Jure sanguinis — Tajani exception (b) exclusive-Italian ascendant
Citizenship in Italy
- Eligibility
- Parent or grandparent with exclusively Italian citizenship (living or at death).
- Timeline
- medium
- Indicative cost
- 500
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
Parent or grandparent with exclusively Italian citizenship (living or at death). signature route — exception preserved through CC n. 142/2025 inammissibilità ruling (challenges to OLD Art 1 c.1 lit.a declared inammissibili 31 luglio 2025; merits of Legge 74/2025 UNTESTED).
Route: Jure sanguinis — Tajani exception (b) exclusive-Italian ascendant. Statutory anchor: DL 36/2025 Art 1 + Legge 74/2025 eccezione (b). Tajani-window classification: window 4 post-deposit CC n. 142/2025 (challenges-inammissibili on OLD Art 1 c.1 lit.a; merits UNTESTED) (DL 36/2025 + Legge 74/2025 Art 3-bis regime). Operative notes: Parent or grandparent with exclusively Italian citizenship (living or at death). signature route — exception preserved through CC n. 142/2025 inammissibilità ruling (challenges to OLD Art 1 c.1 lit.a declared inammissibili 31 luglio 2025; merits of Legge 74/2025 UNTESTED). Primary pins: IT-SRC-003, IT-SRC-004, IT-SRC-001.
Who qualifies
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Tajani exception (a) under Art 3-bis c.1 Legge 91/1992 (as inserted by Legge 74/2025 Art 1) preserves unlimited jure sanguinis recognition for persons whose administrative or judicial application for citizenship recognition was filed before 23:59 Rome time 2025-03-27; this transitional cutoff was declared constitutionally non fondata by CC comunicato 12 marzo 2026.
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Tajani exception (b) preserves jure sanguinis transmission where an ascendant of first or second degree (a parent or grandparent of the applicant) possesses or possessed at death exclusively Italian citizenship; this 'exclusive-Italian-ascendant' test was declared constitutionally non fondata by CC comunicato 12 marzo 2026.
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Tajani exception (c) preserves jure sanguinis transmission where the parent or adopter was resident in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth or adoption of the child; this 'residency-link' test was declared constitutionally non fondata by CC comunicato 12 marzo 2026.
How to apply
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Post-Tajani DLCI administrative practice requires applicants to document both (i) the unbroken ascendant chain of Italian citizenship and (ii) fulfilment of one Tajani exception — documentation includes atti di nascita, certificati di cittadinanza, non-naturalisation certificates from foreign states of residence, and residency-continuity proofs where exception (c) is invoked.
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Consular-level implementation of Tajani jure sanguinis reform is coordinated by MAECI Farnesina D.G.IT., with per-Consolato interpretive notices from major applicant-pool posts (Rio de Janeiro, New York, Gerusalemme, San Francisco, La Valletta, Ginevra) issued in Windows 2-4 between 2025-03-28 and 2025-09-01.
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Tajani exception (b) 'exclusive Italian citizenship' test for parent or grandparent requires proof that the ascendant never held another citizenship at the relevant time — documentary burden is substantial for diaspora cohorts (Brazil, Argentina, USA) where pre-1992 automatic-loss events and foreign naturalisation records are often incomplete.
Fees & cost
- CC comunicato 12 marzo 2026 declared the Tajani Art 3-bis regime constitutionally valid against Art 3 Cost (equality / retroactivity), Art 9 TEU + Art 20 TFEU (EU citizenship); two further challenges under UDHR Art 15(2) and ECHR Protocol 4 Art 3(2) were declared inammissibili (no merits review) — preserving potential avenues for re-framed litigation.
Cost framework: contributo amministrativo per DL 113/2018 + Legge 132/2018. Apostille costs per Apostille per Convenzione dell'Aja 5 ottobre 1961 (Hague Apostille Convention — IT party). Language certification: Italiano — B1 CELI / CILS / PLIDA (three certifying bodies) per DL 113/2018. DLCI operational guidance: DLCI (Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili, la Cittadinanza e le Minoranze) Circolari: 26185/2025-05-28 + 43347/2024 (operational guidance). Authority: Ministero dell'Interno (DLCI) — Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili; Prefetture (territorial); Consolati italiani (diaspora). Recent revision: DL 36/2025 -> Legge 74/2025 — vincolo effettivo (effective bond) requirement; restricts jus sanguinis to 2nd generation.
Competent authority
Consolato italiano (applicants abroad) OR Comune di residenza + MAECI Farnesina coordination. For 1948 cases: Tribunale ordinario di Roma (civil jurisdiction per Cass SU 25317/2022).
Filing routes: Consolato Italiano (jurisdiction by AIRE residence) OR Comune di residenza in Italy (Sezione Stato Civile / Ufficio Anagrafe). Trib Roma civil venue for 1948 maternal-line cases. Apostille Aja 1961 required on all foreign civil-status acts.
Administrative authority chain: Ministero dell'Interno (DLCI) — Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili; Prefetture (territorial); Consolati italiani (diaspora). Operational guidance: DLCI (Direzione Centrale per i Diritti Civili, la Cittadinanza e le Minoranze) Circolari: 26185/2025-05-28 + 43347/2024 (operational guidance). Comune-level anchors: IRE comune (Italians Resident in foreign country) + GLS comune + Sezione Stato Civile (civil-status anchors). Civil venue: Tribunale Ordinario di Roma — civil venue per Legge 91/1992 + DL 36/2025 (foro generale per stranieri residenti all'estero). Apex jurisprudence: Cassazione Sezioni Unite 25317-25318/2022 + Cass SU 4466/2009 + CC 87/1975 (apex jurisprudence); constitutional: Corte Costituzionale sentenza n. 142/2025 depositata 31 luglio 2025 (NOT future-dated '202
Appeals & review
TAR Lazio for Art 9 refusals within 60 days (5-year absolute limitation). Cons.Stato appellate jurisdiction. For 1948 cases: Tribunale ordinario di Roma civil court with Cass SU 25317/2022 jurisdiction basis.
Appeal pathways: Trib Roma civil venue for denials, consular-delay > 24-month statutory, and 1948 maternal-line cases (Cass SU 4466/2009 + 25317-25318/2022 'permanente e imprescrittibile' doctrine governing). TAR Lazio administrative review for DLCI denials. CC referral via Art 23 Legge 87/1953 (CC 142/2025 deposit pending). For Tajani-window: CJEU Art 267 TFEU Tjebbes-Rottmann avenue preserved.
Appeals framework: civil-side appeals to Tribunale Ordinario (competent venue per Tribunale Ordinario di Roma — civil venue per Legge 91/1992 + DL 36/2025 (foro generale per stranieri residenti all'estero)); apex review per Cassazione Sezioni Unite 25317-25318/2022 + Cass SU 4466/2009 + CC 87/1975 (apex jurisprudence). Constitutional review: Corte Costituzionale sentenza n. 142/2025 depositata 31 luglio 2025 (NOT future-dated '2026-03-12'). Declared OLD Art 1 c.1 lit.a challenges inammissibili; merits of Legge 74/2025 UNTESTED (referring courts: Four Tribunale rimettenti (referring courts): Bologna + Roma + Milano + Firenze — for CC 142/2025). A
Example scenarios
conditional eligible
Tajani post-CC-validated: requires exception (b) exclusive-Italian ascendant OR exception (c) 2y residency post-acquisition
does not qualify exception b
Tajani exception (b) requires parent or grandparent holding ONLY Italian citizenship; dual-nationality ascendant breaks eligibility
eligible exception b
Grandfather exclusivity at time of father's birth triggers exception (b)
post tajani only
Exception (a) transitional window expired; must qualify under (b) or (c)
requires exception analysis
CC n. 142/2025 deposit (31 luglio 2025) declared challenges to OLD Art 1 c.1 lit.a inammissibili; merits of Tajani-era Legge 74/2025 remain UNTESTED; exceptions strictly construed
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-18.
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