Following the amendments introduced by Legislative Decree No. 36 of March 28, 2025, converted into Law No. 74 of May 23, 2025, and subsequent provisions set by Law No. 199 of December 30, 2025, the legislation regarding the acquisition of Italian citizenship for minors born abroad has been updated.
In certain situations, minors born abroad to parent who is an Italian citizen do not automatically acquire Italian citizenship at birth.
In such cases, citizenship may be acquired through a parental declaration, as provided for in Article 4, paragraph 1-bis of Law No. 91/1992, or by the temporary provisions introduced by Legislative Decree No. 36/2025.
A minor who acquires citizenship through this procedure is not an Italian citizen by birth or by jure sanguinis: if citizenship is granted, it is formally acquired starting from the day after the date upon which the parents’ declaration was given.
A person who has acquired Italian citizenship through this procedure may renounce it upon reaching legal age, provided the person holds at least the citizenship of one other country.
- WHEN DOES THIS PROCEDURE APPLY?
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THE DECLARATION
- HOW TO SUBMIT THE DECLARATION
- REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
Last update: March 20, 2026