Italy Tightens Citizenship Rules, Limiting Rights Based on Descent

Italy's Constitutional Court Upholds New Citizenship Law

According to ХВИЛЯ: Italy's Constitutional Court has upheld a law that significantly restricts citizenship by descent (ius sanguinis). This new legislation, passed via an emergency government decree, alters rules that have been in place since 1865, now limiting the right to citizenship to just two generations. The law also prohibits dual citizenship for the diaspora, requiring that the ancestor held exclusively Italian citizenship at the time of the descendant's birth. The court's detailed ruling is expected in the coming weeks. This decision comes amid a global trend where nations are reevaluating citizenship laws for their overseas communities.

Revised Eligibility Criteria for Citizenship

Under the new rules, only foreigners whose parents or grandparents were born in Italy can be recognized as citizens. Previously, from 1865 onward, the child of an Italian citizen was considered Italian regardless of birthplace. The court found the constitutional challenges to the new law partly unfounded and partly inadmissible. The high demand is evident from the 30,000 citizenship applications processed last year by consulates in Argentina alone.

Corrado Caruso: 'It was an extremely harsh intervention, so I had hoped the law would be declared unconstitutional, but the court did not recognize that.'

It is worth noting that standard naturalization in Italy requires 10 years of continuous legal residence, proof of financial independence, and language proficiency at level B1. Italy's new restrictions coincide with a liberalization of multiple citizenship laws in Ukraine, where the Verkhovna Rada passed a corresponding law in June 2025. Some legal experts advise seeking recourse in EU courts or awaiting a ruling from Italy's Court of Cassation in April. These changes could substantially impact the large Italian diaspora seeking to maintain ties with their ancestral homeland, potentially reducing applications and affecting Italy's relationship with its citizens abroad.