Italy Announces New Requirements for Foreigners Seeking Citizenship Through Ancestry

• Italy passed Law No. 11/2026, transferring adult citizenship-by-descent applications to a new Ministry of Foreign Affairs office from January 1, 2029
• The Italian Consulate General in Sydney suspended new appointments for adult applicants following volume restrictions introduced by the new legislation
• A separate 2025 law capped citizenship transmission at two generations, adding new conditions for descendants born abroad

Italy has enacted sweeping changes to its citizenship-by-descent programme, restructuring how adults living outside the country can apply for Italian nationality through their ancestry.

Under Law No. 11/2026, adult applications for citizenship recognition submitted by people residing abroad will, from 1 January 2029, be processed exclusively by a dedicated office established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome.

Prior to that date, diplomatic and consular offices retain the ability to accept a limited number of applications until 31 December 2028.

Sydney consulate halts new appointments

The Italian Consulate General in Sydney moved quickly in response to the legislation, announcing the suspension of new appointments for adult citizenship-by-descent applicants.

The consulate cited the volume constraints introduced by the new law as the reason for the halt. Eligibility for applications through that office is restricted to Australian citizens or permanent residents living in New South Wales.

For those who do proceed with an application, the process requires a booked appointment through the Prenot@mi portal, with all original documents submitted in person on the day, fully legalised and translated into Italian.

A non-refundable processing fee of 600 euros applies, payable in Australian dollars by cash or debit card. The standard processing period stands at 730 days under a presidential decree issued in January 2014, and original documents submitted will not be returned to applicants.

Two-generation cap and new conditions

The changes to adult applications are not the only significant shift in Italian citizenship law. A separate piece of legislation, Law No. 74 of 23 May 2025, reshaped the rules around generational transmission, limiting the passing of Italian citizenship to a maximum of two generations from parent to child.

For this rule to apply, the Italian parent must not have renounced Italian citizenship or naturalised in another country before the birth of the direct descendant.

Applicants born abroad must also satisfy at least one of three additional conditions: they hold no other citizenship and cannot acquire one; a parent or grandparent held exclusively Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant's birth or the ancestor's death; or an Italian parent lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after gaining citizenship and before the applicant's birth or adoption.

A longstanding restriction also remains in force: a woman can only transmit Italian citizenship to descendants from 1 January 1948 onwards.

Not all applicants are affected by the new rules. Recognition of Italian citizenship for minors through descent remains unaffected, as do non-automatic acquisitions such as naturalisations and grants based on legal entitlement under existing Italian law.

Italy allows citizens of 6 countries to live and work long-term

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Italy had announced a pathway for young nationals from six countries to live and work within its borders through a Working Holiday Visa programme backed by bilateral government agreements.

The six countries whose citizens qualify under the scheme are New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Source: YEN.com.gh