Italian Senate Approves New Procedures for Italian Citizenship Applications

Key Details:

• On January 14, 2026, the Italian Senate approved a bill to centralize Italian citizenship by descent applications by establishing a centralized processing office in Rome within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Consulates will continue to accept and process applications through December 31, 2028. Starting January 1, 2029, applications must be submitted to the new centralized office and communicate by email only.
• The new bill also introduces annual limits on the number of applications. Each year, from now through December 31, 2028, the number of applications a consulate can accept is limited to the number of applications the same consulate processed in 2025. For the first two years after January 1, 2029, the centralized office will limit the number of applications to the combined number of application fees collected by all consulates in 2025.
• The bill also includes changes the processing deadline for these applications. Previously the deadline to process an application was two years, however, it has now changed to three years. This deadline applies to both the Italian consulates and the new centralized office in Rome.
• Some pathways to Italian citizenship by descent appear unaffected, including 1948 maternal line cases, lawsuits filed due to excessive consulate wait times, and applications submitted directly with an Italian comune in Italy.
• Many key implementation details of the new bill are still unknown and it is recommend to proceed with your case as usual. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to release official guidelines before the changes take effect in 2029.

On January 14, 2026 the Italian Senate approved a bill that aims to standardize the process of reviewing applications for Italian citizenship by descent. The bill outlines plans of establishing a centralized processing office in Rome within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This proposal was included as part of the new Law N. 74 and has now been formally approved by the legislature. As of today, the bill has not yet been signed by the President for publication in the Official Gazette, however, this is expected to take place in February 2026.

Why Italy Is Centralizing Jure Sanguinis Processing

For years, applications for Italian citizenship by descent have been processed by the Italian Consulate with jurisdiction over an applicant’s place of residence. Although consulates must follow the laws regarding recognition of Italian citizenship, applicants have often experienced:

• Varying document requirements from one consulate to another.
• Long appointment backlogs.
• Inconsistent communication methods and processing practices.

With applications being processed by a single centralized office in Rome, it is hoped that document requirements will become more consistent, and that processing timelines are more predictable over time.

While standardization could improve consistency and reduce uncertainty, the new framework also introduces strict intake limits and leaves several important operational questions unanswered.

Changes Introduced by the New Bill

#1 – Centralized Office & Deadline for Applications at Consulates

Under the new procedure:

• Through December 31, 2028, Italian consulates will continue to receive and process citizenship by descent applications.
• Starting January 1, 2029, citizenship by descent applications must be submitted to the central office within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome.

The law also indicates that communication for applications processed at the centralized office will occur exclusively by email, ending in person appointments which were held at many Consulates.

#2 – Introduction of Annual Application Limits

The new bill introduces annual limits on how many applications can be accepted and processed. These limits are in effect even prior to the establishment of the centralized office in 2029. Each year, from now through December 31, 2028, the number of applications an Italian consulate can accept must not exceed the number of applications that this same consulate processed in 2025. At this time, the law does not specify exactly how consulates will manage these caps in practice.

For the first two years after January 1, 2029, the centralized office will limit the number of applications to the combined number of application fees collected by all consulates in 2025.

#3 – Changes to Required Processing Time

Previously, all citizenship by descent applications were required under law to be completed within two calendar years from the date of submission. The new bill states that both the Italian consulates and the new centralized office in Rome will now have up to three years to process an application.

Cases Not Affected by The New Bill

Some pathways to Italian citizenship by descent are not affected by the new administrative procedure, these include:

• 1948 Maternal Line Cases: Cases involving a maternal line where the female ancestor passed on citizenship before January 1, 1948 remain judicial in nature and are handled in the Italian courts. This new administrative procedure does not apply to them.
• Lawsuits Due to Excessive Consulate Processing Times: Lawsuits filed due to the inability of a consulate to process an application within the required time period, commonly referred to as “against-the-queue” cases, appear to be unaffected by the new procedures. It would seem the same lawsuits could apply to the centralized office if it fails to meet the new three year processing deadline.
• Applications Submitted at a Comune in Italy: Applications filed by establishing residency and submited directly with an Italian comune in Italy also appear to remain outside the new centralized procedure.

What Still Needs to be Clarified

Although the new law could provide much needed standardization, several practical issues remain unclear. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to publish implementation guidelines before these changes take effect on January 1, 2029. While standardization could improve consistency and reduce uncertainty, the new processes also introduce strict intake limits and leave several important operational questions unanswered:

• How will the annual application limit work in practice? Will there be an online registration system before applicants are instructed to mail applications, or will applications received after the quota be placed into a queue?
• What happens to consulate appointments already scheduled for 2029? Will those appointments be canceled, and will applicants be guaranteed a place in the centralized process? What proof will be required for people who had future appointments?
• What documents will the centralized Rome office require? Will the required document list be similar to today’s consulate requirements, or will the Ministry publish a new standardized checklist?
• How will document corrections work? Currently, consulates commonly request corrections or missing documents with a deadline for completion. Will the Rome office issue similar requests for “homework”, or will incomplete files simply be rejected?

How to Move Forward With Your Current Case

While the establishment of a centralized office may improve consistency and processing times, these unanswered questions can understandably increase anxiety for applicants. For now, it is recommended to move forward with your case as usual. The most practical approach is to continue collecting the documents currently required by your consulate, since consulates will continue processing applications until 2029.

We will continue to monitor announcements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that clarify how the new procedures will be implemented. These updates, as well as all relevant details, will be shared as soon as official instructions are published.