Italy's government has tightened citizenship laws, limiting the ability of individuals to trace their family history in order to claim an Italian passport. Currently, anyone who can prove they had an Italian ancestor alive after March 17, 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was established, can apply for citizenship. However, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani noted that this system was being exploited, leading to a surge in passport requests at consulates worldwide, as Italian citizenship offers visa-free access to numerous countries.
Under the new regulations, only those with a parent or grandparent born in Italy or another European Union member state will qualify for citizenship by descent. "Being an Italian citizen is a serious thing. It's not a game to get a passport that allows you to go shopping in Miami,” Tajani remarked at a press conference.
The foreign ministry reported a significant increase in citizenship grants abroad, particularly in South America, where millions of Italians emigrated during the 19th and 20th centuries to escape poverty. Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Italians living outside Italy rose by 40%, from 4.6 million to 6.4 million, many of whom registered for citizenship. In Argentina, citizenship recognitions surged from 20,000 in 2023 to 30,000 in 2024, while Brazil saw an increase from 14,000 to 20,000.
Tajani expressed concern over companies profiting from assisting individuals in locating their distant ancestors and obtaining the necessary birth certificates for citizenship applications, which has burdened municipal offices with documentation requests. He announced that nationality requests would now be handled directly in Rome to alleviate pressure on consulates.
Italy's population is approximately 59 million, while the foreign ministry estimated that the previous laws allowed 60 to 80 million people worldwide to qualify for citizenship. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has previously suggested that Italy could address its demographic decline by seeking Christians of Italian ancestry from countries like Venezuela.
Critics of ancestry-based citizenship argue that it is fundamentally unfair, granting nationality to those with no substantial ties to Italy, while children of migrants born and raised in Italy, who speak Italian fluently, must wait until they are 18 to apply for a passport.