ITALY'S APPROACH TO TIGHTEN SCREENING OF CITIZENSHIP APPLICANTS EXAMINED
Revamped Article:
Grabbing Hold of Italian Citizenship: Elaine Allaby Here's the Scoop*
Italy's government, pulling a swift one, recently enacted a surprising decree that tightened access to Italian citizenship through bloodline (iure sanguinis). Now, let's dig into the nitty-gritty of the situation.
Shockwave Across the Globe
Italy's government's sudden move left a massive number of people with Italian descent reeling in shock last month. Dubbed the "Major Citizenship Overhaul," the government unveiled new rules that drastically altered the way individuals could claim Italian citizenship through their ancestors.
Previously, there were no generational limits on applications, enabling folks to potentially trace their citizenship lineage way back to March 17, 1861, as long as there was no break in the chain of citizenship. However, these more lenient rules have been upended by the new decree, which took effect on March 28, 2025.
Now, only those with an Italian parent or grandparent born in Italy, or an Italian parent who lived in the country for at least two consecutive years, qualify for citizenship by blood.
EXTRA READING: Get the Lowdown: Q&A on How the New Italian Citizenship Rules Stack Up**
Protest and Outcry
The dramatic changes sparked widespread frustration and dismay among Italian descendants across the globe. Many found themselves abruptly shut out from obtaining citizenship, leaving them bewildered and disappointed.
Even opposition parties jumped on the bandwagon, criticizing the emergency decrees – typically reserved for situations like natural disasters, conflicts, or health crises – as a questionable move given the peaceful, seamless transition they had aimed to achieve.
Hold on to Your Citizenship!
Despite the backlash from affected parties, the decree is expected to remain in force, as Italy's ruling coalition holds a strong majority in both houses of parliament. Lawmakers have 60 days to review and ratify the decree.
Looking Ahead: Proposed Changes to the Italian Citizenship Landscape
As if the shakeup in rules for descent wasn't enough, the government also unveiled two additional draft bills aimed at further restricting Italian citizenship by blood and marriage, as well as overhauling the application process.
These draft bills are still undergoing the parliamentary process and are subject to changes. However, they provide a clear vision of the government's future plans for Italian citizenship.
H sticks to Italy
The first draft law places emphasis on the notion that descendants should demonstrate an active connection with Italy throughout their lives. To this end, people born abroad must register their birth certificates with Italian authorities before their 25th birthday if they wish to claim citizenship later. Failing to do so risks losing the right to citizenship by blood due to a lack of meaningful ties with Italy.
Italian citizens who were born outside Italy and reside abroad would likewise be required to exercise their rights and fulfill certain duties at least once every 25 years to maintain their citizenship status. The specific duties remain unclear at this time but are thought to include tasks like renewing passports or voting in Italian elections.
Those who lose their citizenship will have the choice to reacquire it after spending a continuous two-year stretch living in Italy.
Citizenship by Marriage
Under the revised rules, only spouses of Italian nationals living in the country will be eligible for naturalization, making it much harder for ITalian citizens living abroad to pass their citizenship to their partners.
The draft law continues to require spouses of Italian citizens to pass a B1 language exam as part of their citizenship application, with no plans to modify this requirement in the near future.
Pacing the Line: Longer Wait Times and Higher Fees
The second draft law is poised to expand the maximum wait time for citizenship application processing from 24 to 48 months. Although an increase in fees from €600 to €700 by 2026 has yet to be officially announced, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani did hint at this possibility during a press conference last month.
Centralized Processing
Another significant change is the establishment of a dedicated department within the Italian Foreign Ministry to handle citizenship applications. With the current process involving Italian consulates, which have been overwhelmed by increasing applications, this overhaul aims to streamline the bureaucratic process and ensure more efficient processing of applications.
Why thestricter rules?
When unveiling the new regulations, Tajani stated that they were primarily aimed at reining in abuse of Italy's previous citizenship laws, which had resulted in massive backlogs at various offices. The reforms were also part of broader efforts to ensure that new citizens were genuinely connected to their ancestral homeland.
Future Outlook
Although the proposed changes have generated considerable debate, it remains to be seen whether these restrictions will lead to an uptick in immigration to Italy and help alleviate its ongoing demographic challenges.
Some of our readers have expressed concerns about the implications these new regulations may have for their plans to set up businesses or relocate to Italy for work.
Moving Target
There is currently no publicly available information on when the parliamentary discussions surrounding the draft laws will take place. As the Italian legislative process progresses, we will continue to monitor these developments closely to keep you informed.
- The sudden adjustments in Italian citizenship laws concerning descent have caused a transport of shock among people of Italian descent worldwide.
- The Italian government's alteration of the law has triggered a massive wave of frustration and dismay, leaving many people with Italian roots feeling shut out from citizenship.
- The new Italian citizenship decree, vehemently criticized by opposition parties, was carried out through the controversial use of emergency decrees, sparking questions about the legality and fairness of the move.
- Italians residing outside of Italy might find themselves agreeing to maintain their ties with their ancestral homeland to preserve their Italian citizenship, with steps such as renewing passports or voting in elections being potentially mandated.
- The prospect of longer wait times and increased fees for citizenship applications is a topic of anxiety for individuals considering moving to Italy for work or starting a business.
- In a bid to stamp out abuse and ensure stronger connections among new citizens, the Italian government is planning to introduce tougher eligibility criteria for citizenship by marriage, potentially affecting Italians living abroad seeking to pass their citizenship to partners.
- The Italian government's immigration-related actions, including the revised citizenship rules, are part of a broader strategy to stimulate economic growth and overcome the country's demographic challenges.
- The legislative process for the citizenship overhaul draft bills, still in progress, is being closely observed and monitored to evaluate the potential impact on Italian citizens' rights, immigration patterns, and the overall economy.
- In the unpredictable landscape of Italian politics and general-news developments, the eventual levels of agreement among lawmakers on these new laws remains to be seen, with profound consequences for Italians, both at home and abroad.
