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Italian Republic · citizenship by descent · Leads to settlement

Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

By · Last reviewed:

Source check: all 10 official citations reconfirmed 13 September 2026

Italian citizenship recognition through ius sanguinis, now subject to the 2025 limits for many applicants born abroad with another citizenship.

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
EUR 600 adult recognition processing fee; local stamps, translations, apostilles and court filings are separate.
Typical duration
Permanent — full citizenship.
Sponsorship required
No
Leads to permanent residency
Yes
Reviewed Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale ↗

In short

As of 8 July 2026, the Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) for Italian Republic has a typical government cost of about €600. Sources: official Italian Republic government pages, reviewed 8 July 2026.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/italy/citizenship-by-descent#answer

What is the Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) in Italian Republic?

Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) is an unsponsored Italy route. Indicative government fees are EUR 600 adult recognition processing fee; local stamps, translations, apostilles and court filings are separate; indicative processing time is 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; typical duration is Permanent — full citizenship. This route can lead to permanent residence.

Verified against Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale on 27 June 2026.

Overview

Italy still recognises citizenship by descent (ius sanguinis), but the 2025 reform narrowed automatic recognition for many people born abroad who also hold another citizenship. Applicants must still document the unbroken line of Italian citizenship and non-naturalisation timing, and many post-2025 cases must also show one of the new statutory exceptions, such as a parent or grandparent who held exclusively Italian citizenship, or a parent/adoptive parent who lived in Italy for at least two continuous years before the applicant's birth or adoption. Applications can be filed at the competent consulate abroad or through the relevant Italian municipality where legally resident.

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

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Apostille and translate all documents

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

  4. 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).

  5. 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.

After a successful citizenship decision

For Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis), use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Check whether an oath, registration, certificate or passport application remains outstanding. Do not assume that approval of citizenship is itself a travel document.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Check passport-use obligations and the effect on any other nationality before renouncing or using another passport.
Official Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Italy

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.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check citizenship rules ↗

    Applicant verifies the current descent-recognition rules, evidence standards, and competent consular route.

    Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (MAECI) · verified

  2. AppointmentApplicant
    Book a consular appointment ↗

    Applicant uses the official appointment system where their consulate accepts citizenship-by-descent bookings.

    MAECI Prenot@mi · verified

Fees and processing time

A typical Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) application runs about €600 in government fees (adult citizenship-recognition applicant). Indicative 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.. Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.

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Frequently asked questions

Is there still no generation limit for Italian citizenship by descent?+

No simple "no generation limit" rule is reliable after the 2025 reform. You still need to document the chain, but applicants born abroad and holding another citizenship now generally need to show one of the statutory exceptions, such as a parent or grandparent who held exclusively Italian citizenship, or a parent/adoptive parent resident in Italy for at least two continuous years before the applicant's birth or adoption.

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.

What most commonly breaks an Italian citizenship-by-descent claim?+

The most common chain-breaker is the Italian ancestor having naturalised as a citizen of another country before the birth of the next descendant in the line. This is why naturalisation records (or proof of non-naturalisation) for the ancestor are critical evidence.

Is applying in Italy faster than waiting for a consulate appointment for citizenship by descent?+

It can be much faster. Instead of consular appointments (2–5+ years in high-demand consulates like São Paulo and Buenos Aires), you can establish 90+ days of residence in an Italian comune and apply directly, which is typically 3–6 months of residence plus 1–4 months of processing.

Need tailored advice?

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

Find a regulated advisor in Italy

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale

Last checked: 27 June 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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