Reference
Italian Citizenship Glossary
The words you will meet on consulate checklists, court papers and our guides, explained in plain English.
Last updated: November 7, 2026
Written by Citizenship Italia · Legal review: Avv. Marta Pignatiello, Italian lawyer
Sources: Law 91/1992 · Italian Foreign Ministry
Last reviewed: November 7, 2026
Short answer (as of November 2026)
Italian citizenship by descent has its own vocabulary, much of it in Italian or Latin. This glossary explains the 28 terms our clients ask about most, with links to the full guide for each.
- Law: jure sanguinis, Article 3-bis, Law 74/2025, exclusively Italian citizenship
- Routes: administrative, judicial, ATQ, 1948 case
- Documents: apostille, certified and sworn translations, CONE, estratto
- Offices: consulate, comune, Prenot@mi, AIRE
The terms, grouped by topic
- Jure sanguinis (iure sanguinis)
- Latin for "by right of blood": citizenship passed from parent to child, rather than by place of birth. Italian citizenship by descent is recognized on this basis. Read more
- Article 3-bis
- The rule added to Italy's citizenship law (Law 91/1992) in 2025. A person born abroad with another citizenship is treated as never having been Italian unless an exception applies, such as a parent or grandparent who held exclusively Italian citizenship. Read more
- Law 74/2025
- The law of May 23, 2025 that converted Decree-Law 36/2025 of March 28, 2025, which introduced Article 3-bis. Read more
- Law 91/1992
- Italy's main citizenship law, in force since August 16, 1992. It allows dual citizenship and, since 2025, contains Article 3-bis.
- Exclusively Italian citizenship
- Holding Italian citizenship and no other. Since 2025, a parent or grandparent with exclusively Italian citizenship is the main way for people born abroad to qualify. Read more
- Grandfathered case
- A case started under the old rules by 11:59 PM Rome time on March 27, 2025: a complete application filed, an appointment date given and then attended with a complete file, or a court case filed. Read more
- Line (lineage)
- The chain of births and marriages from your Italian-born ancestor down to you. Every link must be proven with records.
- 1948 case
- A court case for citizenship through an Italian woman whose child was born before January 1, 1948, which consulates do not recognize. Read more
- Minor issue
- Whether a child lost Italian citizenship when an Italian parent naturalized abroad while the child was a minor. Largely resolved for U.S.-born children by the Court of Cassation in July 2026. Read more
- ATQ ("against the queue")
- The English nickname for a court action asking an Italian judge to declare you a citizen, often used when consulate appointments were unavailable. In Italian: azione di accertamento dello stato di cittadino italiano. Read more
- Administrative route
- Recognition through a public office: the consulate for where you live abroad, or the comune if you live in Italy. Read more
- Judicial route
- Recognition through a lawsuit in an Italian court, filed by an Italian lawyer. Read more
- Consulate (consolato)
- Italy's office for a region abroad. U.S. applicants apply at the consulate for the area where they live. Read more
- Prenot@mi
- The online booking system most Italian consulates use for appointments, including citizenship appointments. Read more
- Comune
- An Italian municipality. The comune's civil records office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) holds birth, marriage and death records. Read more
- Estratto per copia integrale
- A full-copy extract of an Italian civil record. It is the format most applicants request for an ancestor's birth or marriage record. Read more
- Portale Antenati
- The Italian Ministry of Culture's free archive of digitized civil records. Useful for finding records; the images have no legal value. Read more
- Apostille
- A certificate, under the 1961 Hague Convention, that authenticates a public document for use in another member country. U.S. records need one from the issuing state. Read more
- Certified translation
- An Italian translation of a foreign record, signed by a professional translator who certifies it is complete and accurate. Read more
- Sworn translation (traduzione asseverata)
- A translation sworn before an Italian court office, usually required for Italian court cases. Read more
- Naturalization
- Becoming a citizen of another country by application. The date matters: an ancestor who naturalized before their child was born generally could not pass on Italian citizenship. Read more
- CONE (certificate of non-existence)
- A USCIS letter stating that no naturalization record was found for a person, used to show an ancestor never naturalized. Read more
- AIRE
- The registry of Italians resident abroad (Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all'Estero). Italian citizens living abroad must register.
- Contributo unificato
- The court fee for an Italian lawsuit. For citizenship cases it is €600 per claimant since January 1, 2025. Read more
- Reacquisition
- A declaration that lets certain former Italian citizens regain citizenship. The current window runs from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027. Read more
- Minor's declaration
- The procedure by which an Italian parent by birth secures citizenship for a minor child born abroad. For many children the deadline is May 31, 2029. Read more
- Central office (Law 11/2026)
- The Foreign Ministry office that will handle recognition applications from adults living abroad from January 1, 2029, instead of consulates. Read more
- Case C-816/26
- The EU Court of Justice case, referred by Italy's Constitutional Court in July 2026, on whether the 2025 law is compatible with EU law. Read more
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Sources
- Law 91/1992 on Italian citizenship (Normattiva)
- Decree-Law 36/2025 as converted by Law 74/2025 (Normattiva)
- Italian Foreign Ministry: citizenship
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and consulate practice change; check the official sources or ask us before acting.
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