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2 programs for Italy. Explore the options and get an expert assessment.
Italy recognises citizenship through Italian ancestry. A 2025 reform (Law 74/2025) tightened the rules, introducing generational limits and new conditions, so claims based on a distant ancestor are no longer automatically sufficient. Anyone exploring this route should treat the post-reform rules as the current framework and verify their specific lineage.
Non-EU nationals who have legally resided in Italy for the required period — generally ten years — may apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation. The Prefecture of residence assesses the application and forwards it to the Ministry of the Interior, with citizenship granted by Presidential Decree.
Under Law 74/2025, recognition is generally limited to people with a parent or grandparent who was born in Italy, replacing the previous unlimited generational chain.
Non-EU nationals generally need ten years of legal residence in Italy, while EU citizens generally need four years, and these periods are shorter for some special categories.
Non-EU nationals generally need ten years of legal residence in Italy, while EU citizens generally need four years, and these periods are shorter for some special categories.
A frequent mistake is assuming the old unlimited-generation rules still apply; many cases that worked before now fail the parent-or-grandparent test introduced in 2025.
Italy recognises citizenship through Italian ancestry, but a 2025 reform (Law 74/2025) introduced generational limits and new conditions, so distant-ancestor claims are no longer automatically sufficient. Anyone exploring this route should treat the post-reform rules as the current framework.
Beyond the residence period, you generally need a clean criminal record, sufficient documented income, and B1-level Italian language proficiency.
Non-EU nationals who have legally resided in Italy for the required period — generally ten years — may apply for citizenship by naturalisation. The Prefecture of residence assesses the application and forwards it to the Ministry of the Interior, with citizenship granted by Presidential Decree.
Recognition can pass to your minor children, but the reform's generational limit and timing rules affect how and whether transmission applies, so it should be checked case by case.
Take the assessment or ask Acey, our immigration assistant.
Citizenship — Italy