Italy Announces 2 Categories of Descendants Eligible for Citizenship by Ancestry

• Italy has updated its citizenship by descent rules, setting out strict eligibility criteria for foreign-born applicants holding dual nationality
• The policy identifies two distinct categories of descendants who may qualify, with the first-degree ancestral line playing a central role in determining eligibility
• Applicants hoping to qualify through a grandparent alone face a key condition that many may not be aware of before applying

Italy has outlined the specific categories of descendants who qualify for Italian citizenship by ancestry, with rules that took effect on 28 March 2025 and apply to foreign-born individuals who already hold another nationality, such as Canadian citizenship.

According to the Italian Consulate General in Toronto, eligibility for recognition of citizenship by descent is limited to two groups of applicants.

Who qualifies under Italy's descent rules

1. The first category covers first- or second-degree descendants of Italian citizens who held exclusively Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant's birth. This means the Italian ancestor must not have held any other nationality at that point in time.

2. The second category applies where a parent or adoptive parent resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the applicant's birth or adoption. Supporting this claim requires the submission of historical residence and citizenship certificates.

A key warning accompanies both categories: holding a grandparent who was solely an Italian citizen is not, on its own, sufficient to establish eligibility. The transmission line through the direct parent, meaning the father or mother, must also be verified as unbroken before an application can proceed.

What this means for prospective applicants

The updated framework introduces a tighter standard than many descendants may have expected, particularly those tracing their Italian heritage through a grandparent. The requirement to verify the first-degree ascendant's citizenship status adds an additional layer of documentation that applicants must prepare.

Those who believe they fall within one of the two eligible categories are expected to gather historical records confirming both the ancestor's citizenship and, where relevant, their period of residence in Italy.

The consulate has not published a deadline for applications under these criteria, but the rules as stated apply to applications lodged from 28 March 2025 onwards.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Italy announced 1 condition foreign students must complete before applying for a visa in 2026.

1 year: Categories eligible for Spanish citizenship

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Spain announced the six categories of people who may qualify for Spanish citizenship after just one year of legal residence, including those married to Spanish nationals and people born in Spain.

Most foreign nationals must wait 10 years to apply, making these exceptions a much faster route for people with close ties to the country.