Italy’s 2026 Budget Law, which took effect on 1 January 2026, introduces the first major update in two decades to the rules governing Italian citizenship for children born abroad to Italian parents. Under the old framework, parents had just 12 months after a child’s birth to file a declaration of intent (dichiarazione di volontà) if they wanted the minor to obtain Italian citizenship jure sanguinis. Missing that deadline meant waiting until the child turned 18 and then navigating a far more complex naturalisation process.
The new law triples that filing window to 36 months for children born on or after 25 May 2025. It also eliminates the €250 administrative fee previously payable to the Ministry of the Interior, making the procedure entirely free for timely filings. Immigration lawyers expect the change to ease pressure on consular offices, which have struggled to process filings within the one-year limit—especially in countries with large Italian-heritage communities such as Brazil, Argentina and the United States.
In this context, families and mobility managers may find it useful to leverage VisaHQ’s Italy services (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), which offer end-to-end support for citizenship, visa and document legalisation matters. The platform streamlines appointment booking, pre-screens paperwork against current Ministry guidelines and sends automated deadline reminders—tools that dovetail neatly with the new 36-month filing window and the transitional grace period.
![Italy Extends Citizenship Window for Minors Born Abroad, Waives €250 Fee]()
For families whose children were born before 25 May 2025, the Budget Law introduces a transitional grace period: parents have until 31 May 2026 to lodge the declaration, but the €250 fee still applies. Applications submitted before 1 January 2026 will not be reimbursed.
Practically, the amendment offers multinational employers a clearer path to securing EU passports for employees’ dependent children, reducing long-term mobility risk. Global mobility teams should alert eligible assignees to the extended deadline and the fee waiver so they can capitalise on the cost-free window while consular demand is still manageable.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of the Interior is expected to release secondary regulations clarifying documentary requirements and electronic filing options. Companies running large in-house citizenship programmes should monitor those updates and adjust internal timelines accordingly.
The new law triples that filing window to 36 months for children born on or after 25 May 2025. It also eliminates the €250 administrative fee previously payable to the Ministry of the Interior, making the procedure entirely free for timely filings. Immigration lawyers expect the change to ease pressure on consular offices, which have struggled to process filings within the one-year limit—especially in countries with large Italian-heritage communities such as Brazil, Argentina and the United States.
In this context, families and mobility managers may find it useful to leverage VisaHQ’s Italy services (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), which offer end-to-end support for citizenship, visa and document legalisation matters. The platform streamlines appointment booking, pre-screens paperwork against current Ministry guidelines and sends automated deadline reminders—tools that dovetail neatly with the new 36-month filing window and the transitional grace period.
For families whose children were born before 25 May 2025, the Budget Law introduces a transitional grace period: parents have until 31 May 2026 to lodge the declaration, but the €250 fee still applies. Applications submitted before 1 January 2026 will not be reimbursed.
Practically, the amendment offers multinational employers a clearer path to securing EU passports for employees’ dependent children, reducing long-term mobility risk. Global mobility teams should alert eligible assignees to the extended deadline and the fee waiver so they can capitalise on the cost-free window while consular demand is still manageable.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of the Interior is expected to release secondary regulations clarifying documentary requirements and electronic filing options. Companies running large in-house citizenship programmes should monitor those updates and adjust internal timelines accordingly.
