Italian Citizenship by descent: how the new Decree Law is affecting the Consulates?

Mar 31, 2025

New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Houston, Rio De Janeiro, Santiago, Paris – several Consulates around the world have already suspended citizenship appointments and the acceptance of applications.

The decree law, published on March 28^th, 2025 (link below), and effective as of the following day, introduces significant changes regarding Italian citizenship by descent. Until a clearer interpretation of the text and its related provisions is available, Italian Consulates have been instructed to temporarily suspend appointment bookings for citizenship services and the submission of applications until further notice. No specific guidance has been issued regarding pending applications. However, following our requests for clarification, some Consulates confirmed to be waiting for the necessary operational guidelines from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation regarding the implementation of Decree-Law.

Publication on the official Journal > https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/serie_generale/caricaDettaglioAtto/originario?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2025-03-28&atto.codiceRedazionale=25G00049&elenco30giorni=false

Although the Decree Law is already in effect, there remains the possibility that applications may be handled by a centralized office established at the Ministry in Rome. This potential change is outlined in the draft legislation currently under review; however, its implementation is not yet certain. The possible conversion of the decree into law will determine whether the consulate will continue to serve as the competent authority.

Italian Consulate in London Outlines Its Position on the Decree-Law

The Italian Consulate in London, when asked about the implementation of Decree No. 36/2025, confirmed that the following approach is currently being adopted within its jurisdiction:

• Applications for recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis will only be accepted if formally submitted and signed in person by the applicant, either at a consular office abroad or at an Italian municipality.
• The application must be accompanied by proof of payment of the €600 consular fee.
• Booking an appointment or being on the waiting list does not constitute a valid application under the new rules. Only applications that meet the above criteria are considered valid.

This approach slightly differs from what has been communicated so far by other Consulates, such as those in New York, Paris, and San Francisco, where operational procedures are still pending further instructions from the Ministry and have not yet resumed full processing of applications under the new guidelines.

Additional updates will follow; we therefore invite you to monitor our website and LinkedIn page for the latest information.

On the same matter, check also:

• https://www.mazzeschi.it/government-enacts-stricter-rules-for-obtaining-italian-citizenship-by-descent/

Article written by Giuditta De Ricco , Greis Muca and Antonia Manicone.

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This article is posted by Mazzeschi Web Content Manager. Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@mazzeschi.it. Follow us on social media @StudioMazzeschi to receive the latest updates.

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