An IMGLobalWealth.com News Report
Italy has tightened its rules governing citizenship by descent, narrowing eligibility for people born abroad who seek recognition of Italian nationality through ancestral ties.
The move, which has become a topical issue in recent weeks, is prompting renewed debate among diaspora communities and global mobility observers.
“For the investment migration sector, Italy’s decision is another sign that European citizenship is becoming more tightly regulated”
The reform targets Italy’s long-standing jus sanguinis framework, which historically allowed individuals with Italian ancestry to claim citizenship even if their connection to the country stretched back several generations. Under the revised approach, applicants will generally need to demonstrate a closer lineage, typically through a parent or grandparent born in Italy, rather than relying on more distant ancestral claims.
Italian authorities say the changes are necessary to address mounting administrative pressure and a surge in applications worldwide. The government has pointed to the rapid growth in the number of Italian citizens living abroad, which increased from roughly 4.6 million in 2014 to around 6.4 million by 2024, according to official data.
Many of these overseas citizens reside in countries with large Italian diaspora populations such as Argentina, Brazil, the United States and Australia. Over the past decade, thousands of applicants have pursued recognition of Italian citizenship through family lines dating back more than a century.
From a global mobility perspective, the appeal is clear. An Italian passport provides full rights to live, work and establish businesses across the European Union’s 27 member states, making it one of the world’s most valuable citizenships for internationally mobile families.
However, Italian officials have increasingly expressed concern that the system was being stretched beyond its original purpose.
“the landscape for citizenship acquisition in Europe continues to evolve”
Consulates around the world have struggled to cope with the volume of applications, while legal proceedings and specialist advisory firms have emerged to assist applicants tracing ancestral claims.
The tightening of the rules reflects a broader shift across Europe. Governments are placing greater scrutiny on citizenship pathways, whether through ancestry, residency or investment, as political debates intensify over migration, national identity and access to EU rights.
For the investment migration sector, Italy’s decision is another sign that European citizenship is becoming more tightly regulated. While the country does not operate a traditional citizenship-by-investment programme, its ancestry-based route has long been viewed as an indirect pathway to EU mobility for global families with Italian roots.
With Rome now drawing clearer boundaries around who qualifies, the landscape for citizenship acquisition in Europe continues to evolve. For millions of descendants abroad hoping to reclaim an Italian passport, the window may be narrowing.
