Italian Republic · citizenship by descent · Leads to settlement

Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

By Sam Parks · Last reviewed: 18 April 2026

Italian citizenship through an unbroken line of descent from an Italian ancestor — no generation limit, no residence requirement.

No sponsorship requiredLeads to permanent residencyPermanent — full citizenship.

Processing time: Consular: 2–5+ years (extreme backlogs in São Paulo, Buenos Aires). In-comune: 3–6 months of Italian residence, then 1–4 months for processing.
Government fees: €300 consular fee; in-comune costs vary (marca da bollo stamps, translations).
Typical duration: Permanent — full citizenship.
Sponsorship required: No
Leads to permanent residency: Yes

Reviewed 18 April 2026Ministero dell'Interno ↗

Overview

Italy grants citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) to anyone who can demonstrate an unbroken line of Italian citizenship from an ancestor who was an Italian citizen at the time of the next generation's birth and who did not naturalise as a citizen of another country before the birth of the next link in the chain. There is no generation limit. The applicant does not need to live in Italy — applications can be filed at Italian consulates abroad (often with multi-year wait lists) or via a 90-day residence process in an Italian comune. This is one of the most-searched immigration topics globally, particularly from Brazil, Argentina, the US, and Canada.

Guidance by nationality

Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.

Eligibility

Typical criteria

✓Unbroken line of Italian citizenship from an Italian-born ancestor to you.
✓The Italian ancestor must NOT have naturalised as a citizen of another country before the birth of the next descendant in the chain.
✓If the line passes through a woman, the birth must have occurred after 1 January 1948 (due to the 1948 rule — births before this date through the maternal line require a court case, which is generally successful but adds time and cost).

Common blockers

!Ancestor naturalised before the next generation's birth — this breaks the chain.
!Unable to locate vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) for one or more links.
!Maternal line with a birth before 1 January 1948 (requires a Rome tribunal case — a "1948 case").

Typical evidence

·Birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the lineage from the Italian ancestor to you.
·Italian ancestor's birth certificate from the Italian comune of origin.
·Naturalisation records (or proof of non-naturalisation) for the Italian ancestor — typically from the destination country's national archives.
·All foreign certificates must be apostilled and officially translated into Italian by a certified translator.

Application pathway

Research your Italian ancestry
Identify the Italian ancestor and trace the unbroken line. Confirm the ancestor did not naturalise before the next generation's birth. Request Italian birth records from the ancestor's comune of origin.
Gather vital records for every link
Collect birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the chain. Each must be in long-form (estratto) with parental information.
Apostille and translate all documents
Have every foreign document apostilled by the relevant authority and translated into Italian by a certified translator.
Apply at consulate or in Italy
Option A: Book an appointment at your Italian consulate abroad (wait lists can be 2–5+ years in high-demand consulates like São Paulo and Buenos Aires). Option B: Establish 90+ days of residence in an Italian comune, register as a resident, and apply directly to the comune's anagrafe (vital records office).
Receive citizenship recognition
Once the application is processed and approved, you are recognised as an Italian citizen from birth. You can then apply for an Italian passport.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

Official guidanceApplicant
Check citizenship-by-descent rules ↗
Applicant verifies the current descent-recognition rules, evidence standards, and competent consular route.
Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (MAECI) · verified 24 May 2026
AppointmentApplicant
Book a consular appointment ↗
Applicant uses the official appointment system where their consulate accepts citizenship-by-descent bookings.
MAECI Prenot@mi · verified 24 May 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Is there a generation limit for Italian citizenship by descent?+

No. Italy has no generation limit. If you can document an unbroken chain of Italian citizenship from an ancestor born in Italy to you — whether that's 2 generations or 10 — you can apply. The practical limit is your ability to locate vital records.

What is the "1948 rule"?+

Before 1 January 1948, Italian law did not allow women to pass citizenship to their children. If your line of descent passes through a woman who gave birth before that date, the standard administrative process will not work. However, Italian courts have consistently ruled this restriction unconstitutional. You can file a "1948 case" (ricorso giudiziario) at the Tribunale di Roma, which is generally successful but adds 12–24 months and legal costs of €3,000–€5,000.

How long does the consular process take?+

It depends heavily on the consulate. São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and New York have wait lists of 3–5+ years just for an appointment. Smaller consulates (e.g. Perth, Edinburgh, smaller US cities) may be faster. The in-comune process in Italy (90 days of residence + application) is typically 3–6 months total.

Do I need to speak Italian?+

No Italian language requirement for citizenship by descent. However, you will need to communicate with Italian officials (comune, anagrafe) if applying in Italy — hiring a local practitioner or patronato to assist is common and recommended.

Does Italian citizenship give me EU rights?+

Yes. Italian citizenship is full EU citizenship. You can live, work, and study in any EU/EEA country without restriction. This is a major driver for applicants from non-EU countries who want EU mobility.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

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Overview

Eligibility

Typical criteria

✓Unbroken line of Italian citizenship from an Italian-born ancestor to you.
✓The Italian ancestor must NOT have naturalised as a citizen of another country before the birth of the next descendant in the chain.
✓If the line passes through a woman, the birth must have occurred after 1 January 1948 (due to the 1948 rule — births before this date through the maternal line require a court case, which is generally successful but adds time and cost).

Common blockers

!Ancestor naturalised before the next generation's birth — this breaks the chain.
!Unable to locate vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) for one or more links.
!Maternal line with a birth before 1 January 1948 (requires a Rome tribunal case — a "1948 case").

Typical evidence

·Birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the lineage from the Italian ancestor to you.
·Italian ancestor's birth certificate from the Italian comune of origin.
·Naturalisation records (or proof of non-naturalisation) for the Italian ancestor — typically from the destination country's national archives.
·All foreign certificates must be apostilled and officially translated into Italian by a certified translator.

Application pathway

Research your Italian ancestry

Identify the Italian ancestor and trace the unbroken line. Confirm the ancestor did not naturalise before the next generation's birth. Request Italian birth records from the ancestor's comune of origin.

Gather vital records for every link

Collect birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the chain. Each must be in long-form (estratto) with parental information.

Apostille and translate all documents

Have every foreign document apostilled by the relevant authority and translated into Italian by a certified translator.

Apply at consulate or in Italy

Option A: Book an appointment at your Italian consulate abroad (wait lists can be 2–5+ years in high-demand consulates like São Paulo and Buenos Aires). Option B: Establish 90+ days of residence in an Italian comune, register as a resident, and apply directly to the comune's anagrafe (vital records office).

Receive citizenship recognition

Once the application is processed and approved, you are recognised as an Italian citizen from birth. You can then apply for an Italian passport.