How Obtain Italian Dual Citizenship When You Don’t Qualify

Not everyone with Italian ancestry can use citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) to secure recognition. Recent updates in Italian law—most notably Law 74/2025—have changed how jure sanguinis works and created new conditions around parentage, residency, and citizenship transmission. As a result, many people who once assumed they were eligible are finding that they no longer meet today’s standards.

Still, not qualifying for jure sanguinis doesn’t mean the end of your journey. Italian law continues to offer several legitimate ways to obtain dual citizenship, or to live in Italy long-term and work toward citizenship through other routes. Understanding these options is essential if your family line, your documentation, or the new rules prevent you from claiming citizenship through ancestry.

Below, we’ll explain every major alternative pathway available today. If your goal is Italian dual citizenship, there is nearly always another route worth exploring.

1. Naturalization by Residency in Italy

For many people who can’t qualify for Italian citizenship through jure sanguinis, naturalization through residency becomes the most realistic option. This is a structured, well-recognized pathway under Italian law that does not require Italian ancestry, though reduced timeframes are available for those with an Italian parent or grandparent by birth.

Who this route helps

• Individuals with distant Italian ancestry who don’t meet the strict generational limits of current jure sanguinis rules.
• Applicants whose Italian ancestors naturalized before the line continued.
• Anyone with no Italian ancestry who simply wants to live in Italy long term and ultimately apply for citizenship.

Residency timeframes under current law

Under Law 91/1992, as amended by Law 74/2025:

• 10 years of legal residency for non-EU citizens.
• 4 years for EU citizens.
• 5 years for refugees or stateless individuals.
• 2 years for people whose parent or grandparent is or was an Italian citizen by birth. This is a reduced timeframe introduced by Law 74/2025.

This two-year option is not the same as Italian citizenship by descent. It is still naturalization, not recognition, but it can significantly speed the process for those with close Italian roots who can’t qualify through ancestry.

Other requirements

Residency-based naturalization also requires:

• Continuous legal residence (visa, permesso di soggiorno, and registration with your comune).
• Proof of stable income at or above the annual Italian social allowance (assegno sociale) level, adjusted each year.
• Background and security checks.
• B1 Italian language proficiency, demonstrated through an approved exam OR certain Italian educational credentials.

How this fits a long-term plan

Naturalization by residency is the clearest pathway when ancestry isn’t enough. ITAMCAP helps applicants evaluate whether the two-year rule applies and coordinate with Italian legal professionals to structure a lawful residency and citizenship plan.

2. Citizenship Through Marriage or Civil Union

Marriage to an Italian citizen provides a separate legal route to Italian dual citizenship that does not rely on lineage and remains widely accessible.

Eligibility requirements

To apply for citizenship through marriage, you must:

• Be legally married to or in a civil union with an Italian citizen.
• Maintain the marital relationship until the citizenship decree is issued.
• Meet the required waiting periods:
  • 2 years of residency in Italy after the marriage; or
  • 3 years from the marriage date if living abroad.
  • These periods are cut in half if the couple has a biological or adopted child.

Applicants must also demonstrate B1-level Italian—either by passing an approved language exam or through qualifying Italian educational credentials—with limited exceptions for documented disabilities, and they must clear standard background checks.

Why this matters if you can’t qualify through ancestry

Even if your lineage doesn’t satisfy Italian citizenship eligibility requirements under current jure sanguinis law, a marital bond with an Italian citizen unlocks a completely separate path that still leads to full dual citizenship and the right to live in Italy permanently.

3. Reacquiring Italian Citizenship as a Former Italian Citizen

Many people don’t realize they may already have a historical tie to Italy strong enough to reopen. Those who previously held Italian citizenship—but lost it through naturalization abroad or older legal rules—may have a path back.

Ordinary reacquisition

Former citizens can often regain their citizenship by:

• Returning to Italy,
• Establishing legal residency, and
• Filing a formal declaration to reacquire Italian citizenship.

For certain women who automatically lost citizenship upon marriage before 1948, simpler procedures may apply.

The 2025–2027 reacquisition window

Law 74/2025 amended Article 17 of Law 91/1992, creating a temporary opportunity:

• Former citizens who lost citizenship under specific provisions of Law 555/1912 can reacquire it by declaration.
• The application window runs from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2027. Declarations may be filed at Italian consulates abroad or at comuni in Italy, depending on where the applicant resides.
• To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they were born in Italy OR (if born abroad) resided in Italy for at least two continuous years AND lost their citizenship before August 16, 1992.

Reacquisition takes effect from the day after the declaration and has no retroactive effect, so it does not automatically “back-date” your status or cure gaps in the past.

ITAMCAP evaluates family histories to determine whether you or your parent/grandparent falls within this unique reopening.

4. Citizenship Options for Children Under Law 74/2025

Italy’s 2025 reforms introduced new rules for children, especially minors born abroad to Italian citizens. These changes created two key categories:

Children recognized as citizens from birth

A child is considered Italian at birth when:

• They are born in Italy to at least one Italian parent, or
• They are born abroad and meet one of the specific conditions under Law 74/2025, such as: their parent or grandparent held solely Italian citizenship (with no other citizenship) at the relevant time, or their Italian parent lived in Italy for at least two continuous years after obtaining Italian citizenship and before the birth of the child.

Citizenship by parental declaration (“benefit of law”)

When the above conditions are not met, parents who are Italian citizens from birth (including those recognized by descent, but not those who acquired citizenship by naturalization, marriage, or reacquisition) can still secure citizenship for their child by:

• Filing a declaration at the consulate within one year of birth (for children born after March 27, 2025).
• Using transitional deadlines for older minors (generally through May 31, 2026).

If no declaration is filed within the required deadlines, the child will no longer be able to use the benefit-of-law route. In that case, they may still pursue citizenship later through the ordinary residency-based naturalization rules as an adult, which generally involve a longer period of legal residence in Italy and the standard language and integration requirements.

5. Citizenship for Long-Term Residents Born and Raised in Italy

Italy offers a path for second-generation residents who grew up in Italy but were not Italian at birth.

A foreign citizen who is born in Italy and lives there legally and continuously until turning 18 years of age may acquire citizenship by declaration within one year after turning 18.

For families seeking to live in Italy long term, even if they currently lack a path to citizenship, this offers a powerful future option for their children.

6. Exceptional Naturalization for Special Merit

Italian law also allows the President of the Republic to grant citizenship to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to Italy’s cultural, scientific, humanitarian, economic, or diplomatic interests.

This path is very rare and not a realistic route for most applicants, but it remains part of the legal framework.

7. When Citizenship Isn’t Realistic: Legal Ways to Live in Italy Long Term

Sometimes the most realistic path involves establishing a lawful long-term presence in Italy and building toward citizenship later. Many people pursue this path because it complements their lifestyle goals or family needs.

Long-stay visa options

To stay in Italy for more than 90 days, U.S. citizens must obtain a long-stay visa before traveling. Several visa categories support extended residence:

• Elective residence visa for financially independent individuals with passive income and private health insurance.
• Work visa, obtained through employer sponsorship under Italy’s quota system.
• Digital nomad/remote worker visa, designed for certain professionals working for non-Italian employers.
• Student and family-reunion visas in specific circumstances.

After arriving in Italy, residents apply for a permesso di soggiorno, which maintains legal residency.

How this connects to citizenship

Establishing long-term residency is not citizenship, but it can lead to it. Once you meet the naturalization timeframes (2, 4, 5, or 10 years depending on your category), you may apply for Italian citizenship through residency.

This allows many people who cannot pursue Italian citizenship by descent to still achieve their long-term goal of dual citizenship.

At ITAMCAP, we help clients understand which visa options support a citizenship plan and connect them to qualified immigration counsel when needed.

Choosing the Right Path

If you can’t qualify for Italian citizenship through jure sanguinis, you still have strong, legally sound options. Naturalization by residency, citizenship through marriage, reacquisition programs, benefit-of-law pathways for children, and long-term residence strategies can all lead to the same end result: full Italian dual citizenship and the chance to live in Italy with complete rights.

The key is identifying the correct strategy for your family’s history and your life plans. Italian citizenship law has changed significantly, and professional guidance ensures you’re pursuing the path that matches your personal background and timelines.

If you’re unsure which option fits your situation, ITAMCAP can help. A free consultation can clarify your Italian citizenship eligibility and help you begin your journey toward a future in Italy.