Citizenship

Citizenship iure sanguinis

Decree-Law No. 36 of 28 March 2025 was converted, with amendments, into Law No. 74 of 23 May 2025, which entered into force on 24 May 2025.
This conversion law amends Law No. 91 of 5 February 1992. The full updated text is available at this link.

Applications submitted after the entry into force of Decree-Law No. 36 of 28 March 2025, converted with amendments by Law No. 74 of 23 May 2025, are subject to specific conditions for the acquisition of Italian citizenship. The amended legal text can be consulted at this link.

According to the new law, applicants born abroad and holding another citizenship are not considered to have automatically acquired Italian citizenship, unless:

1. A first- or second-degree ascendant (parent or grandparent) possesses — or possessed at the time of death — exclusively Italian citizenship;
2. A parent or adoptive parent was legally resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child’s birth (or adoption).

To prove that one of these conditions applies, the applicant must provide appropriate documentation, such as:

• To prove exclusive possession of Italian citizenship (examples):
  • Negative citizenship certificates;
  • Certificates of renunciation of foreign citizenship;
  • Certificates of non-registration on foreign electoral rolls.
• To prove two years of legal residence in Italy:
  • Historical certificate of citizenship (certificato storico di cittadinanza).

Self-declarations alone are not sufficient.

Attention is drawn in particular to the new Article 3-bis, which states:

“By way of derogation from Articles 1, 2, 3, 14 and 20 of this law; Article 5 of Law No. 123 of 21 April 1983; Articles 1, 2, 7, 10, 12 and 19 of Law No. 555 of 13 June 1912; and Articles 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 of the Civil Code approved by Royal Decree No. 2358 of 25 June 1865, anyone born abroad (even before the entry into force of this Article) and holding another citizenship is considered never to have acquired Italian citizenship, unless one of the following conditions applies:

1. a) Citizenship status is recognized, under the law in force as of 27 March 2025, following an application — with the required documentation — submitted to the competent consular office or mayor no later than 11:59 p.m. (Rome time)on that date;
   a-bis) Citizenship status is recognized, under the law in force as of 27 March 2025, following an application — with the required documentation — submitted to the competent consular office or mayor on the date of an appointment communicated to the applicantby 11:59 p.m. (Rome time) on 27 March 2025;
   b) Citizenship status is recognized judicially, under the law in force as of 27 March 2025, following a judicial application submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. (Rome time)on that date;
   c) A first- or second-degree ascendant possesses, or possessed at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship;
2. d) A parent or adoptive parent was legally resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child’s birth or adoption.

— — —
Therefore, under the new Law No. 91/1992, Italian citizenship iure sanguinis (by birth) is recognized for:

• Applicants born in Italy at any time;
• Applicants who hold only Italian citizenship and no other citizenship (nor have the possibility of acquiring another);
• Applicants falling under one of the conditions set out in letters a), a-bis), b), c), and d) of Article 3-bis.

— — —

In light of the new law, please note that:

1. Only applications submitted before 27 March 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (Rome time)with the required documentation are subject to the previous legal framework;
2. Only applications submitted on the date of an appointment communicatedby the competent office by 11:59 p.m. (Rome time) on 27 March 2025 with the required documentation follow the previous law;
3. In all other cases, the new legal framework applies.

Applicable consular fees can be found at the relevant page: https://ambbeirut.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-italiano/consular-services-fees/

Residents in Lebanon wishing to apply for Italian citizenship iure sanguinis must appear in person at the Consular Chancellery of the Embassy of Italy in Beirut, with an appointment booked through the online portal Prenot@mi, and must bring original copies of all required documents.

As required by Ministry of the Interior Circular K.28.1 of 8 April 1991:

1. Extract of the birth certificate of the Italian ancestor who emigrated abroad, issued by the Italian Municipality where they were born;
2. Birth certificates (with official Italian translations) of all descendants in a direct line, including that of the applicant;
3. Marriage certificate of the Italian ancestor (with official Italian translation if issued abroad);
4. Marriage certificates of the descendants in a direct line, including those of the applicant’s parents;
5. Certificate issued by the competent authorities of the country of emigration (with official Italian translation) stating that the Italian ancestor did not acquire foreign citizenship before the birth of the applicant’s ascendant;
6. Certificate issued by the competent Italian consular authority confirming that neither the direct ascendants nor the applicant have ever renounced Italian citizenship under Article 7 of Law No. 555 of 13 June 1912;
7. Certificate of residence.

To comply with the new legislation, applicants must also provide:

8. To prove exclusive possession of Italian citizenship (examples):
   • Negative citizenship certificates;
   • Certificates of renunciation of foreign citizenship;
   • Certificates of non-registration on foreign electoral rolls;
9. To prove legal residence in Italy for at least two consecutive years:
   • Historical certificate of citizenship (certificato storico di cittadinanza).

Through the links on the right, you can access information on other specific modalities of acquiring Italian citizenship:

• Acquisition of citizenship by “beneficio di legge” (minor children);
• Acquisition of citizenship by minor children living with a parent who is not a citizen by birth;
• Naturalization through marriage/civil union with an Italian citizien.

Residents in Lebanon wishing to apply for citizenship under these procedures must appear at the Consular Chancellery of the Embassy of Italy in Beirut, with an appointment booked via Prenot@mi.

For further information, please visit the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://www.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/italiani-all-estero/cittadinanza/