Italy tightens citizenship rules, limiting ancestry-based applications

Italy has tightened its citizenship law, restricting the ability to obtain an Italian passport based on ancestry.

As reported by Caliber.Az, referencing the official Italian government website, the previous law allowed anyone who could prove they had an Italian ancestor born after March 17, 1861 (the founding of the Kingdom of Italy) to apply for citizenship. However, this system has been criticized for being misused. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani pointed out that many people were flooding consulates abroad seeking Italian passports, which offer visa-free access to more countries.

Under the new rules, citizenship by descent will now only be granted to those whose parents or grandparents were born in Italy. This new requirement aims to curb the rise in citizenship applications based on ancestral ties.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported a significant increase in the number of Italians abroad, especially in South America, where millions of Italians emigrated in the 19th and 20th centuries to escape poverty.

Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Italians living abroad grew by 40%, from 4.6 million to 6.4 million, many of whom gained citizenship under the previous rules. In Argentina, the number of recognized Italian citizens rose from 20,000 in 2023 to 30,000 in 2024, and in Brazil, from 14,000 to 20,000.

Tajani also noted that companies were profiting immensely by helping people trace lost family ties and obtain necessary birth certificates, which was overloading municipal offices with documentation requests.

In addition to proving their ancestry, applicants for Italian citizenship will now be required to demonstrate knowledge of the Italian language, a requirement that previously only applied to naturalization through long-term residence or marriage.

By Tamilla Hasanova