Scope of Application
The new Article 17, paragraph 1, of Law no. 91/1992, as amended by Law no. 74/2025, establishes the reacquisition of Italian citizenship when the following requirements are met:
- a) The applicant must have been born in Italy or have been a resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years;
- b) The applicant must have lost Italian citizenship no later than 15 August 1992 in one of the following cases:
- They voluntarily acquired foreign citizenship no later than 15 August 1992 and established residence abroad (Article 8, no. 1 of Law no. 555/1912);
- Having acquired foreign citizenship involuntarily, they renounced Italian citizenship and established residence abroad (Article 8, no. 2 of Law no. 555/1912);
- As an unemancipated minor child of a person who lost Italian citizenship, they shared residence with the parent and acquired the citizenship of a foreign State (Article 12 of Law no. 555/1912).
The new Article 17, paragraph 1, of Law no. 91/1992 does NOT apply to:
- Former citizens born abroad who were not resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years;
- Those who lost citizenship after 15 August 1992 (for any reason);
- Those who lost citizenship by accepting employment from a foreign government or by serving in the military of a foreign power and persisted in such service despite being ordered by the Italian Government to resign within a specified timeframe;
- Those who failed to exercise the option provided under Article 5, second paragraph, of Law no. 123/1983 (minor child, including adopted, of an Italian father or mother who, in cases of dual citizenship, could opt for only one citizenship within a year of reaching majority of age and did not do so).
Period of Application
The declaration of intent to reacquire Italian citizenship by a former citizen may be submitted between 1 July 2025 and 31 December 2027.
Procedure for Declaring the Intent to Reacquire Italian Citizenship
Before making the declaration, the applicant must:
- a) Identify himself/herself with a valid identity document issued by the authorities of their current country of citizenship;
- b) Provide complete and authentic, original documentation proving:
- Their full personal details (via birth certificate — for those born abroad, it must comply with Italian registration requirements, be legalised [apostilled], and translated);
- Only for those born abroad: proof of residence in Italy for at least two consecutive years (via historical residence certificate);
- Previous possession of Italian citizenship (via historical citizenship certificate);
- The cause of loss of Italian citizenship (by documentation proving acquisition of foreign citizenship and, where applicable, renunciation of Italian citizenship — e.g., Australian certificate of naturalisation. Foreign-issued documents must be properly legalised [apostilled] and translated);
- The date citizenship was lost (typically proven through the same documentation as above).
Self-declarations pursuant to Articles 46 and 47 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 are NOT accepted as valid proof.
- c) Pay a consular fee of Euros 250 at the Consular Office.
The declaration must be made in person by the applicant before a consular official authorised to carry out civil status functions, who must personally receive the declaration. No witnesses are required.
Effects of the Declaration of Intent to Reacquire Italian Citizenship
From the day after the declaration, the former citizen reacquires Italian citizenship.
The declaration has no retroactive effect: from the date of loss of citizenship (for naturalised foreigners, the day after acquiring foreign citizenship) until the day the declaration is made, the individual is considered a foreigner in all respects under the law.
Reacquisition of citizenship entails the recovery of the rights and duties of Italian citizenship, including:
- Obligation to register with AIRE (Registry of Italians Residing Abroad);
- Obligation to update civil status records (e.g., providing marriage certificate, divorce decrees, etc.);
- Right to be enrolled in electoral lists;
- Right to obtain a passport and ID card, upon booking an appointment through the Prenot@mi portal.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please note that the reacquisition of citizenship by a person residing abroad no longer results in the automatic acquisition of citizenship by their minor cohabiting child, if also residing abroad.
For such acquisition (known as communicatio iuris), it is now required that the minor resides in Italy with the parent reacquiring citizenship for at least two years prior to the reacquisition.
Therefore, children (whether minors or adults) residing abroad and born before the parent’s reacquisition do NOT automatically acquire Italian citizenship.
However, if the parent was originally an Italian citizen by birth, a child born before the reacquisition may obtain citizenship through residence in Italy, under:
- Article 4(1)(c) or
- Article 9(1)(a) of Law no. 91/1992.
Lastly, because a parent reacquiring citizenship is no longer considered a citizen by birth, but by reacquisition, it is NOT possible to submit a declaration of intent to acquire citizenship “by benefit of law” for their minor children (see the new rules on registering the birth certificates of minor children).