Italian nationality law
Definition
The body of legislation governing the acquisition, retention, and loss of Italian citizenship, primarily regulated by Law No. 91 of 1992, which emphasizes jus sanguinis (citizenship by descent or bloodline) over jus soli (birthright citizenship).
Recent reforms enacted in 2025 have restricted unlimited generational transmission of citizenship by descent, limiting automatic claims typically to two generations and introducing residency requirements for broader eligibility.
Italy's nationality framework allows citizenship through parentage, marriage, naturalization after residency, or birth in Italy under specific conditions, with provisions for minors and reacquisition.
Examples
Under the Italian nationality law, my great-grandpa's olive oil empire finally earned me an EU passport – until the 2025 reforms hit the brakes.
Navigating the Italian nationality law is like a family reunion: trace your bloodline back too far, and suddenly you're not invited anymore.
Thanks to Italian nationality law's generous jus sanguinis, I became a citizen without ever setting foot in Italy – now that's remote inheritance at its finest.
The latest tweaks to Italian nationality law have ancestry chasers swapping Nonna's recipes for residency proofs; progress or plot twist?