JH Marlin: Your Partners for Securing Second Citizenship with Italian Citizenship by Descent
Reconnect with your Italian heritage and unlock the benefits of European Union citizenship.
Italy’s citizenship by descent, officially known as jure sanguinis (“right of blood”), allows individuals of Italian ancestry to reclaim their citizenship and the rights that come with it—freedom to live, work, and study anywhere in the EU, access to world-class education and healthcare, and visa-free travel to over 190 countries.
In 2025, major legislative reforms reshaped eligibility rules and application procedures. We explain the new law, eligibility pathways, required documentation, and how our experts at JH Marlin help clients successfully navigate the evolving Italian citizenship landscape.
Ready to start your journey? Contact JH Marlin to start your claim today.
What is Italy Citizenship by Descent?
Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) is the recognition of citizenship based on an unbroken bloodline from an Italian-born ancestor. We help our clients secure this right to Italian nationality by navigating the citizenship application process with the Italian government. This involves submitting documents tracing their lineage to an Italian municipality or Consulate, ensuring the ancestor never lost their citizenship before passing it on.
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Who Qualifies for Citizenship by Descent in Italy?
You may qualify if:
- Parent or Grandparent Link: Your parent or grandparent was an Italian citizen at the time of your birth.
- No Prior Naturalisation: Your ancestor did not voluntarily naturalise in another country before the birth of their child in your lineage.
- Effective Bond Requirement: If your Italian parent or Italian grandparent was born abroad, they must have resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years before your birth or maintained a demonstrable cultural connection.
- Maternal Line Cases: If claiming through a female ancestor, her child must have been born on or after 1 January 1948 (earlier cases require judicial petition).
Secure your birthright! Let our experts guide your successful citizenship claim now.
How to Apply for Italian Citizenship by Investment: Understanding Application Routes
1. Italian Consulate Abroad
This route requires applicants to submit their case through the Italian Consulate in their country of residence. Although often the most accessible option, wait times can be lengthy, sometimes exceeding a few years. Consular offices strictly apply Italian law, including new generational limits introduced by the 2025 legislation. You must book an appointment with the consular office and prove your unbroken line of descent from your Italian relatives, which our lawyers at JH Marlin can help you with.
2. Municipality in Italy (Comune)
Applicants can opt to establish temporary residency in an Italian municipality (Comune) and apply locally. This route is typically faster than applying at an Italian Consulate abroad, offering a streamlined administrative process. However, it requires a significant move to Italy to establish residency, which must be certified by the Italian relatives’ local government before citizenship recognition.
3. Italian Court Application
The judicial route is necessary for the 1948 maternal lineage cases and it is also used to challenge the new generational limits under the 2025 legislation for those with distant Italian roots. This application is filed directly with an Italian Court and requires mandatory representation by an Italian attorney.
Processing Time
Processing time for Italian citizenship by descent is highly variable, ranging from six months to over three years, depending primarily on the chosen application route and the complexity of your lineage and documentation. Consulates often have the longest backlogs, while Comune applications are generally faster.
Documents Needed for Italian Citizenship by Descent
At JH Marlin, our lawyers can help you collect the essential required vital records. This includes certified birth certificates, marriage certificates, and ancestor naturalization records from every generation.
Essential documents include:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates establishing the family line.
- Naturalisation certificates or official “no record of naturalisation” letters.
- Proof of Italian citizenship for the ancestor (e.g., passports, military or residency records).
- Certified Italian translations and apostilles/legalisations for all foreign documents.
- Supporting evidence of residence or cultural connection when invoking the “effective bond.”
Because of Italy’s strict verification procedures, even minor inconsistencies (e.g., name spelling or date errors) can cause delays—precise legal preparation is critical.
The Italian citizenship process can be confusing! Don't risk denial! Our meticulous document preparation helps to ensure a compliant file.
What are the Benefits of Citizenship in Italy?
EU Mobility
As an Italian citizen, you gain the automatic right to live, work, and study anywhere within the 27 European Union member states. This opens career and educational opportunities and removes the need for complex residence permits across the entire bloc.
Global Travel
The Italian passport is one of the world’s strongest, granting citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 190 countries and territories. This vastly simplifies international business and leisure travel, enhancing global freedom of movement.
Healthcare & Social Rights
Citizens have full access to Italy’s high-quality public healthcare system (SSN) upon establishing residency. Furthermore, you are entitled to reciprocal social benefits, including emergency medical care, across all EU member nations via the EHIC.
Education
Italian citizenship qualifies you for the same reduced or tuition-free rates as other EU nationals at public universities throughout Italy and across the European Union. This provides significant cost savings on higher education for you and your family.
Political Rights
Italian citizens possess full political rights, including the ability to vote in both Italian national elections and for representatives in the European Parliament. This grants a voice in the democratic process at both the domestic and pan-European levels.
Dual Citizenship
Italy is one of the countries that fully recognizes multiple citizenships, meaning you are not required to renounce your current nationality to become an Italian citizen. You can legally hold both passports, enjoying the benefits of each.
Generational Continuity
Once Italian citizenship is recognized for you, it automatically transfers to all your minor children. This ensures that the benefits of your status are permanently secured, guaranteeing their Italian/EU citizenship for life and for future generations.
Live, work, and thrive in Italy. Experience the benefits of Italian life by securing dual citizenship!
Legal Framework and 2025 Reforms for Italian Citizenship Through Ancestry
Italian citizenship law is rooted in the principle of jus sanguinis, meaning nationality is inherited through family bloodlines rather than place of birth. Historically, there was no generational limit—citizenship could be passed indefinitely as long as no ancestor naturalised abroad before the birth of the next generation.
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However, Decree-Law No. 36/2025, converted into Law No. 74/2025, introduced notable changes:
- Stricter generational limits (primarily children and grandchildren).
- A new “effective bond” requirement for descendants born outside Italy.
- Clearer documentation standards to verify lineage and citizenship continuity.
While consulates are now applying these updated rules, Italy’s Constitutional Court ruling of 31 July 2025 confirmed that citizenship validly acquired at birth under prior law cannot be revoked retroactively. Individuals affected by denials may therefore still seek recognition through Italian courts.
Transitional Provisions and Retroactivity
The 2025 reforms introduced immediate changes, creating complex legal challenges. Transitional Provisions and Retroactivity concerns are now central to legal strategy. We can expertly navigate these critical legal areas for your citizenship success.
- Applications filed before 28 March 2025 continue under pre-reform rules without generational limits.
- Court petitions lodged before that date are also processed under prior criteria.
- The Constitutional Court’s decision protects citizenship acquired at birth, ensuring that earlier generations retain their rights.
Those now excluded by the consular interpretation of the new law may still appeal through the courts with professional representation.
Challenges in 2025 for Securing Italian Dual Citizenship
The 2025 reforms introduced significant new hurdles. Applicants now face stricter generational limits, a requirement to prove a genuine “effective bond” to Italy, and heightened scrutiny over documentation, often necessitating court action. Let JH Marlin expertly navigate these complex, changing laws to successfully secure your second passport.
- Reduced Eligibility: New generational limits exclude distant-line descendants unless previously filed.
- Proof of Effective Bond: Applicants must demonstrate a genuine link to Italy through residence or cultural ties.
- Court Delays: Judicial challenges may be lengthy.
- Record Issues: Incomplete or inconsistent documentation can hinder approval.
Reclaim Your Italian Heritage with JH Marlin
Reconnecting with your Italian ancestry is more than a legal process—it is a return to heritage, opportunity, and freedom. With expert legal guidance and global experience, JH Marlin ensures that every application meets Italy’s evolving legal standards while maximising your chance of success.
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JH Marlin provides end-to-end support for clients pursuing Italian citizenship under the evolving 2025 framework. Our services include:
- Detailed eligibility assessment based on current law.
- Genealogical and document retrieval across Italy and abroad.
- Preparation of fully translated and apostilled application files.
- Appointment and consulate strategy to minimise waiting times.
- Legal representation in Italy for 1948 cases or court appeals.
- Ongoing communication with authorities to ensure accuracy and compliance.
With a decade of experience in global citizenship law, JH Marlin helps clients overcome bureaucratic challenges and achieve successful outcomes with confidence.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Italian Citizenship by Descent (FAQ)
1. Who qualifies for Italian citizenship by descent in 2025?
Children and most grandchildren of Italian citizens qualify if the ancestor did not naturalise elsewhere before the next generation’s birth. Great-grandchildren may qualify only through judicial petition.
2. What documents are required?
Birth, marriage, and death certificates for all generations, proof of Italian citizenship, non-naturalisation records, and certified Italian translations.
3. Does Italy allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Italy recognises dual or multiple citizenships without requiring renunciation of your existing nationality.
4. Are there language or income requirements?
No. Citizenship by descent does not require Italian-language proficiency or proof of income.
5. How long does the process take?
Timelines range from 6 months to 3 years depending on documentation, location, and whether court involvement is necessary.
6. Can children born to Italian mothers before 1948 claim citizenship?
Yes—but only through the Italian courts, as earlier laws discriminated against maternal transmission.