The Radici Guides

Italian Citizenship Law 74/2025: What Actually Changed — and Am I Still Eligible?

Last updated: October 2026. In spring 2025, Italy passed a reform that fundamentally changed the rules for obtaining Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis). If you have an Italian great-grandparent, or an ancestor even further back who emigrated from Italy, this reform likely affects you. This article explains what the law says, who still qualifies, and what you should do next.

1. What Law 74/2025 actually says

Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025, introduced a two-generation limit for the automatic recognition of jure sanguinis citizenship. In practice, the automatic transmission of the right is no longer unlimited across generations the way it used to be: today, barring the exceptions described below, you can generally claim recognition only if you have at least one parent or one grandparent who was born in Italy.

If your Italian connection is further back — a great-grandparent or earlier ancestor born in Italy, with more than two generations born abroad since — you may no longer meet the automatic requirements, unless you fall under one of the exceptions.

2. Key exceptions you need to know about

The reform includes some protections for people who had already started the process before the decree entered into force (March 27, 2025), generally including:

• Applicants who had already filed a citizenship recognition request, in Italy or abroad, before that date;
• Applicants who already had a consular appointment scheduled or an active jure sanguinis case in progress;
• People who had already been recognized as Italian citizens before the reform;
• Specific cases involving a parent who resided in Italy for at least two continuous years before the applicant's birth.

The detailed implementation by Italian municipalities (Comuni) and consulates can vary case by case, and there is ongoing legal and parliamentary debate about the scope of some provisions, including constitutional challenges. For this reason, this article is general information, not legal advice: every family situation needs to be checked individually against the documents actually available.

3. Why genealogical research matters more than ever

With the new two-generation limit in place, knowing exactly where and when your ancestors were born — and reconstructing the line of descent with real documents — has become an even more decisive step. A thorough genealogical investigation lets you:

• Confirm whether you meet the current requirements or qualify under one of the exceptions;
• Spot any break in the citizenship line (for example, a naturalization that occurred before 1948), which needs to be assessed separately;
• Locate the birth, marriage, and death records needed to build your file;
• Find out — before spending time and money on a long application process — whether your case has a realistic chance of success.

Note: this article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Citizenship law is subject to change and ongoing judicial interpretation; for an assessment of your specific case, we recommend checking the current text of the law and, if needed, consulting an attorney specialized in Italian citizenship law, alongside a genealogical researcher for the documentary side.