Italy
New rules and work visa for descendants of Italian citizens
On 23 May 2025, the Official Gazette published Law No. 74, which introduces major changes to the rules for citizenship by descent, and a new quota-exempt work visa category.
- Applications for citizenship by descent submitted after 27 March 2025 (unless the application appointment was scheduled by the competent authorities before 27 March 2025) will only be successful if the applicant has or had a parent or grandparent with exclusively Italian citizenship; or a parent or adoptive parent resident in Italy for at least two years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the applicant’s date of birth or adoption.
- Further rule changes apply to the minor children of Italian citizens.
- A new category of quota-exempt work visa is introduced to article 27 of the Italian immigration law, for foreign nationals living outside Italy who are
- descended from Italian citizens (no generational limit is stated); and
- citizens of a country with significant migration from Italy (the list of these countries will be decided by a joint ministerial decree).
Existing quota-exempt work visa categories under article 27 include those for digital nomads, nurses, researchers, translators, journalists, highly-skilled professionals, intra-company transferees.
