New provisions have come into force in relation to minor children who have not automatically acquired Italian citizenship by descent.
Law No.74/2025 introduced a ‘grace period’ to register minor children of Italian citizens by descent who do not fall into the current two generation cap, i.e. their last Italian-born ancestor was not a parent or a grandparent.
The law has set a key deadline i.e. 31 May 2026 for parents who are seeking to have their minor children recognised as Italian citizens.
The new law states that if a child was under the age of 18 on 24 May 2025, the Italian parent may submit a declaration (which must be signed by both parents) at the Italian Consulate with jurisdiction by no later than 31 May 2026. It is important to note that the Italian parent must have already been recognised as an Italian citizen by descent (ius sanguins) to submit this declaration and supporting documentation will need to be presented as part of the application.
If the minor child turns 18 between 24 May 2025 and 31 May 2026, the young adult will have to make the declaration themselves within the same deadline.
It is advisable that those who are eligible should apply as soon as possible as there are significant delays in processing applications in general at Italian Consulates.
In the event an application is submitted after the 31 May 2026 deadline, a minor child may still acquire Italian citizenship, but different conditions will apply depending on the child’s age.
If the declaration of intent to acquire citizenship is submitted by the Italian parent within one year from the child’s birth, the child may still obtain citizenship without additional requirements.
However, if the minor is older than one year, the parent must first submit the declaration of intent, and the child will be required to reside in Italy for two years following the submission of the declaration.
Considering the above, we would advise parents to act as soon as possible.