Many Americans’ hopes of relocating to Italy to live out their Strega Nona dreams are temporarily on hold. Italy has slammed the door, at least for now, on the path to acquiring citizenship via ancestry for some Italian descendants; this is also known as jus sanguinis, or citizenship by bloodline.
For decades, people of Italian descent around the world have sifted through family records, hoping to trace their lineage back to an Italian-born great-grandparent who, when recognized, gives them access to one of the world’s most powerful passports and a gateway to living and working legally in the European Union. But on March 28, in a surprise move, the Italian government introduced new restrictions that not only make the rules for obtaining Italian citizenship by blood significantly stricter but also put a freeze on processing new applications.
What Italy’s new citizenship decree actually says
DL 36, also known as the Tajani decree-law, named after Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who authored the reform, tightens the criteria for claiming Italian citizenship. Under the new rules, only those with an Italian parent or grandparent can apply, a significant shift from the previous policy, which allowed applicants to apply through historic lineage—that is, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents who emigrated generations ago.
“Italian citizenship is a serious matter,” Tajani said at a March 28 press conference. “Citizenship must reflect a real and emotional bond with Italy.” According to the Foreign Ministry, citizenship recognitions abroad have surged, especially in South America, where millions of Italians emigrated during the 19th and 20th centuries. Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Italians registered overseas rose by 40 percent, from 4.6 to 6.4 million, most through jus sanguinis claims.
Many applicants, Tajani noted, have no real connection to the country—they don’t live in Italy, pay taxes, or maintain any cultural or linguistic ties, which is why the new measure could potentially require language proficiency and could eventually mean that Italian citizens living abroad must return for voting and social services and/or reside in the country for as-of-yet undefined periods of time.
The deadline for a transition from decree to law
For now, the new regulations constitute a decree, which means that they are not entirely set in stone. The Italian Parliament has until May 28 to act on the decree and convert it into law, and in the meantime, modifications and updates to the Tajani reform are expected. Meanwhile, legal challenges are already in motion, with cases scheduled to go before the Supreme Court in June.
What this means for Italian descendants
Right now, it means Italian descendants cannot submit their application for citizenship via heritage—there’s a freeze on the jus sanguinis application process until May 28. While the decree seeks to promote cultural heritage and curb the opportunistic use of Italian citizenship (such as access to great health care and the ability to roam freely in EU states), it is also not official law until May 28. And by that date, the rules and requirements may be slightly different than the March 28 decree, which is why consulates, embassies, and city halls are currently not accepting any new applications for jus sanguinis citizenship.
In the meantime, lawyers and citizenship consultants are advising people not to give up just yet. “Even though the decree-law has changed, it will likely be fine-tuned and challenged,” said Arturo Grasso, a Rome-based attorney specializing in Italian citizenship law. “I’m advising clients to continue to gather their documentation [i.e., birth, marriage, death certificates, apostilles, translations, et al.] because that process is the most work.”
What if you applied before March 28?
Don’t worry. If you submitted your application before March 27, you’re in the queue and will be processed to the predecree terms.
