Citizenship first
Then the passport
Most people come to us for a passport. An Italian passport is issued only to a person whose citizenship has already been recognised or granted, and correctly registered. We establish which of the routes provided by Italian law applies to your case, prepare the file and follow it through to the passport.
A passport is not proof
of your citizenship
Ninety-nine people in a hundred believe the passport proves they are Italian. It does not. A passport is issued, and renewed, only when the citizenship behind it is recognised and correctly registered. When the record is not in order, the consulate refuses to renew it.
Which route
applies to you
Decree-law 36/2025 changed who qualifies by descent. Italian law still provides more than one way to hold or to acquire citizenship. The first thing we tell you, in writing, is whether a route exists for you, and which one.
Consular paperwork,
done properly
Passports, births never registered, AIRE, SPID and transcriptions. A wrong date or a missing legalisation sends a file back by months. We prepare it correctly the first time, and we translate and legalise documents from any country.
A passport is not proof of your citizenship
Ninety-nine people in a hundred believe the passport proves they are Italian. It does not. A passport is a travel document, issued only once the citizenship behind it is recognised and correctly registered. When the record is not in order, the consulate refuses to renew it.
The status
A legal condition, held by descent, marriage or residence. It must be recognised and recorded in the Italian registers, AIRE and ANPR, for anything to follow.
The document
Proof of identity for travel, not of the status. It is issued, and renewed, only when the citizenship behind it is recognised and registered. Otherwise renewal is refused.
A passport is a travel document
Citizenship is a legal status
Which route applies to you
Italian law provides more than one way to hold or to acquire citizenship. Each has its own procedure, its own documents and its own timing. The first thing we tell you is whether a route exists for you, and which one.
Children and grandchildren of Italian citizens
Recognition of a citizenship held from birth. What the 2025 reform changed, and who still qualifies, checked against your own family line.
Read the pageSpouses and civil partners
The residence or time requirement, the B1 Italian certificate, the online application, the decree and the oath.
Read the pageNaturalisation after residence in Italy
Ten years as a rule, shorter in many cases, two years for descendants under the 2025 rules. Decree and oath.
Read the pageMinor children of Italian citizens born abroad
Declaration by the parents within three years of birth, free of charge since 2026, then AIRE and the first passport.
Read the pageAdoption, parentage and election
Acquisition during minority through adoption, recognition of parentage or a parent’s naturalisation, and the election of citizenship within a year of majority.
Read the pageFormer Italian citizens
Those who lost citizenship by 15 August 1992 may declare reacquisition until 31 December 2027.
Read the pageWomen married after 1 January 1948
A woman who took a foreign citizenship by marriage after that date never lost the Italian one. A declaration of uninterrupted possession puts the record right.
Read the pageIstria, Fiume, Dalmatia and the former Austro-Hungarian lands
Recognition under laws 379/2000 and 124/2006 for people born in those territories and their descendants.
Read the pageLoss and renunciation
When citizenship is lost automatically, when it is given up by formal renunciation, and what each requires at the consulate.
Read the pageYour citizenship, recognised and correctly registered
Florence · present day
Consular paperwork, done properly
The consulates in London, Manchester and Edinburgh work by appointment and check every document. A wrong date or a missing legalisation sends the file back by months. We prepare it correctly the first time.
- Transcription of births, marriages and deaths
- AIRE, SPID, codice fiscale and PEC
- Passport renewal and first passport for children
- A birth not in ANPR, put right
Documents from any country, accepted in Italy
Every citizenship file is also a translation file. We translate certificates, police records and decrees to the standard the Italian authorities require, then apostille and legalise them.
Sworn & certified translations
For Italian authorities, in four languages, accepted by the Consulate General in London and the courts in Rome.
Apostille & legalisation
Of documents issued in any country, prepared to the standard each authority requires.
Records & retrieval
Birth, marriage and death records recovered from Italian comuni and archives when the originals are missing.
What changed, and when
The 2025 reform changed the rules. These are the dates that matter.
Decree-law 36/2025
Descent by birth abroad narrows. Cut-off at 27 March 2025.
Law 74/2025
Reacquisition reopens, window to 31 December 2027.
Constitutional Court 142/2025
Limits on descent are for Parliament to set, not the Court.
Budget law
Declaration for children born abroad, within three years, free.
Law 11/2026
From 2029 adult applications move to a central office in Rome. Consular quotas until then.
Constitutional Court 63/2026
The reform holds. An effective link with Italy is required.
Constitutional Court 147/2026
The EU question goes to the Court of Justice, case C-816/26. Proceedings suspended.
Cassazione SU 24045/2026
Dual-national minors keep citizenship. Claims filed before the cut-off follow the old law.
Michela de Julio
Michela de Julio is a legal consultant and an official translator, registered with the Court of Rome since 1995 under number 15556, and now also in the national register of court-appointed experts under number 1404. She lives in London and travels to Rome to swear her translations before the court. She graduated in Law and in Modern Languages and holds a master’s degree in immigration law.
An expert translator of the Chamber of Commerce of Rome under number 2183 and a translator of the Consulate General of Italy in London, she is a Qualified Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists and a Qualified Member of the International Federation of Translators. A journalist registered with the Order of Journalists of Lazio since 2002, she writes on Italian citizenship law and collaborates with several law firms in Italy on the conduct of citizenship files and the study of complex cases.
Where the records of an ancestor are missing, she undertakes the research in person, in the Italian State Archives and at The National Archives in Kew. This site is her project, run through MMW Europe Ltd. More about her and about the consultancy.
What our clients say
Reviews left on Google for MMW Europe Ltd, the consultancy behind this site, across citizenship, recognition of qualifications and official translation.
“Attempting to navigate the path to professional licence recognition in Italy can be daunting. With Michela’s help and informative consultation I now have a clearer understanding of the path, including timelines, documents and qualifications. I would recommend Michela to anyone considering one of the many regulated professions in Italy.”
“Knowledge of the processes, attention to detail and unlimited availability. I am extremely happy to have worked with MMW Europe and highly recommend their professional services.”
“MMW Europe, and in particular Michela, has been an invaluable partner for our translation needs. Michela’s reliability, strong work ethic and proficiency consistently deliver high-quality results. We are delighted to recommend this company to our partners and clients.”
“Having completed my studies at King’s College London and planning to return to Italy, I had no idea that my degree was not recognised in the Italian legal system. Michela provided specific advice on this intricate procedure and outlined all the opportunities for recognition of my degree and the job prospects in the public sector. Highly recommend.”
“Exceptionally professional, efficient and sophisticated. My experience with MMW Europe’s services surpassed all expectations. Michela exemplifies an unwavering commitment to professionalism and a remarkable work ethic that sets her apart as one of the most reliable people in the industry.”
“Me and my family used MMW Europe specifically with Michela de Julio and had the most amazing experience. After 4 years of waiting on an embassy she helped us finish our whole citizenship and passport process in 6 months. 10 / 10 for service, she always replies quickly and answers emails and whatsapps.”
“My experience with MMW Europe Ltd was very satisfactory. They happily responded to all my questions and delivered the documents I needed translated in a matter of a few hours. I highly recommend their services, especially for urgent translations.”
“Even if our issue was about CAS, the team and Michela were great in trying to give us advice, and in the end we got it.”
“I highly recommend the services of this company. They have helped me immensely, even going out of their way to meet me on a bank holiday to hand over some important paperwork.”
“Very happy to meet them in this really difficult process. We started with the translation of the documents but I felt safe in their hands, so I decided to let them handle the whole citizenship process. Now we are just waiting for the Italian government to make my husband Italian. Thank you.”
“Attempting to navigate the path to professional licence recognition in Italy can be daunting. With Michela’s help and informative consultation I now have a clearer understanding of the path, including timelines, documents and qualifications. I would recommend Michela to anyone considering one of the many regulated professions in Italy.”
“Knowledge of the processes, attention to detail and unlimited availability. I am extremely happy to have worked with MMW Europe and highly recommend their professional services.”
“MMW Europe, and in particular Michela, has been an invaluable partner for our translation needs. Michela’s reliability, strong work ethic and proficiency consistently deliver high-quality results. We are delighted to recommend this company to our partners and clients.”
“Having completed my studies at King’s College London and planning to return to Italy, I had no idea that my degree was not recognised in the Italian legal system. Michela provided specific advice on this intricate procedure and outlined all the opportunities for recognition of my degree and the job prospects in the public sector. Highly recommend.”
“Exceptionally professional, efficient and sophisticated. My experience with MMW Europe’s services surpassed all expectations. Michela exemplifies an unwavering commitment to professionalism and a remarkable work ethic that sets her apart as one of the most reliable people in the industry.”
“Me and my family used MMW Europe specifically with Michela de Julio and had the most amazing experience. After 4 years of waiting on an embassy she helped us finish our whole citizenship and passport process in 6 months. 10 / 10 for service, she always replies quickly and answers emails and whatsapps.”
“My experience with MMW Europe Ltd was very satisfactory. They happily responded to all my questions and delivered the documents I needed translated in a matter of a few hours. I highly recommend their services, especially for urgent translations.”
“Even if our issue was about CAS, the team and Michela were great in trying to give us advice, and in the end we got it.”
“I highly recommend the services of this company. They have helped me immensely, even going out of their way to meet me on a bank holiday to hand over some important paperwork.”
“Very happy to meet them in this really difficult process. We started with the translation of the documents but I felt safe in their hands, so I decided to let them handle the whole citizenship process. Now we are just waiting for the Italian government to make my husband Italian. Thank you.”
Start with a written case assessment
Send us the family line, the dates and the documents you already hold. You receive a written opinion on which route is open to you and the documents it requires.