Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis: What It Is, How It Worked, and What Changed in 2025

27 May Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis: What It Is, How It Worked, and What Changed in 2025

Do you have an Italian great-grandparent or great-great-grandparent and have always thought you could apply for Italian citizenship by descent? Until recently, that was possible. But from 28 March 2025, the rules changed significantly, and thousands of people suddenly found themselves excluded from a process they had been planning. In this article we explain everything from the beginning: what jure sanguinis is, how it used to work, what has changed, and what you can still do today.

What Is Jure Sanguinis?

Jure sanguinis is a Latin expression meaning ‘right of blood’. It is the principle on which Italian citizenship law is based: you are Italian not because you were born in Italy (ius soli), but because you descend from an Italian citizen.

This principle, rooted in Italian legislation since the 19th century, had historically allowed millions of descendants of Italian emigrants — in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the USA, Australia and many other countries — to apply for and obtain Italian citizenship, even after many generations.

In theory, before the 2025 reform, it was sufficient to demonstrate an uninterrupted line of descent from an ancestor born after 17 March 1861 (the date of proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy) who had never renounced Italian citizenship.

How It Worked Before the Reform

Before Law 74/2025, the process was relatively straightforward: you needed to reconstruct your family tree, gather all the civil status documents of your ancestors (birth, marriage and death certificates) and demonstrate that the chain of citizenship transmission had never been broken.

There was no generational limit: if your great-grandfather was Italian and had never renounced his citizenship before your grandfather was born, citizenship was passed on. And so on, generation after generation.

Applications could be submitted at the competent Italian Consulate or, in some cases, directly through Italian courts.

What Changed with Law 74/2025

IMPORTANT: From 28 March 2025, with the entry into force of Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025 (published in the Official Gazette on 23 May 2025), the automatic recognition of citizenship jure sanguinis was significantly restricted. In March 2026, the Constitutional Court confirmed the legality of these restrictions.

The key change affects people born abroad who already hold another citizenship: for them, Italian citizenship is no longer transmitted automatically.

The New Rules: Who Still Has an Automatic Right

Italian citizenship jure sanguinis is still transmitted automatically only in the following cases:

• The descendant has no other citizenship and cannot acquire one (e.g. stateless persons)
• The transmitting parent was EXCLUSIVELY Italian at the time of the child’s birth (held no other citizenship)
• The Italian parent had legally and continuously resided in Italy for at least 2 years before the child’s birth
• The Italian parent or grandparent was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen
• The recognition application had already been submitted or was pending before a court by 27 March 2025

Who Is Excluded from Automatic Transmission

Under the new rules, the following no longer have an automatic right to recognition:

• Those born abroad to Italian descendants of the third generation or beyond (e.g. the great-grandfather was Italian, but the parents were born abroad with another citizenship)
• Those with an Italian parent who also holds another citizenship and never resided in Italy for at least 2 years before the birth
• Those relying solely on more distant ancestors (great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents) without a direct link to a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen by birth

What If You Don’t Meet the Automatic Criteria?

Alternative routes still exist:

1. Facilitated citizenship for descendants (residence in Italy)

Descendants of Italian citizens who do not meet the automatic criteria may apply for Italian citizenship after legally residing in Italy for at least 2 years. This is a longer route but still available.

2. Naturalisation by residency

Alternatively, it is possible to apply for citizenship by naturalisation after a certain number of years of legal residence in Italy (generally 10 years, reduced in specific cases).

3. Citizenship by marriage

If you are married to an Italian citizen, you can apply for citizenship by marriage — a procedure that has remained broadly unchanged. We have covered this in a dedicated article on our blog.

Documents Required for Those Who Still Meet the Criteria

For those who still satisfy the automatic requirements, the documents to gather generally include:

• Birth, marriage and death certificates of all ancestors in the Italian line (apostilled and translated)
• Citizenship certificate of the Italian ancestor (or proof that they never renounced citizenship)
• Proof of the transmitting parent’s residence in Italy (if applicable)
• Identity documents of the applicant

TIP: Before gathering any documents, have your genealogical situation assessed by a professional. Under the new rules, starting an application without the right eligibility is a waste of time and money.

How We Can Help

Words at Hand supports families with Italian heritage with all the documentation needed for jure sanguinis citizenship applications:

• Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates of Italian ancestors
• Translation of foreign documents for the Italian Consulate (Portuguese, Spanish, English → Italian)
• Document verification before submission
• Urgent service available

Contact us for a free consultation: cristina@wordsathand.com | WhatsApp: +44 7824 347667 | wordsathand.com/contact