A new law will ensure stricter criteria for becoming an Italian citizen. As Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared,”Citizenship must be a serious thing,”
In the past, having an Italian ancestor who lived after March 17th, 1861 would mean someone qualified as a citizen under bloodline laws (‘jus sanguinis‘). Under new laws ratified in parliament on Tuesday, May 20th, applicants for an Italian passport need one Italian parent or grandparent who was a citizen by birth.
Citing a 40% increase in the number of citizens residing abroad in the past decade or so—from around 4.6 million to 6.4 million—the government said it hoped to cut the volume of applications and the associated administrative backlog in consular services.
More importantly, in line with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s vision for Italy, the law means that passport applications can be “dedicated exclusively to those who have a real need, by virtue of their concrete connection with Italy.”
