or held at death, exclusively Italian citizenship, or a parent who lived in Italy for two continuous years after becoming a citizen and before the applicant's birth. Cases started by March 27, 2025 follow the old rules.

Decree-Law 36/2025 is dated March 28, 2025, and was converted by Law 74/2025, in force May 24, 2025. The cutoff is 11:59 PM Rome time on March 27, 2025. The old rules still apply if, by then, a complete application had been submitted, the consulate or municipality had communicated an appointment date to you (and you submit on that date), or a court case had been filed. Everything else follows Article 3-bis.

Possibly. A grandparent claim still works if that grandparent holds, or held at death, exclusively Italian citizenship. If your Italian-born grandparent naturalized as a U.S. or Canadian citizen before your birth (or before their death), they generally do not meet that test, even if they passed citizenship to your parent. The dates matter, so it's worth having them reviewed before you start collecting documents.

If your claim relies only on a great-grandparent or earlier ancestor, you generally cannot file a new application under current law, unless your case was started by the March 27, 2025 cutoff or your parent meets the two-year residence rule. The EU Court of Justice is reviewing the law (case C-816/26); its ruling could change this, but there is no guarantee. We recommend booking a free consultation to confirm your situation and review any possible grandfathering that might apply.

There are a few. A parent who lived in Italy for two continuous years after becoming a citizen and before your birth can qualify you. Former citizens born in Italy who lost citizenship by August 15, 1992 can reacquire it by declaration until December 31, 2027. Italy's Constitutional Court upheld the law in Judgment 63/2026 (April 2026), but in July 2026 it referred the EU-law question to the EU Court of Justice (case C-816/26), which is pending. The law remains in force meanwhile.

1948 cases (where citizenship was transmitted through a woman before 1948) are still processed through Italian courts and are subject to the same generational limits under Law 74/2025. If the female ancestor in your 1948 case is a grandparent, you may still be eligible. If she is a great-grandparent or earlier, the new generational limit applies. Book a consultation for an assessment of your specific 1948 case.