How Americans Can Pass Italian Citizenship to Their Children

Legal update (effective May 24, 2025): Italy converted Decree-Law No. 36/2025 into Law 74/2025. For children born abroad, “automatic” transmission is no longer valid. New rules apply to recognition and declarations for minors, and administrative recognition is generally limited to parent/grandparent lines. (Administrative recognition = a document-based, non-court recognition at a consulate or comune, as opposed to filing a case in court.)

For Italian Americans, the allure of dual citizenship goes beyond nostalgia. It’s a gateway to embracing cultural heritage, expanding opportunities, and solidifying ties to Italy. Passing Italian citizenship to your children is a powerful way to ensure that they too can enjoy these benefits.

Here’s what you need to know about Italian citizenship by descent, establishing your own citizenship, and transferring it to the next generation.

Italian Citizenship by Descent

Italian citizenship by descent operates under the principle of jure sanguinis (right of blood), meaning Italian citizenship for Italian Americans can be passed down through generations as long as there has been no renunciation along the way. To qualify for Italian citizenship by jure sanguinis, certain key criteria must be met:

• Uninterrupted Lineage: Your Italian ancestor must not have renounced their Italian citizenship before the birth of their child. For example, if your grandfather immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized American citizen, the date of his naturalization is critical. If he became a U.S. citizen before your father’s birth, the Italian descent lineage is broken.
• Proper Documentation: Proof of the Italian ancestor’s citizenship status and family lineage is required. This typically involves obtaining birth, marriage, and death certificates, along with naturalization records, from both Italian and U.S. authorities.

What Changed Under Law 74/2025

• For those born abroad (especially with another citizenship at birth), recognition is no longer automatic. You must now meet specific statutory conditions or use the new “declaration of will” routes for minors.
• New administrative filings are generally limited to parent/grandparent lines. More distant generations may require judicial (court) strategies and are not guaranteed under the current statutory framework.
• A child born abroad can still be treated as Italian from birth if (a) a parent or grandparent held exclusively Italian citizenship, or (b) the Italian parent legally resided in Italy for 2 continuous years after becoming Italian and before the child’s birth/adoption.
• A 2025 Constitutional Court decision (Judgment 142/2025) reaffirmed citizenship by descent as a birthright in principle, but it did not overturn the new procedures and limits now in force.

Establishing Your Own Italian Citizenship

The first step in passing citizenship to your children is to establish your own Italian citizenship. Here’s how:

• Gather Necessary Documents: Collect official records for every generation connecting you to your Italian ancestor. This includes birth, marriage, and death certificates for all relatives in the direct line, as well as the ancestor’s naturalization documents (or proof of non-naturalization).
• Authenticate Documents: Have the U.S. documents authenticated with an apostille and translated into Italian by a certified translator. Italian consulates require precise and professionally prepared translations.
• File Your Application: Submit your application at the Italian consulate with jurisdiction over your U.S. residence. Each consulate has specific requirements and wait times, so check their guidelines carefully.
• Register With an Italian Municipality: Once your application is approved, your information will be registered with an Italian municipality (comune), formalizing your Italian citizenship.

What’s New for Applicants in 2025

• Consular applications for recognition by descent now have a €600 fee per adult applicant.
  Some families now fall outside the administrative path and require a judicial strategy. Others can still proceed administratively when a parent/grandparent exception or the 2-year residence condition applies.

Passing Italian Citizenship to Your Children

Regarding Italian citizenship for Italian-Americans, the new rules focus on simple pathways you can plan around. Below is the general process and basic qualifications for dual citizenship in Italy.

Minors

If your child was born outside Italy, citizenship is no longer automatic due to Law 74/2025. Most families now use a parent/guardian “declaration of will” made within 1 year of birth so the child acquires while still abroad. Some children are recognized from birth without that step—typically where a parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship, or the Italian parent lived in Italy for 2 continuous years before the child’s birth.

If you miss the 1-year window, a later route exists but generally requires 2 years of the child’s legal residence in Italy after you file the declaration. This is the simplest way to think about Italian citizenship for children under the current framework.

Unborn Children

If you’re expecting, plan early. The cleanest path is to make the 1-year declaration after birth if the baby is born abroad. If you expect to meet a “from birth” condition (for example, the qualifying parent’s prior 2-year residence in Italy), you’ll still register the birth and follow your consulate’s process. These planning steps help families pursuing Italian citizenship by birth keep timelines predictable.

Adult Children (18+)

Adults aren’t added through a parent’s file. They apply on their own, usually via a parent or grandparent line (the scope for new administrative filings today). If that line doesn’t fit, consider alternate routes such as residency in Italy or marriage to an Italian citizen.

In all cases, the evidence still centers on Italian ancestry—proving the uninterrupted line from the Italian ancestor—and meeting the current statutory pathway.

Unlock Your Family’s Italian Legacy

Navigating the process of obtaining Italian descent citizenship and transferring it to your children can be complicated, but you don’t have to do it alone. Let the expert team at the Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program help you uncover your Italian roots, manage the paperwork, and guide you every step of the way.

Under today’s law, proper timing and documentation are vital. We’ll help you confirm eligibility (including the new requirements for dual citizenship in Italy), evaluate recognition routes for your family, and submit on time. We’re an excellent resource for anyone pursuing Italian citizenship for children now, planning for a future birth abroad, or exploring options for adult family members.

Contact us today for Italian citizenship assistance and give your family the gift of a vibrant connection to Italy.

FAQs

Are my U.S.-born kids automatic citizens if I’m Italian?

No. Children born abroad who also hold another citizenship are no longer presumed Italian. Recognition now requires meeting specific conditions or using the new declaration paths.

What’s the “1-year declaration” rule for newborns abroad?

A parent/guardian can file a declaration of will within 1 year of birth (or legal recognition/adoption) so the child acquires citizenship.

Is there a transitional window for existing minors?

Yes—minors who were under 18 on May 24, 2025, can be declared up to May 31, 2026 (23:59 Rome time).

What if we miss the 1-year window?

A later route exists, but the child must legally and continuously reside in Italy for 2 years after the declaration (not automatic).

How much does the minors’ declaration cost?

Consulates require proof of the €250 Ministry of Interior contribution per minor when you appear to make the declaration.

Does AIRE registration alone make my child a citizen?

No. AIRE entry by itself no longer recognizes a child born abroad. A formal declaration or qualifying condition is required.