Italian Citizenship and Residence Visas

Capital

Rome

Population

58.9 million residents (ISTAT, January 2026)

Language and currency

Italian · Euro (€)

Time zone

+4 h from Brasília (+5 h during European summer time)

Brazilian community

About 159,000 Brazilians (Itamaraty, 2023)

Political system

Parliamentary republic · European Union and Schengen

The country at a glance

Italy is divided into 20 regions, five of which have special statute and greater autonomy (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige and the Aosta Valley). The country is commonly described in terms of three broad areas: the more industrialized North; the Center, home to Rome and Tuscany; and the Mezzogiorno (the South and the islands). The differences are real: according to ISTAT, Italy's National Institute of Statistics (Indicatori demografici, March 2026), in 2025 the population grew by 2.2 per 1,000 in the North, remained stable in the Center and fell by 3.1 per 1,000 in the Mezzogiorno.

The climate varies considerably. The coast and the South have a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers; the Po Valley (Milan, Turin, Bologna) has muggy summers and cold, damp winters, often with fog; in the Alps and the Apennines, it snows in winter.

Cost of living

The cost of living varies widely depending on the region and the size of the city. In the ISTAT survey on household spending (year 2024, published in October 2025), average monthly spending per household was €2,755 nationwide; in the Northeast (Nord-est) it reached €3,032, while in the South it was €2,199, a difference of 37.9%. Inflation also deserves attention: in August 2026, consumer prices rose 3.3% over 12 months, driven mainly by energy (ISTAT, final data of September 16, 2026). In large cities, housing tends to be the heaviest item in the budget.

Health care

Italy has a public, universal health system, the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN), organized by the regions and by the ASLs (local health units). According to the Italian Ministry of Health, foreign nationals with a residence permit who work as employees or are self-employed, or who are in Italy for family reasons, are subject to mandatory registration with the SSN, completed at the ASL where they live. Registration entitles them to a family doctor, hospital care and specialized outpatient care, with the same co-payment (ticket) paid by Italians.

Those who are not entitled to mandatory registration, such as holders of an elective residence visa who do not work, need private health insurance valid in Italy or must register voluntarily with the SSN by paying an annual contribution.

Education

Public schools are free, and compulsory education lasts ten years, from ages 6 to 16. Children of foreign nationals also enroll in public schools. In higher education, the university system follows the European model: laurea (three years), laurea magistrale (two years) and doctorate. Public universities charge annual fees that vary according to family income.

Work and the economy

The Italian economy combines strong industry in the North (machinery and equipment, automotive and components, fashion, food, pharmaceuticals) with services, retail and tourism throughout the country. According to ISTAT data published on September 1, 2026, in July 2026 the unemployment rate was 5.8%, the employment rate was 63.2%, and unemployment among young people aged 15 to 24 reached 18.9%. Opportunities are concentrated in the Center-North, and command of Italian carries great weight in hiring.

Brazilian community

According to the estimate by Itamaraty (Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in Comunidades Brasileiras no Exterior (base year 2023, published in July 2024), about 159,000 Brazilians were living in Italy: 89,000 in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General in Milan and 70,000 in that of the Consulate General in Rome. The figure includes dual citizens, which is why it is higher than Italian statistics on residents with Brazilian citizenship only.

The ties go beyond this community. According to the Embassy of Italy in Brasília, there are about 32 million descendants of Italians in Brazil, and more than 730,000 Italian citizens were registered with Italian consulates in Brazil as of February 2023.

Language and integration

Outside international settings, daily life (government offices, health care, school) takes place in Italian. Anyone arriving with a residence permit of at least one year signs the integration agreement (DPR 179/2011) and undertakes to reach at least A2 level in spoken Italian and to acquire basic knowledge of civic education. For citizenship by marriage or by residence, B1 level is required. Public adult education centers (CPIA) offer Italian courses for foreigners.

Cities

Italy's citizenship law is Legge n. 91/1992 (Law 91 of February 5, 1992). Until March 2025, citizenship passed from parents to children with no limit on the number of generations, provided the line of transmission had not been broken. Decreto-Legge n. 36 of March 28, 2025 (a decree having the force of law), converted with amendments by Legge n. 74 of May 23, 2025 (Gazzetta Ufficiale, GU n. 118; in force since May 24, 2025), inserted Article 3-bis into that law.

Under Article 3-bis, a person born abroad, including before the reform, who holds another citizenship is deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship, unless one of the following conditions applies:

• a) citizenship is recognized, under the rules in force on March 27, 2025, on the basis of an application with the required documentation filed with the consulate or with the sindaco (mayor of the Italian municipality) by 11:59 p.m. (23:59), Rome time, on that date;
• a-bis) the application is filed on the date of an appointment notified to the applicant by the competent authority by 11:59 p.m. (23:59) on March 27, 2025;
• b) citizenship is declared by a court in a lawsuit filed by 11:59 p.m. (23:59), Rome time, on March 27, 2025;
• c) a first- or second-degree ascendant (father, mother, grandfather or grandmother) holds, or held at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship;
• d) the father, mother or adoptive parent resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child's birth or adoption.

The reform also changed court proceedings: oaths and witness testimony are no longer admitted, and the person seeking recognition must allege and prove that there was no ground for non-acquisition or loss of citizenship (Art. 19-bis of Decreto Legislativo n. 150/2011, as amended by DL 36/2025).

In practice, most Brazilians descended from Italian great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents who had no application or lawsuit pending by March 27, 2025 no longer qualify for recognition by descent. That is why, before gathering documents, it is essential to check whether the family fits any of the exceptions.

For those who had no application or lawsuit pending on March 27, 2025, the scenarios that remain possible are those in letters c) and d) of Article 3-bis:

• Child or grandchild of an Italian with exclusively Italian citizenship. The father, mother, grandfather or grandmother must hold only Italian citizenship (or have held only Italian citizenship at the time of death). An Italian grandfather who naturalized as a Brazilian, for example, does not meet this requirement. In Brazil, proof usually involves the Certificate of No Naturalization (Certidão Negativa de Naturalização, CNN), issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, covering all variations of the name.
• Child of an Italian father or mother who lived in Italy. The parent must have resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after becoming Italian and before the child's birth.

The Consulate General of Italy in São Paulo currently lists three categories of adult applicants on its website: children of exclusively Italian citizens, applicants with an exclusively Italian second-degree ascendant, and children of Italian citizens who resided in Italy for two consecutive years. The consulate refers to the "exclusively Italian" condition at the time of the applicant's birth. This interpretation must be checked case by case.

Alternatives for descendants who no longer qualify

• Facilitated naturalization in Italy: a foreign national whose father, mother, grandfather or grandmother is or was an Italian citizen by birth may apply for citizenship after two years of legal residence in Italy (Art. 9(1)(a) of Legge 91/1992). It is a discretionary grant and requires B1-level Italian.
• Work outside the quotas: Art. 27, paragraph (comma) 1-octies, of the Testo Unico sull'immigrazione (Decreto Legislativo n. 286/1998, Italy's consolidated immigration act) allows descendants of Italian citizens who hold the citizenship of countries with large Italian emigration to enter for salaried employment outside the annual quotas. The decree of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published in November 2025 added Brazil to that list, together with Argentina, the United States, Australia, Canada, Venezuela and Uruguay (Ministero del Lavoro).

• Applications and appointments by March 27, 2025 (11:59 p.m. [23:59], Rome time): they continue to be assessed under the old rules, provided the application was filed with the required documentation by that date or on the date of an appointment notified by that date (letters a and a-bis).
• Waiting lists without an appointment: those who were only enrolled on a waiting list, with no application filed and no appointment notified by March 27, 2025, are not covered by the transitional rule and must meet the new conditions.
• Lawsuits filed by March 27, 2025: they follow the old rules (letter b). This is the case for many maternal-line lawsuits on behalf of children born before January 1, 1948, the date of the Italian Constitution, which could only be recognized through the courts.
• Lawsuits filed after that date: the claimant must fit one of the exceptions in Article 3-bis. The former court route for the pre-1948 maternal line is no longer a stand-alone option for people born abroad who hold another citizenship.

Rulings of the high courts in 2026

• Corte costituzionale, judgment n. 63/2026 (April 30, 2026): the Italian Constitutional Court rejected the constitutional challenges raised by the Court of Turin against Article 3-bis. In the Court's view, the provision creates an original bar to acquisition, not a revocation, and does not affect those already recognized or those who filed an application or received an appointment by the deadline (official press release).
• Corte costituzionale, ordinanza n. 147/2026 (July 2026): in other proceedings, the Court stayed its decision and referred a question for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on whether Article 3-bis is compatible with Article 9 TEU and Article 20 TFEU (citizenship of the Union). No answer has been given yet, and it may affect pending proceedings (Corte costituzionale).
• Corte di Cassazione, Sezioni Unite, judgment n. 24045/2026: Italy's highest court held that a child born abroad with dual citizenship from birth did not lose Italian citizenship because the father or mother naturalized in another country while the child was a minor (the so-called minor issue), a point relevant to applications and lawsuits predating March 27, 2025 (Corte di Cassazione).

The situation is still evolving. Those with an application or lawsuit predating the reform should follow their case closely. Those who have not yet applied should carefully consider whether it is worth filing a lawsuit on the bet of a future change.

• Minor children of Italians by birth: Art. 4, paragraph (comma) 1-bis, of Legge 91/1992 allows a foreign minor whose father or mother is a citizen by birth to become Italian through a declaration by the parents or guardian. The minor must then reside legally in Italy for two consecutive years after the declaration, or the declaration must be made within three years of birth or of the establishment of parentage. The three-year deadline and the fact that the declaration is free of charge have applied since January 1, 2026 (2026 Budget Law) (Consulate General in São Paulo).
• Minors as of May 24, 2025: for children of people recognized under the transitional rules (letters a, a-bis and b), the declaration may be made until 11:59 p.m. (23:59), Rome time, on May 31, 2029. The original deadline of May 31, 2026 was extended by Decreto-Legge n. 200/2025, converted by Legge n. 26/2026 (Consulate General in Marseille).
• Minor children of those who acquire citizenship: they acquire it together with their father or mother only if they have been legally resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years (or since birth, if they are under two years old) (Art. 14).
• Reacquisition: those who were born in Italy or resided there for two consecutive years and lost citizenship under the rules of Law 555/1912 (for example, through voluntary naturalization abroad) may reacquire it by a declaration made between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027 (Art. 17).

At present, applications from adults residing in Brazil are filed with the Italian consulate for their area of residence, with appointments booked through the Prenot@mi portal. The Consulate General in São Paulo states that new appointment slots are announced in advance on its website and that it charges €600 per adult applicant, converted into Brazilian reais at the consular exchange rate, payable when the application is filed and non-refundable if the application is denied. The same consulate states that it does not recognize agencies or intermediaries in citizenship applications.

Legge n. 11 of January 19, 2026, in force since February 19, 2026, reorganized this service:

• recognition applications from adults residing abroad will be filed with a central office of the Ministero degli Affari Esteri (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), by mail only, with original paper documents and subsequent communications by email;
• this change applies from January 1 of the third calendar year following the year the rule entered into force. Until then, the consulates continue to receive applications, subject to an annual cap equal to the number of cases concluded in the year before the law, and never fewer than one hundred;
• the deadline for concluding proceedings is 36 months;
• the consulates retain responsibilities such as recognizing the minor children of citizens already recognized and issuing citizenship certificates.

With limited slots, arriving at the appointment with complete and consistent documentation makes a real difference.

Marriage to an Italian citizen

The foreign spouse may apply for citizenship (Art. 5 of Legge 91/1992):

• after two years of legal residence in Italy following the marriage; or
• after three years from the date of marriage, if the couple lives abroad;
• these periods are halved if the couple has children, whether born to or adopted by them;
• the marriage must remain valid, with no separation, until the decision.

It is a grant by decree, not an automatic recognition. If the spouse obtained citizenship by descent, he or she must already be recognized as Italian.

Naturalization by residence

The main periods of legal residence in Italy set out in Art. 9 of Legge 91/1992 are:

• 10 years for foreign nationals in general, such as Brazilians without Italian ancestry;
• 4 years for citizens of European Union countries;
• 3 years for foreign nationals born in Italy;
• 2 years for children and grandchildren of Italian citizens by birth;
• 5 years for stateless persons and for adults adopted by an Italian citizen (counted from the adoption).

Common requirements

• B1-level Italian (Common European Framework of Reference), evidenced by a diploma or by a certificate from a recognized institution (Art. 9.1). An exemption applies to people with serious learning impairments certified by a public health service (Corte costituzionale, judgment n. 25/2025).
• Fee of €250 per application (Art. 9-bis).
• Decision deadline of 24 months, extendable to 36 months (Art. 9-ter).

Brazilians may stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days without a visa. Longer stays require a national visa (type D), applied for at the consulate for the area of residence through the Prenot@mi portal (Consulate General in São Paulo). The official tool Il visto per l'Italia indicates the appropriate visa type. The main categories are:

• Elective residence (residenza elettiva): for those who want to live in Italy without working. It requires housing and the applicant's own stable and regular resources, such as pensions and income from real estate or from activities other than salaried employment. These resources may not be lower than three times the annual amount set in the table of the Ministero dell'Interno directive of March 1, 2000 (Decreto Interministeriale n. 850/2011, item 13). The spouse and children may receive a similar visa.
• Salaried employment and the decreto flussi: as a rule, the employer in Italy applies for the work authorization (nulla osta) within the annual quotas. The decree for 2026–2028 provides for 497,550 entries, 164,850 of them in 2026 (Ministero dell'Interno). Descendants of Italians who hold Brazilian citizenship may enter to work outside the quotas (Art. 27, paragraph 1-octies).
• EU Blue Card (Carta Blu UE): for highly qualified workers, outside the quotas, with a higher-education degree from a program of at least three years or equivalent professional experience, an employment contract or binding job offer of at least six months, and a salary no lower than that set by collective agreements (Art. 27-quater of the Testo Unico).
• Digital nomads and remote workers: in force since April 2024 (decree of February 29, 2024, published in GU n. 79 of April 4, 2024). It requires qualifications equivalent to those for the Blue Card, annual income from lawful sources of at least three times the minimum threshold for exemption from healthcare cost-sharing, health insurance, accommodation and at least six months of experience in the activity. Remote workers must also submit an employment contract or binding job offer (Integrazione Migranti).
• Study: for enrollment at a university or in a course in Italy, with proof of means of subsistence and health insurance.
• Family reunification: a foreign national legally resident in Italy may bring a spouse, children and, in certain cases, parents, upon proof of adequate income and housing.
• Investor (visto per investitori): an investment of at least €2,000,000 in Italian government bonds; €500,000 in equity of a company or venture capital fund incorporated and operating in Italy; €250,000 in an innovative startup; or a philanthropic donation of €1,000,000. The bonds and equity holdings must be held for at least two years. The application is filed online and reviewed by an interministerial committee. The initial residence permit is valid for two years and may be renewed for three-year periods (Art. 26-bis of the Testo Unico; Investor Visa for Italy).

After entry, the foreign national must apply for the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within eight working days.

Citizenship applications and many visa applications depend on Brazilian documents that must be correct and consistent with one another. According to the instructions of the Consulate General in São Paulo:

• Full-content certificates (inteiro teor): birth, marriage and death certificates along the line of transmission must be submitted as original certified copies (segunda via), in full content and issued within the last six months, when they are not yet registered in Italy.
• Hague Apostille: required on all Brazilian certificates.
• Sworn translation into Italian: done by a sworn public translator in Brazil, and the translation itself must also be apostilled.
• Certificate of No Naturalization (Certidão Negativa de Naturalização, CNN): issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, covering all variations of the Italian ancestor's name.
• Corrections: discrepancies in first names, surnames, dates or places between the Brazilian certificates and the Italian records usually require the Brazilian records to be corrected before the application.

Sene & Araújo handles certificate searches and issuance, the correction of public records and the preparation of powers of attorney in Brazil. The firm also assists with the transcription of civil acts when needed.

After arrival or recognition

• Codice fiscale: the Italian tax identification number, needed to rent property, open a bank account and sign contracts. It can be requested from the Agenzia delle Entrate (the Italian Revenue Agency) or through the consulate.
• Permesso di soggiorno: must be applied for within eight working days after entering Italy on a national visa.
• AIRE: Italian citizens living abroad must be enrolled in the Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all'Estero (registry of Italians resident abroad). Anyone who moves their residence from Italy to another country must report the move to the consulate within 90 days (Art. 6 of Legge 470/1988).

Our lawyers are admitted to practice in Brazil (OAB) and in Portugal (Ordem dos Advogados). In Italy, we act as advisors and intermediaries, working with local professionals when the procedure requires it, as in court proceedings. The work is organized in two stages:

1. Preliminary case review and feasibility opinion: since the 2025 reform, this preliminary advice has become especially important. We study the family tree, the dates of birth, the naturalizations and the residence of the ancestors, check whether any of the scenarios in Article 3-bis or another route (marriage, residence, work visa for descendants) applies, and tell you candidly when the descent route is no longer available.
2. Assistance with the procedures: if the case is feasible, we follow the citizenship, visa or residence procedure, the consular formalities in Brazil and the procedures in Italy.

Services

• Advice on citizenship and immigration;
• Assistance with citizenship recognition;
• Assistance with visas and residence;
• Consular formalities;
• Follow-up of procedures in Italy;
• Certificate searches in Brazil and Italy;
• Correction of Brazilian records, apostilles and coordination of sworn translations.

We do not promise results: the decision rests with the Italian authorities and depends on the review of each case. For an initial assessment, contact our team.