Italian Citizenship Through Ancestry Is Ending After Italy's Court Backs New Law

Travel Pirates ^ | 03 14 2026 | Celia Robbins

[yesthatjallen]

For generations, Italy has followed a simple rule called jus sanguinis, or “right of blood.” In practice, it meant that if you had an Italian ancestor and could document the family line, you could claim Italian citizenship, sometimes even several generations later.

That approach made Italy’s system one of the most generous citizenship policies in Europe. It allowed millions of people in places like the United States, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia to reconnect with their roots and apply for an Italian passport. Now, that long-standing system may be about to change in a major way.

What the Court Decided

On Thursday, March 12, Italy’s Constitutional Court signaled that it intends to uphold a controversial citizenship law introduced by the Italian government in March 2025 through an emergency decree. The measure had been challenged by several judges who questioned whether it conflicted with Italy’s constitution, given that citizenship by descent, known as jus sanguinis, has been a core principle of Italian law since the country unified in 1861.

Following the first of four scheduled hearings, the court indicated that the legal objections raised by the Turin court were largely unfounded or not admissible. A full written ruling explaining the court’s reasoning is expected in the coming weeks, once the remaining hearings are completed.

For many people who hoped the court would preserve the existing citizenship rules, the early signal from the court was a major setback. Legal experts involved in challenging the law described the decision as a severe intervention that could affect millions of people with Italian ancestry, potentially narrowing one of Europe’s most expansive citizenship policies.

SNIP

[Chickensoup]

Watched my mother cope with the vagaries of Italian bureaucracy.

Not a pretty sight.

I wanted to do it to ....

I cannot pass it to my children.

Not worth it.

[Dr. Franklin]

Does Italy’s constitution state that citizenship by bloodline extends all the way back through ancestors who left Italy in the 1800s? I read that it doesn’t, but I don’t know. Just asking a question here.

I just checked that. It doesn't. I does say that no one can be denied citizenship for political reasons. My fundamental problem is that people who were born "undocumented citizens" of Italy abroad, meaning that their births weren't registered with Italian officials, have now lost their citizenship for not requesting passports sooner. So, this is an ex post facto law. I doubt the European Court of Human Rights will care, because they are obsessed with the rights of Third World economic migrants. To be fair, the law should only apply prospectively, not retrospectively.

[Tired of Taxes]

I don’t agree with the change, either, but also I never liked that Italy made it so difficult to gain citizenship through the maternal line.