Italian citizenship is governed primarily by Law No. 91 of 5 February 1992, which regulates the various ways in which citizenship may be acquired, reacquired, and recognised.<\/p>\n
In 2025, the rules governing the transmission of citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis<\/em>) were amended by Decree-Law No. 36 of 28 March 2025, converted with amendments by Law No. 74 of 23 May 2025, in force since 24 May 2025, which introduced new generational limits and requirements of an effective connection with Italy.<\/p>\n Italian citizenship continues to be based on the principle of “ius sanguinis”<\/strong> (right of blood), whereby a child born to an Italian father or an Italian mother is Italian. It should be noted that an Italian mother has only been able to transmit citizenship to her children since 1 January 1948, as a result of a specific ruling of the Constitutional Court. Children of an Italian citizen father or mother are therefore Italian from birth, even if born abroad, subject to the new requirements introduced by the 2025 reform for those born overseas. In such cases, the birth certificate must be transcribed in the civil status registers of the relevant Italian municipality (Comune<\/em>).<\/p>\n In addition to descent, current legislation provides that Italian citizenship may be acquired under certain other specific circumstances.<\/p>\n For this reason, it is important to correctly identify the applicable category before submitting an application, in order to avoid delays or rejections resulting from an inadmissible application.<\/p>\n For the complete legislation, please consult the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Which procedure applies to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Answer the question that matches your situation to identify the correct procedure and access the dedicated page with requirements, documents, and the application process.<\/p>\n Do you have a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen, and do you want to have your Italian citizenship recognised by descent (iure sanguinis<\/em>)?<\/strong> Are you married to, or in a civil union with, an Italian citizen, and do you want to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage or civil union?<\/strong> Are you the parent of a minor child born abroad, and do you want them to acquire Italian citizenship “by operation of law” together with you or with the other parent?<\/strong> Has your minor child been living with you, and have you not been an Italian citizen since their birth: do you want to check whether they can acquire Italian citizenship?<\/strong> Have you lost Italian citizenship (for example, through naturalisation in another country), and do you now want to reacquire it?<\/strong> Do you fall within one of the categories provided for under special laws (for example, refugees from Istria, Dalmatia, and Fiume) for the recognition of Italian citizenship?<\/strong> Are you an Italian citizen who has moved abroad, already holds another citizenship, and wants to renounce your Italian citizenship?<\/strong> Do you need a certificate confirming that you have not renounced your Italian citizenship?<\/strong> If you are unsure which category applies to your case, or if your situation involves elements of more than one category (for example, descent combined with residence in Italy), we recommend contacting the Consulate’s Citizenship Office before submitting your application, by writing to brisbane.cittadinanza@esteri.it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Territorial Jurisdiction<\/strong><\/p>\n The Consulate of Italy in Brisbane is competent to handle citizenship applications submitted ONLY<\/strong> by:<\/p>\n
\nCitizenship by Descent and Adoption<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCitizenship by Marriage or Civil Union<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAcquisition of Citizenship “by Operation of Law” (Minor Children Born Abroad)<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAcquisition of Citizenship by Minor Children Living with a Non-Citizen Parent Since Birth<\/a><\/p>\n
\nReacquisition of Citizenship<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRecognition Under Special Laws<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRenunciation of Italian Citizenship<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCertificate of “Non-Renunciation”<\/a><\/p>\n\n