IT
Italy · Cittadinanza Italiana Jure Sanguinis · Citizenship by Descent · processing 365-1095 days
Italian citizenship by descent through bloodline. Under Article 3-bis of Law 91/1992, a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is generally considered never to have acquired Italian citizenship unless a statutory exception applies. The main exceptions cover a parent or grandparent who holds, or held at death, exclusively Italian citizenship; a parent who lived in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the applicant's birth or adoption; and qualifying applications, court proceedings or appointments submitted, begun or scheduled by March 27, 2025. The 1948 rule still applies: maternal-line descent before January 1, 1948 requires a court case.
The transitional rule covers qualifying recognition requests filed by March 27, 2025 and appointments scheduled by that date, subject to the statutory wording and subsequent interpretation. The Constitutional Court's Judgment 142/2025 concerned whether the pre-reform framework had to be limited; it did not decide the constitutionality of the 2025 reform. Judgment 63/2026 rejected the challenge to applying Article 3-bis to people born abroad before the reform, subject to its listed exceptions. Adult consular recognition applications carry a €600 fee from January 1, 2025. The €600 court filing fee previously recorded for 1948 cases is not verified as a standard charge and is omitted; court costs vary by case and venue. The adult-consular fee does not establish court costs or a single in-country administrative fee. The official administrative processing limit is 730 days; actual scheduling/backlog times vary by consulate.
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 9, 2026 Source
removed the unverified universal €600 court filing claim and documented the official €600 adult consular fee (consparigi.esteri.it).
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