The child of an Italian father or mother is an Italian citizen by birth. However, Law 91/1992 was recently amended by Decree-Law No. 36/2025, converted with changes into law. The new Article 3-bis, paragraph 1, of Law 91/1992 establishes that a person born abroad, even before the article entered into force, and who holds another citizenship, is considered never to have acquired Italian citizenship. Exceptions remain for applications submitted or appointments confirmed by 27 March 2025, for a parent or grandparent who holds or held only Italian citizenship at death, or for a parent resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the child’s birth.

Article 1 states that an Italian citizen by birth is the child of an Italian father or mother. The law also sets out the legal framework for acquiring, losing, and reacquiring Italian citizenship, which is the core statute governing citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis).

The decree introduced urgent provisions on citizenship and amended Law No. 91 of 1992. It created limits for people born abroad who hold another citizenship, and it established transitional rules for cases already recognized or already scheduled for appointment by 27 March 2025.

This conversion law confirms the changes made by Decree-Law No. 36/2025 and amends Law No. 91/1992. It preserves some prior rules only for specific transitional and qualifying cases, while stating that people born abroad with another citizenship do not automatically acquire Italian citizenship under the new regime.

Law No. 74 of 23 May 2025 converted Decree-Law No. 36/2025, introducing Article 3-bis into Law No. 91 of 1992. The amended rules provide that many people born abroad and holding another citizenship are deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship, while preserving exceptions tied to applications filed by 27 March 2025, an Italian parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship, or a parent who resided in Italy for two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant’s birth.

According to the new law, a person born abroad to an Italian citizen is not automatically an Italian citizen anymore; citizenship applies only if at least one listed condition is met. These include a parent or grandparent who holds, or held at death, exclusively Italian citizenship, or a parent who lived in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child's birth.

“Pursuant to the above Law Italian citizenship jure sanguinis can be recognized only if: 1. The applicant was born in Italy from an Italian mother or father (art.1 Law 91/1992); 2. The applicant only holds Italian citizenship and does not and cannot claim any other citizenships (art.3-bis paragraph 1 Law 91/1992); 3. The applicant has already been recognized as an Italian citizen by 11:59 PM (Rome time) on March 27, 2025 — either through an administrative procedure or a court case (art.3-bis letters a, a-bis, b Law 91/1992), or based on an application submitted following an appointment communicated within the 11:59 PM (Rome time) of March 27, 2025; 4. The applicant has a parent or grandparent who holds only Italian citizenship or they only held Italian citizenship at the time of their death (art.3-bis paragraph 1 letter c Law 91/1992); 5. The applicant has a parent (biological or adoptive) who lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after becoming an Italian citizen and before the applicant was born or adopted.” It then lists required documents, including “Birth certificates (in long form, duly legalized and translated into Italian), of every descendant in line, including the applicant… Appropriate documentation issued by the foreign local authority which must certify that the Italian born ancestor who emigrated never naturalized or acquired any other citizenship abroad.”

To apply for citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis), you must schedule an appointment through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation's online portal Prenot@mi. Under Law 91/1992, as amended by Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025, the following persons are recognized as Italian citizens by descent (from birth): (1) the applicant born in Italy to an Italian father or mother; (2) the applicant who holds exclusively Italian citizenship; (3) the applicant already recognized as an Italian citizen by 11:59 PM (Rome time) on March 27, 2025, or based on an application submitted following an appointment communicated by that date; (4) the applicant who has a parent or grandparent who holds only Italian citizenship or only held Italian citizenship at the time of their death; (5) the applicant who has a parent (including an adoptive parent) who is an Italian citizen and who has been a resident of Italy for at least two consecutive years following the acquisition of Italian citizenship and prior to the date of the child’s birth or adoption. The page does not restrict eligibility by the applicant’s current nationality; it describes requirements based on Italian ancestry and residence conditions.

Law 24 April 2025, No. 74 converts Decree-Law 36/2025 into law and introduces Article 3-bis into Law 91/1992. Among other provisions, Article 3-bis sets out that recognition of citizenship jure sanguinis is restricted to applicants meeting conditions such as: having already been recognized as Italian citizens by 27 March 2025, being citizens exclusively of Italy, having a parent or grandparent who holds only Italian citizenship or held only Italian citizenship at the time of death, and having a parent who has resided in Italy as an Italian citizen for at least two consecutive years before the applicant’s birth.

Reuters reported that Italy tightened citizenship-by-descent rules in 2025 and that the government said the reform would limit automatic transmission for people born abroad who also have another citizenship. The report also noted transitional carve-outs for some pending or already recognized cases.

The Miami consulate explains that, under Law No. 91/1992 (as subsequently amended), Italian citizenship jure sanguinis (by descent, from birth) is recognized for certain categories of applicants. The page details the categories listed in Article 3-bis introduced by the 2025 reform and describes the documentation and procedural requirements for foreign citizens residing in the consular district who wish to seek recognition of Italian citizenship by descent. The information is framed for "foreign citizens" generally and does not distinguish among different foreign nationalities; what matters is meeting the ancestry and legal criteria in the statute.

Law 24 May 2025, no. 74 converts Decree-Law 29 March 2025, no. 36 into law and introduces Article 3-bis into Law 5 February 1992, no. 91 on Italian citizenship. Article 3-bis sets new conditions for the recognition of citizenship by descent, specifying that recognition is granted to certain categories including individuals already recognized by March 27, 2025, those with a parent or grandparent holding solely Italian citizenship, and those whose Italian parent resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after naturalization and before the applicant’s birth. The statutory text regulates conditions based on citizenship status of ascendants and residence but does not limit eligibility by the current nationality of the applicant; it applies generally to foreign citizens who can demonstrate the required Italian ancestry and continuity of citizenship.

The page states that Law No. 91 of 1992 is still the main citizenship statute and that it is based primarily on ius sanguinis. It also says that people born abroad who already hold another citizenship do not automatically acquire Italian citizenship, subject to listed exceptions.

Following the enactment of Article 3-bis of the revised Italian Nationality Law, automatic recognition through descent now requires that the applicant satisfy at least one of the following conditions: a citizenship application was submitted before 27 March 2025; a parent or grandparent holds or held the Italian nationality exclusively at the time of their death; or a parent resided in Italy for two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and prior to the applicant’s birth. These limitations establish a clear generation cut-off, requiring more direct and recent connections to the Italian nationality.

Reporting on the 2025 reform, Courthouse News writes: “A new law passed in Rome in early 2025 has drastically curtailed Italian citizenship claims through ancestry, especially in countries such as Brazil and Argentina that have large Italian diasporas.” The article notes that the reform “creates new hurdles for descendants who already hold another citizenship, effectively ending the possibility of automatic recognition for many Brazilians with Italian roots unless they already had their status recognized or meet the law’s narrow exceptions.” Brazilian-Italian community groups are quoted as saying that “millions of Brazilians who would once have qualified for jure sanguinis recognition are now excluded unless they renounce other citizenships or prove recent, exclusive Italian parentage.”

A person is eligible for Italian citizenship if he or she has a parent or grandparent who is or was at the time of death an Italian citizen only. A person is eligible if he or she has a parent or grandparent who at the time of birth was an Italian citizen only and no interruption of the Italian citizenship bloodline occurred. A person is also eligible if a biological or adoptive parent lived in Italy for at least two years in a row after becoming an Italian citizen and before the applicant’s birth.

The article says the reference law remains Law No. 91/1992, but the 2025 reform introduced substantial changes while confirming the principle of ius sanguinis. It adds that automatic attribution is no longer available for all people born abroad and lists the new qualifying conditions and deadlines.

Discussing Italian citizenship for Brazilians of Italian descent, the firm notes that applicants “must demonstrate being a descendant of Italian citizens and submit a ‘letter of no evidence of naturalization’” relating to the Italian ancestor in Brazil. It explains that many claims have historically been complicated by the so‑called “Great Naturalization” decree in Brazil, which conferred Brazilian nationality on immigrants. The article cautions that the new Italian rules “have made recognition of jure sanguinis citizenship more restrictive, especially where the descendant holds Brazilian citizenship and the Italian line of citizenship transmission has been interrupted by naturalization or by the new limitations introduced in 2025.”

This practitioner summary states that on March 28, 2025, the Italian Council of Ministers approved changes to the rules concerning the recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis, and that the decree was published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale outlining new provisions for claiming citizenship by descent. It explains that the new eligibility rules allow recognition if you have an Italian parent born in Italy, an Italian parent who resided in Italy for two consecutive years before your birth, or an Italian grandparent born in Italy, thereby establishing a generational limit to descendants to the second degree. The article repeatedly refers to "individuals born abroad" and "foreign citizens" of Italian descent (including common examples from the Americas), indicating that the rules apply to any foreign nationals who satisfy the ancestry conditions, not only to specific countries.

The document explains the classic iure sanguinis rule under Law No. 91/1992 and states that the applicant must show that the Italian ancestor retained citizenship until the birth of the next descendant, with no interruption in the transmission line. It also lists documentary requirements such as proof of descent and records showing no naturalization interrupting the chain.

On March 28, 2025, the Italian Council of Ministers issued Decree-Law No. 36/2025, which outlined new eligibility rules concerning the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent. According to the law, an individual born abroad before or after May 24, 2025 can be recognized as an Italian citizen if they have an Italian citizen parent or grandparent, or a parent or adoptive parent who resided in Italy for two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child’s birth or adoption.

Under a new Italian law, only applicants with parents or grandparents born in Italy can acquire citizenship by descent. Those with Italian-born ancestors who are great grandparents or later are no longer eligible. Citizenship is still available to applicants who have an Italian parent or grandparent born in Italy, an Italian parent or grandparent who holds, or held, only Italian citizenship, or an Italian parent who legally resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years before their birth.

This general overview explains that, according to the jure sanguinis principle, foreign citizens whose ascendant (parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc.) was an Italian citizen can claim Italian citizenship by descent, provided they demonstrate that citizenship was passed down without interruption. It further notes that under the guidelines in effect after May 24, 2025, an individual born abroad can be recognized as an Italian citizen only if they have either a parent or grandparent who was exclusively an Italian citizen, or a parent/adoptive parent who resided in Italy for two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child’s birth or adoption. The page speaks about "foreign citizens" generically without distinguishing by nationality, indicating that Brazilian citizens of Italian descent are treated in the same way as other foreign nationals if they meet these criteria.

The firm notes that "the foreign national can apply for the recognition of jure sanguinis in Italy at any time" and that, if the applicant is resident abroad, the application shall be filed with the territorially competent consulate. The page describes the impact of the Tajani Decree, enacted as Law 74/2025, stating that the reform introduced a generational limit restricting recognition to applicants within the first two generations, i.e., having a parent or grandparent meeting the Italian citizenship conditions. The language refers broadly to "foreign nationals" of Italian descent, which encompasses citizens of Brazil and other countries, provided they can prove the required Italian lineage and compliance with the new law.

The guide states that, under the pre-reform framework, a person born to an Italian citizen is Italian regardless of place of birth, provided the citizenship chain was never interrupted by naturalization or renunciation. It also notes that the 2025 reform imposed a generational limit for many applications filed from 28 March 2025 onward.

The VFS-operated information page for Italian consular services in Brazil explains that Brazilian residents seeking recognition of Italian citizenship by descent must follow the rules of Law 91/1992 as amended and submit applications through the Italian consulates in Brazil. It clarifies that citizens of Brazil who can demonstrate qualifying Italian ancestry (for example, an Italian parent or grandparent who meets the conditions in the nationality law) may apply for recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis, following the procedures and documentation requirements specified by the consulates. The page makes clear that Brazilian citizenship does not prevent a person from seeking recognition of Italian citizenship by descent; eligibility is determined by Italian law on ancestry and continuity of citizenship.

This guide aimed at South American applicants states that the procedure “starts with correctly identifying a suitable ancestor and prov[ing] these ties with various supporting documents.” It notes that you must “collect birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates, down the bloodline from your ancestor born in Italy to you,” and that all documents must be translated into Italian and apostilled. For Brazilians, it stresses that wait times at Italian consulates in Brazil can be very long and that “recent changes in Italian citizenship law may affect eligibility, particularly for those who have not yet initiated their recognition process or who intend to maintain Brazilian nationality.”

Italy changed its citizenship law in 2025. These rules require applicants born abroad to prove a direct and exclusive connection to Italy. You can now only claim citizenship by descent through a parent or grandparent, and your Italian parent or grandparent must have held only Italian citizenship at the time of your birth or, if deceased, at the time of their death. A parent or adoptive parent who was legally and continuously residing in Italy for at least two years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before your birth can also qualify you.

Under Italian nationality law, citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) is generally framed as a matter of recognizing an existing citizenship status in individuals who can trace an unbroken line of descent from an Italian citizen under specified conditions. Foreign nationals – including large diaspora communities in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and the United States – have long been able to seek recognition of Italian citizenship by descent through consulates, provided they satisfy the legal requirements in Law 91/1992 and subsequent amendments; the law does not single out or exclude any particular foreign nationality from eligibility. While bilateral issues (such as dual citizenship policies) can arise on the other country’s side, from the Italian legal perspective Brazilian citizens are treated the same as other foreign citizens of Italian descent when they apply for recognition jure sanguinis.

A Brazil‑Germany law office explains that “all Italian descendants from the male line are entitled to the Italian citizenship, that is, all children, grandchildren, great‑grandchildren and great‑great‑grandchildren,” provided they meet documentary and naturalization requirements. It lists required documents for children, grandchildren, and great‑grandchildren, such as the Italian ancestor’s birth certificate and an “original negative certificate of naturalization” for the ancestor in Brazil. However, the page reflects the broader, pre‑2025 understanding of generous jure sanguinis rules and does not incorporate the restrictions introduced by Decree‑Law 36/2025 and Law 74/2025 regarding dual citizens and cut‑off dates.

For new applications, you generally must have an Italian-born ancestor within the last two generations (parent or grandparent). If your only Italian-born ancestor is a great-grandparent or beyond, you may no longer qualify under the standard administrative process unless you can prove a tangible and timely link to Italy. The article also notes that Law 74/2025 introduced a significant shift from the prior no-generational-limit understanding.

Italy recognizes jure sanguinis, but applicants must prove their Italian ancestor was an Italian citizen and that citizenship was transmitted without interruption. This source reflects the older framework and is less reliable for the current law because it does not clearly incorporate the 2025 restrictions in the same operational detail as the consular and official legal sources.