The Italian Chamber of Deputies will vote next Tuesday, May 20th, on a bill that restricts the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent. The text, already approved by the Senate, is processed urgently with a vote of confidence, which prevents modifications.
The proposal transforms decree-law no. 36/2025 into definitive law and imposes new requirements for the recognition of citizenship jure sanguinis — based on blood ties.
The government argues that the measure aims to contain the growing number of citizens without effective ties to the country.
Processing will be a formality
The bill will arrive at the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, the 19th, will be submitted to the Institutional Affairs Committee and will be voted on in the plenary on Tuesday afternoon. The analysis will be merely formal: with the use of a vote of confidence, the text cannot be changed and must be approved as it came out of the Senate.
As the government has a majority in the house, approval should occur without difficulty.
Criticism of the most controversial article
Article 3-bis is the most criticized point. It determines that people born outside Italy and with another citizenship will not be recognized as Italian, with some exceptions. Jurists and opposition senators have pointed out a possible violation of acquired rights and the principle of non-retroactivity of laws, which could generate legal challenges, including in the Constitutional Court.
During the vote in the Senate, Senator Roberto Cataldi (5 Star Movement) defended Italian communities abroad, especially in southern Brazil. “They have kept their dialect and traditions alive for five generations. How can you say they are not Italian?” he asked.
What the approved text says: key points and controversies
The bill approved in the Senate introduces significant changes in the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent. The following are the main points:
1. Processes initiated up to 27/03 remain valid
Requests filed in consulate or in the Italian municipality with formal appointment informed to the interested party until 23:59 (time of Rome) of March 27, 2025 will be accepted, according to the art. 3-bis, letter a-bis.
2. Minors born up to 27/03/2025
Minor children of citizens recognized up to that date may have their citizenship recognized until May 31, 2026according to art. 4, comma 1-ter of Law 91/1992, with new wording.
3. Minors born after 28/03/2025
For those born after this date, citizenship may be recognized. provided that registration occurs within one year after birth or after recognition of filiation (including adoptive). It is also required that the minor legally reside for two continuous years in Italy, unless it is a newborn, according to the new art. 4, paragraph 1-bis.
4. “Exclusively Italian” requirement
For automatic recognition, it is necessary to prove that the father or grandfather (up to the second degree ascendant) owned just the Italian citizenship on the date of death or at the time of transfer of citizenship (art. 3-bis, letter c). This point is seen as legally fragile and should be questioned in Constitutional Court, by creating exclusion based on multiple nationality criteria.
5. Italian language exam (level B1)
There is no requirement for language proficiency (level B1) for none of the cases provided for in the new text, except in the processes of naturalization already governed by other laws.
6. Citizenship by marriage
There was no change in the rules for recognition of citizenship through marriage. The procedures continue as provided for in previous legislation, with no changes in deadlines or additional requirements.
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