Reacquisition of Italian Citizenship
Reacquisition of Italian citizenship (Art. 17 par. 1 Law No. 91/1992)
Law No. 74, introduced on 23 May 2025, signed Decree 36/2025 into law, and amended Article 17, paragraph 1, as previously set out in Law No. 91/1992. The new amendment states that former Italian citizens are allowed, under specific circumstances and only for a limited time (starting on July 1st 2025 and until 31st December 2027), to reacquire Italian citizenship by submitting a formal statement of intent.
This option applies to those who were born in Italy as well as those who resided in Italy for a minimum of two consecutive years and lost their Italian citizenship before 16 August 1992 when Law 91/1992 was introduced. To be eligible for reacquisition the applicant must fall into one of the following categories:
- The applicant has willingly acquired a foreign citizenship before 16 August 1992 AND has established their residence abroad (art.8 n.1 Law 555/1912);
- The applicant acquired a foreign citizenship automatically before 16 August 1992, subsequently renounced their Italian citizenship AND established their residence abroad (art.8 n.2 Law 555/1912);
- The applicant was a non-emancipated minor at the time their parent(s) lost their Italian citizenship, was living with their parent(s) AND acquired a foreign citizenship (art.12 Law 555/1912).
Therefore, former Italian citizens born abroad who have not resided in Italy for a minimum of two consecutive years or those who lost their Italian citizenship (for any reason) from 16 August 1992 are not eligible to apply to submit a statement of intent in order to reacquire italian citizenship (art. 17 par. 1 law 91/92).
PLEASE NOTE: The statement of intent may be submitted by the applicant in person between 1st July 2025, and 31st December 2027.
The applicant must email the Citizenship office of the Consulate, attaching the documents, in PDF format, listed below. The subject of the email should be: “Reacquisition of Italian citizenship ex. art.17, paragraph 1, Law 91/1992):
Reacquisition, if granted, takes effect from the day after the statement of intention is submitted and accepted, and it is NOT retroactive.
Please note that transmission of Italian citizenship is governed by the current regulations set forth by Law 91/1992 as amended by Decree 36/2025, signed into Law 74/2025. In particular, reacquisition of Italian citizenship NO LONGER grants automatic citizenship to any minor children who live with the applicant. In order to acquire Italian citizenship, pursuant to art.14 Law 91/1992, minor children living with the applicant who has reacquired Italian citizenship, must have been residing in Italy for a minimum of two consecutive years at the time of their parent’s reacquisition (or since birth if younger than 2yo).
The parent who reacquires Italian citizenship is no longer an Italian citizen by birth and therefore cannot submit a statement of intent for their minor children.
Former Italian citizens can reacquire their citizenship, but only under specific conditions.
This applies to former Italian citizens who:
- Were born in Italy, or resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years, AND
- Lost their Italian citizenship before August 16, 1992, due to one of the following reasons:
- They naturalized in a foreign Country;
- They renounce their Italian citizenship following the involuntary acquisition of a foreign citizenship
- They were a minor child living with a parent who lost Italian citizenship
PLEASE NOTE: This option does NOT apply to individuals who renounced or lost their Italian citizenship on or after August 16, 1992, for any reason.
PLEASE NOTE: you will need a CERTIFICATO STORICO DI CITTADINANZA. The historical citizenship certificate certifies a person's Italian citizenship in a specific past period, specifying any relevant events such as the loss or reacquisition of citizenship.