Italian Citizenship Reacquisition

Summary

Italy has reopened a temporary citizenship reacquisition route for certain former Italian citizens. Under Law 74/2025, some people who lost Italian citizenship before August 16, 1992 can reacquire it by making a declaration at the competent Italian consulate between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027.

This route is for the former citizen personally. It is not a new citizenship-by-descent route for descendants, and Italian consulates emphasize that reacquisition under this temporary rule does not automatically give citizenship to children living abroad.

Reacquisition is also not retroactive. If approved through the declaration route, the person becomes Italian again from the day after the declaration is made, not from birth and not from the date they originally lost citizenship.

Eligibility

You may qualify if all of the following are true:

• You used to be an Italian citizen and are not currently Italian.
• You were born in Italy, or you were born abroad and lived in Italy for at least two continuous years.
• You lost Italian citizenship before August 16, 1992.
• The loss happened under one of the old Law 555/1912 scenarios covered by the 2025 reform, such as voluntarily acquiring a foreign citizenship while living abroad, renouncing Italian citizenship after automatically receiving another citizenship, or losing citizenship as a minor because a parent lost it.
• You can sign the declaration during the current window, which runs from July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027.

You generally do not qualify under this temporary declaration route if you lost Italian citizenship on or after August 16, 1992, or if you never personally held Italian citizenship.

How the process works

The former citizen signs a declaration of reacquisition before the competent Italian consular office. The consulate reviews documents showing the prior Italian citizenship, the loss of citizenship, and the qualifying birth or residence history.

Common documents may include:

• Valid identification and proof of current citizenship.
• Italian birth record, or foreign birth record registered in Italy.
• Records showing the date and legal basis for the loss of Italian citizenship.
• Foreign naturalization or citizenship records, if the loss was tied to acquiring another nationality.
• Historical residence certificate from Italy, if relying on two continuous years of residence in Italy.
• Civil-status records needed to update Italian records, such as marriage or divorce records.

The declaration normally must be made in person. Once completed, citizenship is reacquired from the next day.

Important limits

• This route is temporary and currently ends December 31, 2027.
• It is not retroactive.
• It does not automatically transmit citizenship to children who live abroad.
• It is separate from jure sanguinis recognition and from ordinary reacquisition by moving residence to Italy.

What This Route Allows

This route can help confirm or document citizenship in Italy when the citizenship-creating facts named above are proven. For many people in this category, the main work is evidence: civil records, family-link records, prior citizenship records, and any registration or restoration paperwork needed to show the claim.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a shortcut around documentation. Even when the citizenship claim is based on a right, you still need records that prove each required fact and family link.

Next Steps

1. Confirm that you personally held Italian citizenship in the past.
2. Identify the exact date and reason you lost Italian citizenship.
3. Confirm whether you were born in Italy or can document at least two continuous years of residence in Italy.
4. Contact the Italian consulate for your place of residence and ask about the Law 74/2025 reacquisition declaration.
5. Gather Italian civil-status records, foreign citizenship records, and any historical residence documents before the December 31, 2027 deadline.

Sources

• Italian Consulate General in New York — Reacquisition of Italian citizenship — official guidance on Law 74/2025, eligibility, and the temporary declaration window.
• Embassy of Italy in Ottawa — Reacquisition of citizenship — official guidance on effects, non-retroactivity, and transmission limits.
• Italian Consulate General in London — Re-acquisition of Italian citizenship — official consular guidance on the 2025-2027 provision.
• Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Citizenship — general official citizenship information.