Italian Citizenship by Descent in 2026: Reclaiming Your Roots

If you grew up hearing stories about a great-grandmother from Calabria, a grandfather who left Naples with nothing but a suitcase, or a family name that still echoes somewhere in Liguria, you are not alone. Tens of millions of people around the world carry Italian heritage, as descendants of Italians who left the country and emigrated across every continent. For decades, many of these oriundi (people of Italian descent living abroad) have pursued the dream of obtaining formal recognition of Italian citizenship through the legal principle of iure sanguinis, or "by right of blood."

That legal landscape has now changed significantly. In 2025, Italy enacted landmark reforms that redrew the boundaries of who qualifies for automatic citizenship by descent and, just as importantly, created new pathways for those who no longer do. This article walks you through what the new law actually says, what it might mean for you personally, and what practical steps you can take starting today.

The Bottom Line

Under Law No. 74/2025, automatic citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis) is now limited to those who have an Italian parent or grandparent. If your Italian connection runs through a great-grandparent or further back, you no longer qualify for automatic recognition; but a new extra-quota work visa may offer you an alternative path to citizenship after just two years of legal residence in Italy. The details matter, and they depend on your specific family situation.

Which Category Are You?

The 2025 reform essentially creates three groups of people. Identifying which one you belong to is the first step.

Your Italian ancestor is your parent or grandparent

You may still qualify for automatic citizenship recognition, provided you meet one of two additional conditions explained below. This is the closest the new system gets to the old framework, and if this is you, your path is the most direct.

Your Italian ancestor is a great-grandparent or further back

You no longer qualify for automatic recognition. However, if you are a resident of one of seven eligible countries, you can apply for a special work visa that leads to citizenship after two years of legal residence in Italy.

You already have a pending application

Italian consulates and courts are in the process of implementing the new rules, and guidance on transitional provisions for cases filed before the reform took effect is still emerging. If you have an application in progress, it is critical to monitor consular communications and seek professional advice now rather than later, as the treatment of pending cases may vary depending on the stage of your proceeding and the consulate or court handling it.

If Your Ancestor Is a Parent or Grandparent: Two Conditions

Meeting the generational limit alone is not enough. The reformed law requires applicants to satisfy one of two alternative conditions designed to ensure a meaningful legal connection between the applicant and Italian nationality.

Condition A: Exclusive Italian Citizenship

You must demonstrate that your parent or grandparent held exclusively Italian citizenship either at the time of your birth or at the time of that ancestor's death. "Exclusively" means the ancestor never naturalized as a citizen of their country of residence. An Italian immigrant who moved to Argentina in the 1950s and lived there for fifty years but never took Argentine citizenship would satisfy this requirement. Conversely, if that same person became a naturalized Argentine citizen at any point, the condition of exclusivity would not be met.

The key piece of evidence for this path is a Certificate of Non-Naturalization (certificato di non naturalizzazione), a document issued by the authorities of the country where your ancestor lived confirming the individual never acquired citizenship through naturalization. In the United States, this typically involves obtaining records from USCIS demonstrating that no naturalization petition was ever filed or granted.

Condition B: Parental Residence in Italy

This path exists specifically for cases where the Italian ancestor did naturalize in another country. You can still qualify if one of your parents resided in Italy for at least two continuous years after that parent had acquired Italian citizenship and before you were born or adopted.

The key document for proving this is the Certificato Storico di Residenza (Historical Certificate of Residence), issued by the comune (municipality) where your parent lived, which records the dates and duration of their registered residence in Italy. This condition is more demanding because it requires a parent (not a grandparent, but a parent) to have actually lived in Italy for a meaningful period after completing their own citizenship process. For families where one member has already made that journey, however, it opens the door for the next generation.

If Your Ancestor Is a Great-Grandparent or Further Back: The Extra-Quota Work Visa

The Italian legislature recognized that cutting off millions of distant descendants entirely would be both politically sensitive and economically shortsighted. Italy faces serious demographic challenges: an aging population, a shrinking workforce, and entire regions struggling with depopulation. The solution was the creation of a new category of work visa under Article 27, paragraph 1-octies of the consolidated immigration law.

If your Italian ancestor is a great-grandparent or more distant, you may apply for a subordinate work visa (lavoro subordinato) that allows you to enter Italy and work as an employee. Three features make this visa distinctive:

• There is no generational limit. Whether your ancestor is your great-grandmother or your great-great-great-grandfather, you are potentially eligible provided you can document the lineage.
• The visa is exempt from Italy's annual quota system (the Decreto Flussi), meaning your application is evaluated on its own merits without competing for limited slots.
• After just two years of continuous, lawful residence in Italy, you can apply for citizenship — a significant reduction from the standard ten-year requirement for most non-EU nationals.

The visa does require a job offer or employment contract from an Italian employer. It is not available for freelance or self-employment purposes.

The Seven Eligible Countries

The Decree of November 17, 2025 specifies that the extra-quota work visa is currently available to descendants of Italians who are citizens of one of the following seven countries, selected on the basis that each has more than 100,000 Italian citizens registered with AIRE (Italy's registry of citizens living abroad):

If you are a national of one of these countries and can document your Italian descent, you are within the scope of the current regulation. It remains to be seen whether Italy will expand this list in the future.

Three Scenarios to See the Rules in Action

Maria, 34, Buenos Aires

Her grandmother was born in Italy, emigrated to Argentina in the 1960s, and never became an Argentine citizen. Maria is within the second degree of kinship, and her grandmother held exclusively Italian citizenship. Maria qualifies under Condition A, provided she obtains a Certificate of Non-Naturalization from the Argentine authorities.

Lucia, 41, São Paulo

Her grandfather emigrated from Veneto to Brazil and naturalized as a Brazilian citizen in the 1970s. However, Lucia's mother obtained Italian citizenship ten years ago, then moved to Italy and lived in Milan for three years before Lucia was born. Because Lucia's mother resided in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before Lucia's birth, Lucia qualifies under Condition B.

James, 28, Chicago

His great-grandfather came to the United States from Puglia in 1905 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1921. James falls outside the generational limit. He does not qualify for automatic citizenship. However, as a citizen of the United States, James can apply for the extra-quota work visa. If he secures a job offer from an Italian employer, he can move to Italy and, after two years of legal residence, apply for citizenship.

Next Steps

1. Build your family tree with documentary precision. Gather birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the direct line from your Italian ancestor to yourself. Contact the comune (municipality) in Italy where your ancestor was born. Italian municipal vital records offices (Uffici di Stato Civile) can often provide certificates going back into the 1860s.
2. Determine which path applies to you. Once you know whether your Italian ancestor is a parent, grandparent, or someone more distant, assess whether you fall within the generational limit for automatic citizenship or should explore the work visa.
3. Gather critical supporting documents. If you are pursuing Condition A, the Certificate of Non-Naturalization is indispensable. If the work visa is your path, begin researching the Italian labor market in your field, improving your Italian language skills, and exploring whether your qualifications need recognition or equivalency validation in Italy.
4. Get professional guidance. Italian citizenship law is notoriously detail-oriented. A single missing document, an inconsistency in a name spelling, or a misunderstanding of which ancestor's status matters can delay or derail an application.

This is the kind of cross-border complexity that JSBC handles every day. Our team works with clients and partners in both the United States and Italy navigating tax and citizenship implications of dual nationality, and the practical realities of building a life between two countries. If you need help assessing your eligibility, organizing your documentation, or understanding how these changes affect a pending case, book a call with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I already filed an application before the reform?

Transitional guidance is still being issued by Italian consulates and courts. The treatment of pending cases may depend on the stage of your proceeding, the consulate or tribunal handling it, and whether your documentation was already under review. We strongly recommend consulting a citizenship and immigration professional to assess your specific situation rather than assuming your case will be grandfathered in.

Can I use the extra-quota work visa if I'm self-employed or a freelancer?

No. The visa created by the 2025 reform is specifically for subordinate employment (lavoro subordinato), meaning you need a job offer or employment contract from an Italian employer. It does not cover freelance, independent contractor, or self-employment arrangements.

What if my grandparent naturalized abroad but later reacquired Italian citizenship?

This is a fact-specific question that depends on when and how Italian citizenship was reacquired, and whether it was in effect at the relevant moment (your birth or the ancestor's death). Cases involving reacquisition of citizenship can be legally complex and are best evaluated individually with proper documentation in hand.

Do I need to speak Italian to apply?

There is no formal Italian language requirement for citizenship recognition under iure sanguinis. However, if you are pursuing the extra-quota work visa and planning to live and work in Italy, functional Italian will be essential for employment, daily life, and your eventual citizenship-by-residence application, which does include a language proficiency requirement.