The Italian Citizenship Minor Issue: Why 2026 Could Change Everything
The minor issue affects many families who live abroad and descend from Italian citizens.
It emerged as a major obstacle in 2024, when some courts held that if the Italian ancestor had naturalized before their child reached the age of majority, the bloodline had to be considered interrupted.
According to this interpretation, the minor child lost Italian citizenship as a consequence of the parent’s naturalization, preventing transmission to future generations.
However, today there are strong reasons for optimism in resolving this issue:
1) The new law of 2025 does not apply the minor issue to parents
The new legislation entry into force in March 2025 clearly states that when the Italian-born ancestor is the applicant’s parent, the chain of citizenship is broken only if the parent lost Italian citizenship before the applicant was born — not before the applicant reached adulthood.
This means that if the parent naturalized while the applicant was still a minor, citizenship was nevertheless transmitted. What prevents recognition is the parent’s naturalization before the applicant’s birth, not during the applicant’s minority.
2) The 2025 Court ruling provides a different and contrasting interpretation compared to 2024
In 2025, a court adopted a significantly different reading of the law, which will be reviewed by the Supreme Court on April 14, 2026, with a final decision expected a few months later.
The ruling held that when an Italian ancestor naturalized while their child was still a minor, the child did not lose Italian citizenship if they were born abroad. Building on this interpretation, the court further explained that the rule whereby minor children lose Italian citizenship when their parent naturalizes applies only to children born in Italy.
Indeed, children born abroad — especially in countries that follow jus soli — already hold a foreign citizenship at birth. As a result, they do not acquire it as a consequence of the parent’s naturalization.
Therefore, they retain Italian citizenship and can pass it on to their descendants.
Why You Should Prepare Now
If your Italian ancestor naturalized when their child born abroad was a minor, now is the ideal time to prepare your Italian citizenship application, because:
- Many applicants are awaiting the Supreme Court's decision.
- A favorable ruling could trigger an immediate wave of new applications.
- By starting now, you can be sure that your case will be ready before the system becomes overloaded.
- Timely preparation helps you avoid delays and get ahead of any backlog.
Italian citizenship is now more within your reach than ever before.
BOOK A 100% FREE CONSULTATION CALL TODAY with AcrossBoundaries. We are a team of lawyers and dual citizenship specialists who can simplify your application by supporting you throughout the entire process, from gathering documents to submitting your case.
Our services include:
- Personalized Assistance: We tailor our services to your specific needs, ensuring a smooth and effortless process.
- Seamless Online Process: Benefit from our fully digital workflow, with all documentation managed online for a streamlined and hassle-free experience.
- Efficient Scheduling: We optimize your application timeline to ensure a smooth and timely process.
- Full Ownership of Your Application: We provide comprehensive support, handling every aspect of your case from start to finish.
- Collaboration with the Italian Court: If needed, we work directly with the Italian Court at no additional cost to ensure the successful acquisition of Italian citizenship.
- Meticulous Documentation: We prepare and submit all required documents, ensuring they meet all legal requirements.
We’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Article written on March 6th 2026
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