Important changes were introduced in the field of citizenship with the coming into force of Law 74 on 24 May 2025, particularly with regard to the acquisition of Italian citizenship by minor children when their parent acquires or re-acquires it.
Article 14 of Law No. 91/1992 previously allowed a minor child to acquire Italian citizenship simultaneously with a parent who was acquiring it through marriage, residency or by reacquisition, provided they shared the same residence and the child was still a minor at the time of the parent’s oath.
The new law modified Article 14 of Law n° 91/1992, introducing more restrictive requirements for the acquisition of Italian citizenship by minor children. From now on, a minor child may acquire Italian citizenship with the parent who is obtaining it by marriage, residency or reacquisition only if he has been legally residing in Italy for at least two years. Alternatively, if the minor is younger than two years, he must have been resident in Italy since birth.
Example 1: Marc is a Canadian citizen residing in Italy who has applied for Italian citizenship through marriage. His son, Charles, who was born in Canada and has lived in Italy for two years, can automatically acquire Italian citizenship with his father.
Example 2: Sofia, a UK citizen, has applied for Italian citizenship through marriage in the UK. Her son Jacob, who is 10 months old, was born in the UK. He cannot automatically acquire Italian citizenship through his mother, but he has to follow a different procedure under art. 4. Please refer to our article on this topic Navigate the New italian citizenship rules: what changes with Law n. 74
Example 3: Matthew, a US citizen, has applied for Italian citizenship through residence in Italy. His daughter Maria is one year old and legally resident in Italy since birth. She can acquire Italian citizenship automatically with her father.
This article was written by Giuditta De Ricco and Irene Lauretta.
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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