Italy restricts citizenship by descent under new Law 74/2025

Italy's Law 74/2025 has significantly altered the process for recognizing citizenship by descent, impacting millions of descendants, including many in Brazil. The new legislation, which came into effect on May 24, 2025, following the conversion of Decree-Law 36, ends the previous model of unlimited generational transmission.

Under the new rules, citizenship requests are restricted to children and grandchildren of Italians, provided they can demonstrate a genuine connection to the country. Descendants of great-grandparents or further ancestors, who previously held a lifelong and transmissible right, now face significant barriers. They may only qualify in specific circumstances, such as having a direct ancestor who maintained exclusive nationality or resided in Italy for a set period.

A distinction has been made for those who had already filed or scheduled requests at consulates, municipalities, or courts before March 27, 2025. These individuals remain under the previous regulations, a status described by Fabiola Gomes Carvalho, president of the association Patrimonio Italiano, as an acquired right. However, those who did not formalize their requests by that deadline face new obstacles when their lineage extends beyond the second degree.