Cassazione affirms citizenship as a right 'existing from birth'
Italian citizenship by descent
Italy recognizes citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) with no generational limit when the bloodline is unbroken — though Law 74/2025 tightened the consular route and was upheld as constitutional by the Italian Constitutional Court on March 12, 2026. Check whether you qualify, build your lineage, and get a primary-source-backed document checklist and cost estimate.
Grandparent or great-grandparent claim? Complex chain? Skip the research — talk to a Italy citizenship specialist in 30 minutes.
Cassazione affirms citizenship as a right 'existing from birth'
Ordinance 13818/2026 (deposited May 12) affirmed citizenship is a right 'existing from birth, permanent and imprescriptible.' It covers a pre-Law 74/2025 case and does not directly address post-reform applicants. The Sezioni Unite decision on the minor rule and retroactivity is separately expected in June 2026.
Read the full summary
🇮🇹 Recognized, not granted
Jure sanguinis treats you as Italian by blood — recent reform narrows who can prove it, so know where you stand.
Eligibility
Who may qualify
An Italian-born ancestor in your direct line, with the chain of citizenship never broken.
Your ancestor did not naturalize elsewhere before the next descendant in the line was born.
Post-Law 74/2025 (upheld March 12, 2026): new consular applications are generally limited to children and grandchildren of an Italian-born citizen.
Maternal lines with a child born before Jan 1, 1948 are handled through the 1948 judicial route.
Applications filed by March 27, 2025 are exempt under Article 3-bis of Law 74/2025, as are descendants of parents who lived in Italy for two consecutive years.
A general overview — your eligibility depends on the specifics of your line. The free check gives a personalized answer. EasyPassport is not affiliated with Consulates / Tribunal of Rome. We help you organize and verify your documents. You submit your application to Consulates / Tribunal of Rome directly — we do not file, submit, or act on your behalf with any government authority.
Why Italy
What makes Italy different
No generational limit
When the bloodline is unbroken, Italy recognizes citizenship no matter how many generations back the Italian-born ancestor is — subject to the post-2025 consular cap, which was upheld by the Constitutional Court on March 12, 2026.
Recognition, not naturalization
You aren't 'granted' citizenship — Italy recognizes that you were a citizen all along, which is why there's no residency or language test.
Two routes to the same result
Eligible lines go through a consulate; pre-1948 maternal lines (and many capped lines) go through the courts in Rome instead.
Full EU citizenship
Italian citizenship is EU citizenship — the right to live, work, and study across all 27 member states.
By ancestor path
Your relationship to the Italian ancestor determines which rules apply
Through your father
The most direct line — if your father was an Italian citizen when you were born and didn't renounce, citizenship typically passes by jure sanguinis.
See requirements 02PATERNAL-GRANDFATHERThrough your paternal grandfather
A two-generation chain within the Law 74/2025 cap (upheld March 12, 2026); the key question is whether he naturalized before your parent was born.
See requirements 03GRANDFATHER-NATURALIZED-AFTERGrandfather naturalized after your parent's birth
If your Italian grandfather became a US citizen only after your parent was born, the chain stayed intact and citizenship likely passed down — the naturalization date is the decisive fact.
See requirements 04PATERNAL-GRANDMOTHERThrough your paternal grandmother
Within the cap; if your parent was born before Jan 1, 1948 this may require the 1948 judicial route.
See requirements 05MATERNAL-GRANDMOTHERThrough your maternal grandmother
Within the cap; maternal-line transmission before 1948 is handled through the 1948 court route.
See requirements 06PATERNAL-GREAT-GRANDFATHERThrough your paternal great-grandfather
The most common historical line; under Law 74/2025 — upheld by the Italian Constitutional Court on March 12, 2026 — the consular route is generally limited to grandchildren, so great-grandparent claims typically proceed through the judicial route.
See requirements 07MATERNAL-GREAT-GRANDFATHERThrough your maternal great-grandfather
A great-grandparent line passing through a woman; both the 1948 rule and the Law 74/2025 cap (now constitutionally confirmed) can apply.
See requirements 08PATERNAL-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHERThrough your paternal great-great-grandfather
A four-generation line. Under Law 74/2025, upheld as constitutional on March 12, 2026, the consular route is generally limited to grandchildren, so a great-great-grandparent claim typically proceeds through the judicial route in Italy.
See requirements 09ADOPTED-ANCESTORThrough an adopted ancestor
Adoption can carry Italian citizenship under specific conditions; these lines turn on the adoption decree and its date, and usually need individual legal review.
See requirements 10MOTHER-BORN-BEFORE-1948Mother born before 1948
Before Jan 1, 1948 Italian women couldn't transmit citizenship administratively; these cases go through the 1948 judicial route in Rome.
See requirementsProcess
How to apply
- 1
Confirm your line and route
Identify your Italian-born ancestor, check that the chain was never broken by an earlier naturalization, and determine whether you go through a consulate or the 1948 judicial route. Verify whether you qualify for the Article 3-bis exemption or fall under the Law 74/2025 cap upheld on March 12, 2026.
- 2
Gather vital records
Collect birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the line — your Italian ancestor's Italian records plus US records for each later generation.
- 3
Apostille and translate
Get an apostille on each US record from the issuing state, then have each apostilled record translated into Italian by a qualified translator.
- 4
Book your appointment or file your case
Reserve a citizenship appointment through Prenot@Mi at the consulate with jurisdiction over your residence — or, for 1948 and capped lines, file with the Court of Rome through an Italian attorney.
- 5
Submit, then track recognition
Present your file, pay the fee, and follow up until your recognition is registered and you can apply for your passport.
Choose your path
Do it yourself, or talk to a specialist?
Do it yourself
Free tool- Parent or grandparent claim with clear documentation
- You know your ancestor held Italy citizenship
- Records are legible and translated where needed
- No broken-chain events (renunciation, timing gaps)
Talk to a specialist
- Great-grandparent or further-back claim
- Unsure whether a naturalization broke the chain
- Mixed ancestry — multiple possible pathways
- Want a professional to verify before gathering 10+ documents
At a glance
What you'll need
- Government fee
- ~€600 consulate appointment (locked USD rates vary by consulate)
- Typical timeline
- Consular 18 months–3 years incl. appointment wait; 1948 judicial ~12–24 months
- Where
- Your Italian consulate (by residence), or the Court of Rome for 1948 cases
Key dates & laws
The rules that decide your case
The 1948 rule
Italian women could not pass citizenship to children born before Jan 1, 1948. Those maternal lines are claimed through a judicial case at the Court of Rome rather than at a consulate.
Naturalization before the next birth breaks the line
If an ancestor naturalized as a US citizen before the next person in the line was born, the chain is broken at that point and citizenship did not pass down.
Law 74/2025 consular cap — constitutionally upheld
Since March 28, 2025, new consular applications are generally limited to the children and grandchildren of an Italian-born citizen. The Italian Constitutional Court rejected challenges to this law on March 12, 2026, confirming it is in force; longer lines typically proceed through the judicial route.
Article 3-bis exemption
Applications filed by March 27, 2025 are exempt from the new cap under Article 3-bis of Law 74/2025. Descendants of parents who lived in Italy for two consecutive years are also exempt.
Minor children
2025 reforms tightened how minor children are recognized; timing relative to a parent's recognition matters, so check the current rule before filing for a child.
Where it's processed
By consulate
Consulate General of Italy in Boston
Serves ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Consulate General of Italy in New York
Serves NY, CT, NJ
Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia
Serves PA, DE, NC, WV, NJ, MD, VA
Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C.
Serves DC, MD, VA
Consulate General of Italy in Chicago
Serves CO, IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI, WY
Consulate of Italy in Detroit
Serves IN, KY, MI, OH, TN
Consulate General of Italy in Miami
Serves AL, FL, GA, MS, SC
Consulate General of Italy in Houston
Serves AR, LA, OK, TX
Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles
Serves AZ, NM, NV, CA
Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco
Serves AK, HI, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, CA
Tools & guides
Plan your application
Italy articles
Latest from our editors
2026-05-31
New Italian Rules for Minor Children Born Abroad: The 2026 Deadline
Italy's 2025 reform cut off automatic citizenship for most children born abroad, leaving a narrow declaration window that closes May 31, 2026. Here is what US families must do.
Read the article
2026-03-12
Italy's Top Court Upholds the 2025 Citizenship-by-Descent Reform
Italy's Constitutional Court rejected the first legal challenge to the 2025 descent reform, but a second, broader case is still pending. Here is what it means for US applicants.
Read the article
2026-01-13
Italy's Top Court to Rule on Citizenship-by-Descent Reform in 2026
Italy's Court of Cassation is set to weigh whether the 2025 citizenship reform applies retroactively and whether a 1912 loss-of-citizenship rule still binds descendants. The outcome could affect millions of claims.
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2025-10-20
Italy Moves to Raise Its Flat Tax for Wealthy New Residents to 300,000 Euros
Italy's draft 2026 budget would lift the flat tax on foreign income to 300,000 euros a year, the second hike since 2024, even as the country pulls in record numbers of relocating millionaires.
Read the article
2025-10-13
Italy Moves Citizenship Applications From Consulates to Rome: What Changes
A reform bill approved by Italy's Chamber of Deputies in October 2025 would route adult jus sanguinis applications to a central office in Rome by paper mail. Here is what US applicants need to know.
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2025-07-31
Italy's Constitutional Court Upholds Citizenship by Descent
In Ruling No. 142 of July 31, 2025, Italy's Constitutional Court rejected challenges to historical jure sanguinis, while leaving the new 2025 restrictions for separate review.
Read the article2025-05-24
What Italy's AIRE Numbers Really Tell US Applicants
More than 8,000 people in the United States were recorded as new Italian citizens in 2024, but the figure reflects years-old applications and a system reshaped by the 2025 reform.
Read the article
2025-05-24
Italy's Law 74/2025: How the New Rules Reshape Citizenship by Descent
Italy converted the Tajani Decree into permanent law in May 2025, imposing generational limits and ancestry conditions on citizenship by descent. Here is what changed and who is affected.
Read the article
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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