Processing Time and Law 74/2025
Italian citizenship by descent carries a 730-day statutory processing cap, and Law 74/2025 narrowed who qualifies.
The 730-day statutory cap
A citizenship application by descent has a statutory processing limit of 730 days from the day the consulate receives a complete file.
The 730-day limit is fixed by law and runs from receipt of a complete, correctly prepared file, not from the appointment date. A file with a missing or unapostilled document is not yet complete, so the clock has not started.
In practice the appointment itself is the longer wait. Securing a citizenship slot on Prenot@mi can take from a few months to several years at the busier consulates; the 730-day review begins only once the file has been submitted and accepted.
Law 74/2025: who qualifies now
Legge n. 74 of 23 May 2025, in force 24 May 2025, narrowed automatic citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis).
Before the reform, citizenship passed down an unbroken Italian line with no generational limit. Law 74/2025 restricted this. Citizenship by descent is now recognized automatically only where one of the following holds:
- A parent or grandparent held exclusively Italian citizenship (no other nationality) at the time of death; or
- A parent, or adoptive parent, was legally resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship.
Applications formally confirmed before 27 March 2025 are assessed under the previous rules.
Preparing a U.S. file
Each U.S. vital record in the line still needs an apostille and an Italian translation before submission.
Every U.S. birth, marriage, and death certificate in the applicant’s line must be apostilled by the issuing state (or the U.S. Department of State for federal records) and translated into Italian. Apostille and translation are two separate steps, and both are required before submission.
A complete, correctly translated file is what starts the 730-day clock, so document preparation is where the timeline is won or lost.
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Where the application is filed
The rules are national, but the application is filed with the consulate that serves the applicant’s U.S. state of residence.
Sources
The statutory cap and the eligibility rules are cited to the published law and official consular guidance.
- Legge 23 maggio 2025, n. 74 — conversione del DL 36/2025 sulla cittadinanza · Normattiva — Portale della legislazione vigente
- Citizenship by descent — new rules (Law 74/2025) · Italian Consulate General (English explainer)
- Italian Missions Abroad — Italian diplomatic network · esteri.it
The statutory cap and eligibility rules are verified against the published law (Normattiva) and official consular guidance. Updated July 2026.
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