If you’re trying to get Italian citizenship in 2025, you need to understand the updated Italian citizenship requirements. These rules help determine who qualifies, including whether you qualify for Italian citizenship based on your specific circumstances, and how you should apply, whether you’re applying by descent, residency, or marriage.

This guide covers all the major paths to citizenship, what documents you’ll need—including the necessary documents required for each pathway—and how recent changes may affect you. It also explains the importance of preparing a comprehensive citizenship application to improve your chances of success. It also includes tips many applicants overlook, helping you avoid delays and dead ends.

Overview of Italian Citizenship

Jure Sanguinis (right of blood)

Most people who apply for Italian citizenship do so through their bloodline. If you have an Italian ancestor, and the citizenship was passed down without breaks, you could qualify.

Jure sanguinis means you inherit citizenship from an Italian parent, grandparent, or earlier ancestor. It doesn’t matter where you were born.

The (non) Ius Soli 

Italy doesn’t grant citizenship just because you were born there . However, if you were born in Italy and had resided there legally from birth to age 18, you can apply once you turn 18. The circumstances of a child’s birth can also affect eligibility for citizenship; for example, stateless persons born in Italy may acquire citizenship automatically at birth.

Your parents must have been foreign citizens with legal residence in Italy for your entire childhood. You must apply within a year after turning 18.

Benefits of Italian and EU citizenship

Italian citizenship gives you access to live and work anywhere in the EU. Italian dual citizenship allows you to reside in any EU country and enjoy the rights provided by the European Union, such as free movement, voting, and work opportunities. You can also get healthcare and education in EU countries, including access to high-quality health care.

You’ll be able to pass citizenship to your children. You can own property in Italy with fewer restrictions, and holding an Italian passport offers significant advantages for travel and residency within the EU and beyond.

Dual citizenship considerations

Italy allows dual citizenship. This means you can hold Italian citizenship together with another nationality, and holding dual citizenship is permitted under Italian law.

Some countries don’t allow dual nationality. If you acquire foreign citizenship, you may lose your original status, so it’s important to understand the implications of being a dual citizen before applying. Check your home country’s rules before applying.

 

Types of Italian citizenship applications

Italian citizenship by descent (Jure Sanguinis)

This is the most common route for people with Italian ancestry. Individuals of Italian origin can often qualify for citizenship by descent, provided they can prove their lineage through proper documentation. This pathway is pursued by many seeking to obtain citizenship through their ancestral ties.

Eligibility criteria

The ancestor must not have passed away before March 17, 1861, and must have emigrated to the United States after that date.

They must have been an Italian citizen when their child was born. If they gave up their Italian citizenship before that, the chain is broken.

If your ancestor became a citizen of another country before their child’s birth, you may not qualify.

No one in your direct family line must have renounced their Italian citizenship before August 16, 1992. That date marks a change in Italian law regarding renunciation.

Female ancestors and the 1948 Rule

Before 1948, Italian women couldn’t pass on citizenship to their children. If your ancestor or descendant is a woman who gave birth before 1948, you’ll need to file in the Italian court.

The court process is done in Italy but doesn’t require you to be there. You’ll need a lawyer to handle the case.

This process takes time and careful paperwork. It’s often the only path if you descend from a pre-1948 Italian mother or grandmother.

Generational limits (Law 74/2025)

Law 74/2025 may introduce a rule limiting descent-based claims to two generations. If this passes, only children and grandchildren of Italian citizens may qualify.

This law could impact many future applications. Judicial petitions (court cases) remain valid and are now the only viable route for those beyond the second generation or affected by other restrictions (e.g., maternal line before 1948).

Required documentation

Ideally, you’ll need birth, marriage, and death records for each person in your family line. Birth certificates are essential documents, as they establish identity and eligibility for Italian citizenship.

If someone naturalized in another country, you need proof of when and where that happened—or that it didn’t happen.

However, the application process can still be initiated with just the birth certificate, while additional documents can be collected and submitted later as needed.

All foreign documents must be translated into Italian and legalized. Be sure to include documentation for all relevant family members, such as children and spouses, as their records are required for the application process. Most countries use the Apostille system, but some require consular stamps.

Application process

Until recently, many believed that applying for Italian citizenship was a matter of patience, waiting years for a consular appointment or moving to Italy in hopes of faster processing. But 2025 changed everything. With the approval of Decree-Law No. 36/2025, consular and municipal applications have been drastically restricted, especially for third-generation descendants and beyond. 

For thousands of people with Italian ancestry, the door to citizenship through traditional channels has effectively closed. The good news? There’s still a powerful and fully legal alternative: the court petition. Unlike consulates, the Italian judiciary continues to recognize citizenship as a constitutional right, and legal precedent is firmly on your side. 

At Aprigliano Law Firm, this is our arena. With over 800 successful cases and a 99% win rate, we guide clients around the world through the judicial route: efficiently, confidently, and entirely from abroad. In a moment when the window of opportunity is rapidly narrowing, waiting is no longer an option. Filing through the courts today may be your last, best chance to secure your Italian citizenship on your terms.

Italian citizenship by residency (naturalization)

This is for people who have lived in Italy for several years with a valid residence permit, which is required to legally stay and work in the country. After holding a residence permit for a certain period, individuals may become eligible for permanent residence, which is often a necessary step before applying for citizenship, depending on the specific legal requirements.

This pathway is designed for foreign nationals who want to become citizens. Foreign nationals must meet specific requirements, such as a minimum period of legal residency, before obtaining citizenship through residency.

General residency requirements

Non-EU citizens must live in Italy for 10 years. EU citizens only need 4 years.

The stay must be legal and uninterrupted. Residents are also required to pay taxes as part of their legal obligations during this period. Tourist or student visas don’t count toward the full status.

Residency and Anagrafe registration

Your residency must be recorded with the local office called Anagrafe. This proves how long you’ve lived in Italy.

Missing registrations can delay or ruin your application.

Financial requirements

You must show stable income. Italy looks at tax records and job contracts to check if you can support yourself.

The exact income amount changes each year. It’s usually tied to minimum wage or national income standards.

Language requirement

You must pass a B1-level Italian language test unless exempt. Law 74/2025 may allow exemptions in special cases.

The B1 level means you can hold basic conversations and understand everyday Italian.

Required documents

You need your birth certificate, criminal background checks from all countries you’ve lived in, proof of residency, and tax documents.

Everything must be translated into Italian and legalized.

Italian citizenship by marriage

Marrying an Italian citizen gives you a path to citizenship. Under Italian law, foreign spouses of Italian citizens have the right to apply for citizenship, with the process designed to ensure equality regardless of gender and to allow personal choice in acquiring citizenship.

Time requirement

If you live in Italy, you can apply after 2 years of marriage. If you live abroad, you must wait 3 years.

These periods are cut in half if you have children together.

Legal and registered marriage

Your marriage must be legally valid and registered with Italy. If you married abroad, it must be recorded by the Italian government.

Language requirement

You must pass a B1 Italian language test, even if your spouse is Italian.

Clean criminal record

You can’t have serious criminal convictions. Minor offenses may still delay your application.

Required documents

You’ll need your marriage certificate, birth certificate, criminal records, and language certificate.

Italian citizenship for minor children

Some children acquire citizenship automatically. Children adopted by an Italian citizen are subject to the same criteria as those acquiring citizenship by jure sanguinis.

Automatic citizenship from parents

Children born to at least one Italian parent are Italian citizens automatically, even if born abroad.

Citizenship through adoption

Adopted minors gain Italian citizenship if adopted by an Italian citizen, no matter their birthplace.

Children born in Italy to foreign parents

If a child is born in Italy and lives there legally until 18, they can apply within a year after turning 18. The parents’ foreign citizenship does not automatically grant the child Italian citizenship at birth, but the child may become eligible based on continuous legal residence in Italy.

Cohabiting with a parent who gains citizenship

If a minor lives with a parent who becomes an Italian citizen, the child can also get citizenship.

 

Important changes in 2025

The year 2025 brings big legal shifts for Italian citizenship. This is especially true for those applying through family ties. Some rules are also stricter now.

Law 74/2025: the “Real Connection” requirement

Law 74/2025 started on May 24, 2025. It came from Decree-Law No. 36/2025 on March 28, 2025. This law greatly changes how jure sanguinis (by descent) applications work.

1. Generational limits on descent
   Italian citizenship by descent used to have no generation limits. People could claim citizenship through very old Italian relatives. Now, citizenship by descent usually only applies if your parent or grandparent was born in Italy. This means claims through great-grandparents or older relatives are not automatic. The law now wants a “real connection” to Italy.
   
   A “real connection” means a strong tie to Italy. This can be a direct link from a parent or grandparent. This relative must have been an Italian citizen. They must not have had any other citizenship at that time. It can also be if a parent lived in Italy for at least two years after getting citizenship. This must have happened before your birth or adoption. People born in Italy do not have these restrictions.
   
   There are rules for applications already in progress. Applications sent by March 27, 2025, with all papers, will follow the old rules. If you had a confirmed appointment before March 27, 2025, you might still apply under the old rules. This applies even if your appointment is later.
   
   The law also has rules for children who are not yet adults. Italian parents can ask for citizenship for their children under 18. This must be done by May 31, 2026. For new babies, applications must be filed within their first year.
2. Importantly, those who no longer qualify under the new generational limits introduced by Law 74/2025 can still pursue Italian citizenship through the courts. Judicial petitions remain fully valid and effective. Unlike consulates and municipalities, Italian courts are not subject to the restrictive generational rules, and they continue to recognize citizenship by descent as a constitutional right. In fact, Italian case law has repeatedly upheld the principle that citizenship transmitted at birth—especially through jure sanguinis—cannot be denied retroactively or arbitrarily restricted. These court precedents offer a strong legal foundation for applicants who would otherwise be excluded under the administrative process.
3. At Aprigliano Law Firm, we firmly believe that Law 74/2025 is not in line with the Italian Constitution. While the law claims to require a “real connection” to Italy, in reality it does the opposite, it weakens that connection, especially for descendants who have preserved their Italian heritage across generations despite living abroad.

Rather than strengthening the bond between Italy and its global diaspora, this law risks severing it. It excludes families who have maintained Italian traditions, language, and identity for decades, people who are Italian not just by blood, but by culture and history.

We are here to fight for your rights, inalienable rights, grounded in constitutional principles and decades of legal precedent. Citizenship is not a privilege granted at the discretion of changing governments; it is a birthright when passed down through bloodline, and the courts have consistently recognized that truth. At Aprigliano Law Firm, we are committed to defending that right, for you and for your family.

Applying through the AliCitizenship Portal? Let us handle it for you.

While Italy is shifting toward online applications through the AliCitizenship portal, the process can be challenging—especially if you live abroad. Access requires a SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale), which is often difficult to obtain without an Italian ID or legal residency. 

However, it’s important to note that the AliCittadinanza portal applies exclusively to applications for Italian citizenship by residency or marriage, it does not cover citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis).

That’s where we come in.
At Aprigliano Law Firm, we manage the entire application process, especially for citizenship by descent on your behalf—no SPID, no Italian residency, and no bureaucratic frustration needed. You don’t have to figure out Italian digital IDs, book appointments, or navigate unclear government portals.

Why apply through Aprigliano Law Firm instead of doing it alone?

✔  No SPID required – We represent you directly through our legal credentials.
✔ Faster and safer – We file your case through the most effective legal route, including court petitions if needed.
✔ No Italian residency needed – We assist clients living anywhere in the world.
✔ Full legal protection – Applications submitted through us are tailored for success, avoiding mistakes that lead to rejections or delays.
✔ Track your progress – We keep you updated at every stage, from document collection to final recognition.
✔ Full assistance in English – Clear guidance, no language barrier, and total transparency.
✔ You stay home – we work in Italy for you.

Higher application fees

Starting January 1, 2025, the government fees for Italian citizenship applications are higher.

1. Jure Sanguinis (Descent)
   The fee for citizenship by descent is now €600 per applicant. This fee does not come back to you.
2. Naturalization (Residency and Marriage)
   The fee for citizenship by naturalization (residency and marriage) is usually €250.
3. Court Applications
   For court applications, the court fee is now €600 per person asking. This includes “1948 cases.” These are court cases for citizenship through a mother’s line. This is when the child was born before January 1, 1948. This fee is now per person, not per case.

The great help of Legal Assistance

Italian citizenship laws are getting more complex. They keep changing. So, getting help from experienced lawyers like Aprigliano is very important.

1. Understanding eligibility
   A lawyer can tell you exactly if you qualify under the new Law 74/2025. They can explain the generation limits. 
2. Paper collection and checking
   Lawyers can guide you through getting the right papers. This process can be hard. They help make sure all papers are complete. This includes birth, marriage, death, and non-naturalization certificates. They confirm these papers are properly legalized, apostilled, and translated as Italy requires.
3. Handling tricky issues
   Legal help is very important for these situations.
   • Court Cases: For court applications, a lawyer’s knowledge of Italian court rules is key. This includes “1948 cases” or cases with document mistakes. They can speak for you in court. They can handle all the legal details.
   • Uncommon situations: Any application that is not straightforward can benefit from legal help. This includes name differences, divorces, adoptions, or complex family trees. A lawyer can stop delays or rejections.
   • Appeals: If your application is turned down, a lawyer can tell you about appeals. They can also help you pursue them.

Staying current
Citizenship laws can be read in different ways. They can also have new rules added. Lawyers stay up-to-date on the newest rules, court decisions, and law changes. This makes sure your application follows the latest rules.

 

Other main requirements to remember for 2025

The main focus is on new changes. But key rules for different citizenship paths still stand.

1. Language ability (for citizenship by marriage/residency)
   For citizenship by marriage (jure matrimonii) or by residency (naturalization), you usually need to speak Italian at a B1 level. You need a certified test for this.
2. Residency times (for Citizenship by residency)
   • Non-EU Citizens: You usually need to live legally in Italy for 10 years without a break.
   • EU Citizens: You usually need to live legally in Italy for 4 years without a break.
3. Criminal record checks Everyone who applies must show a clean criminal record. This is from their home country. It is also from any other countries where they have lived. This includes Italy if they lived there.
   
4. Money stability (for residency/marriage) For citizenship by residency or marriage, you usually need to show you have a steady income. This income must be above a certain amount.
   

Final thoughts on Italian citizenship requirements for 2025

Italian citizenship rules are always moving, 2025 brings many big changes. Some ways to get citizenship are now harder, especially for older ancestors. But there are also new chances. Getting through these updates well needs great care. For many, it needs the very helpful aid of a special Italian law firm like Aprigliano.

We want to help you know if you can apply. We will guide you every step to get your Italian citizenship. Take the first step today. Visit our eligibility page to see if you qualify .