Italy has quietly taken a structural decision that will reshape the way millions of descendants and spouses of Italians obtain citizenship in the coming decade. Law No. 11 of 19 January 2026—published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale last month and now in force—creates a dedicated Citizenship Directorate inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) and removes most adult-citizenship work from Italian consulates starting 1 January 2029.
Today, people claiming citizenship jure sanguinis or through marriage must file at the consulate that has jurisdiction over their place of residence. Chronic staff shortages mean wait-lists of two to eight years in busy posts such as Buenos Aires, São Paulo, London and New York. The new model will move the intake, vetting and decision making to a single high-capacity department in Rome that can hire specialised examiners and deploy artificial-intelligence tools to verify records faster. Consulates will keep competence only for minor children of people who are already recognised citizens, simplifying emergency cases such as newborn passport requests.
To prevent an administrative avalanche, the law introduces annual caps: each consulate may accept only as many new files as it finalised in the previous year (minimum 100). Equivalent limits will apply to the Rome hub during its first two years of operation. Observers expect a rush to file in 2026-2028 as applicants try to secure a place in line before the caps bite; immigration lawyers are already advising clients to prepare documentation early and, where possible, to file court actions that bypass consular queues.
![Italy Centralizes Overseas Citizenship Applications Under New Law]()
Whether you are gathering 19th-century birth certificates for a jure sanguinis claim or weighing the benefits of an Italian passport for a transferee, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its dedicated Italy team (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) helps applicants assemble compliant dossiers, book scarce consular appointments and track status updates in real time, giving families and corporate mobility managers one less variable to worry about amid the upcoming transition.
Procedurally, all applications must be sent in original paper form by registered mail, but all subsequent communication will shift to a secure digital portal that will also interface with Italy’s new unified registry (AIRE/ANPR integration). The maximum processing time is extended from 24 to 36 months, a move the government says reflects the complexity of multigenerational cases while still giving applicants legal certainty.
For corporate mobility managers, the reform matters because possession of an Italian passport eliminates work-permit requirements across the EU. Companies that sponsor employees for citizenship through ancestry will need to recalibrate timelines and budgets: 2026-2028 may be the last window to file locally before a likely slowdown and central relaunch in 2029. Firms are advised to audit ongoing cases and notify assignees of the forthcoming changes, especially where family planning or schooling decisions hinge on EU status.
Today, people claiming citizenship jure sanguinis or through marriage must file at the consulate that has jurisdiction over their place of residence. Chronic staff shortages mean wait-lists of two to eight years in busy posts such as Buenos Aires, São Paulo, London and New York. The new model will move the intake, vetting and decision making to a single high-capacity department in Rome that can hire specialised examiners and deploy artificial-intelligence tools to verify records faster. Consulates will keep competence only for minor children of people who are already recognised citizens, simplifying emergency cases such as newborn passport requests.
To prevent an administrative avalanche, the law introduces annual caps: each consulate may accept only as many new files as it finalised in the previous year (minimum 100). Equivalent limits will apply to the Rome hub during its first two years of operation. Observers expect a rush to file in 2026-2028 as applicants try to secure a place in line before the caps bite; immigration lawyers are already advising clients to prepare documentation early and, where possible, to file court actions that bypass consular queues.
Whether you are gathering 19th-century birth certificates for a jure sanguinis claim or weighing the benefits of an Italian passport for a transferee, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its dedicated Italy team (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) helps applicants assemble compliant dossiers, book scarce consular appointments and track status updates in real time, giving families and corporate mobility managers one less variable to worry about amid the upcoming transition.
Procedurally, all applications must be sent in original paper form by registered mail, but all subsequent communication will shift to a secure digital portal that will also interface with Italy’s new unified registry (AIRE/ANPR integration). The maximum processing time is extended from 24 to 36 months, a move the government says reflects the complexity of multigenerational cases while still giving applicants legal certainty.
For corporate mobility managers, the reform matters because possession of an Italian passport eliminates work-permit requirements across the EU. Companies that sponsor employees for citizenship through ancestry will need to recalibrate timelines and budgets: 2026-2028 may be the last window to file locally before a likely slowdown and central relaunch in 2029. Firms are advised to audit ongoing cases and notify assignees of the forthcoming changes, especially where family planning or schooling decisions hinge on EU status.
