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GUIDE · PRATICA
Law 74/2025 introduced a two-generation limit for citizenship by descent. The Constitutional Court upheld it in March 2026. Here is what that means for UK applicants.
UPDATED
March 2026
READING TIME
8 min read
The change
Before April 2025, Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) had no generational limit. If your great-great-grandfather was Italian and never naturalised, you could claim.
Law 74/2025 cut this to two generations. Your claim must now pass through at most two links: the Italian-born ancestor → their child → you. In practice: grandparent → parent → you.
The law took effect on 27 March 2025. Applications filed before that date are processed under the old rules. On 12 March 2026, the Constitutional Court confirmed the law is valid. There is no further appeal.
Decision tree
Work through these questions. The answer depends on where your Italian-born ancestor sits in your family tree.
QUESTION
Was your parent born in Italy, or are they an Italian citizen?
YES — OPEN
You qualify. One generation. File at your UK consulate.
QUESTION
Was your grandparent born in Italy?
QUESTION
Did your grandparent naturalise as a British citizen before your parent was born?
YES — OPEN
You likely qualify. Two generations. Your parent inherits citizenship from their parent, and you inherit from yours.
NO — CLOSED
The chain broke. When your grandparent naturalised, they lost Italian citizenship (if before 1992). Your parent was born to a non-Italian citizen.
QUESTION
Was your great-grandparent or further back the Italian-born ancestor?
NO — CLOSED
Three or more generations. Law 74/2025 blocks this route. Consider the residency pathway (live in Italy for the required period).
QUESTION
Was your application filed before 27 March 2025?
YES — OPEN
Your application is grandfathered. It will be processed under the old rules regardless of generation count.
Before vs after
| Before 27 March 2025 | After 27 March 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation limit | None | 2 generations from Italian-born ancestor |
| Great-grandparent route | Allowed | Blocked |
| Grandparent route | Allowed | Allowed |
| Parent route | Allowed | Allowed |
| 1948 maternal line (court) | Allowed | Allowed if ≤2 generations |
| Pending applications | Old rules apply | Old rules apply if filed before cutoff |
| Government fee | €300 | €600 |
Common questions
It depends on the date. Before 15 August 1992, an Italian citizen who voluntarily acquired another nationality automatically lost Italian citizenship (old Citizenship Law 555/1912, Art. 8). If your grandparent naturalised as British before that date and before your parent's birth, the chain is broken.
After 15 August 1992, Law 91/1992 removed automatic loss. Dual citizenship became possible. So if naturalisation happened after that date, the chain may be intact.
Before 1 January 1948, Italian law did not allow mothers to transmit citizenship. If your chain passes through a woman who had a child before that date, the administrative route is blocked. You need a court case at the Tribunale di Roma (the “1948 case”).
Law 74/2025 still applies: the court will only recognise claims within two generations of the Italian-born ancestor unless the application was filed before March 2025.
Yes. If the descent route is blocked, you can apply after living legally in Italy for the required period: 4 years for EU citizens, 10 years for non-EU citizens. This is an entirely different process (application to the Prefettura) and is unaffected by Law 74/2025.
Yes. Applications filed before 27 March 2025 are processed under the previous rules with no generational limit. The consulate will not apply Law 74/2025 retroactively to your case.
Law 74/2025 created a two-and-a-half-year window (1 July 2025 to 31 December 2027) during which descendants beyond the two-generation limit can apply to “reacquire” Italian citizenship. This requires demonstrating a connection to Italian culture and language. Details are still being defined by implementing regulations. We will update this guide when the requirements are finalised.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 27 March 2025 | Law 74/2025 takes effect. Two-generation limit applies to all new applications. |
| 1 January 2025 | Government fee for jure sanguinis doubled from €300 to €600. |
| 1 July 2025 | Reacquisition window opens for descendants beyond the two-generation limit. |
| 12 March 2026 | Constitutional Court upholds Law 74/2025. No further legal challenge available. |
| 14 April 2026 | Sezioni Unite hearing on minor naturalisation question (Art. 7 vs Art. 12). Outcome may affect pending applications. |
| 31 December 2027 | Reacquisition window closes. |
OTHER GUIDES
A NOTE
This guide is for information. Pratica provides administrative services, not legal advice. For matters that require court proceedings — including the 1948 maternal line — consult an Italian lawyer.
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