This site uses technical (necessary) and analytics cookies.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies.

Reacquisition of citizenship

WARNING!
If you landed on this page directly from a search engine, please check the CITIZENSHIP page before continuing.

Conversion Law No. 74/2025 of  Decree Law No. 36/2025 amended Article 17, Paragraph 1, of Law No. 91/1992, allowing former citizens residing abroad, in specific cases and for a limited period of time (between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027), to reacquire Italian citizenship by personally signing a declaration before the competent consular officials.

EFFECTS OF REACQUISITION

The declaration of reacquisition has no retroactive effect: the former citizen reacquires Italian citizenship from the NEXT day after signing the declaration.

TRANSMISSION OF CITIZENSHIP TO DESCENDANTS

With the entry into force of the new legislation, the reacquisition of citizenship DOES NOT allow the automatic acquisition of citizenship by children, even in case they are minors (obviously this applies to adults as well) and living with the parents, if they reside abroad. For these cases, please check the dedicated section (page currently being updated).

LIMITED TEMPORAL WINDOW FOR REACQUISITION

The declaration of reacquisition by the former citizen must be submitted, together with the necessary documentation, between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027.

ELIGIBILITY

To be entitled, the following requirements must be met:

  1. the person must have been born in Italy OR, if born outside Italy, must have been resident in Italy for at least two continuous years;
  2. the person lost his/her citizenship before August 16, 1992.

MANDATORY CONSULAR FEE 

A consular fee (Art. 7C) of  250 euros is due, to be paid in Canadian dollars. For information on payment methods, see below “HOW TO APPLY, GET AN APPOINTMENT AND PAY”.  For the amount in Canadian dollars, check the Consular Fee.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR REACQUISITION

BEWARE: The Consulate does NOT return documents submitted as part of the application.

  1. Application for reacquisition, duly filled
  2. If born in Italy: Extract of birth certificate with marginal notes (NOT a simple birth certificate) issued by the Italian municipality of birth (see note 1).
  3. If born abroad (replaces point 2):
    3a) Extract of foreign birth certificate (see note 2) apostilled and translated (click here for more information) AND
    3b) historical certificate of residence issued by the last Italian municipality of residence (see note 1).
  4. in any case: Historical certificate of citizenship issued by the Italian municipality of birth or of last residence. In case of impossibility of issuance by the municipality, refer to the instructions in Note 1.
  5. in any case: Foreign naturalization certificate, with these essential details:
    A. Name
    B. Surname* * (see note 4).
    C. Date of birth
    D. date (day, month and year) of granting of Canadian citizenship.
    (PLEASE NOTE: The “wallet size certificate” DOES NOT include all the required information – See note n. 3).
    If the person was a minor at the time of naturalization, he/she must ALSO submit the naturalization certificates of his/her Italian-born parents. Please note that until March 09, 1975, in Italy legal age was at age 21.
  6. in any case: copy of the Canadian passport and the Canadian driving license (or other document – e.g. utilities – proving your address): if available, Italian ID even if expired.

NOTES

(1) For requesting Italian certificates, this form may be used and sent, by the person concerned, to the Italian Municipality.
If the Italian municipality indicates that it is unable to issue the ‘historical citizenship certificate,’ the applicant must then certify this circumstance, including by providing email correspondence with the municipality showing its negative response, and submit alternative documentation suitable to prove the former Italian citizenship (for example: a copy of a previous Italian passport).

(2) The Canadian (or anyway foreign, for those born elsewhere) birth certificate must be in “Certified Copy of Registration” (long form) format.  Please note that the “wallet size” format of birth certificates is NOT valid for registration and therefore cannot be accepted.

(3) In case the Canadian naturalization certificate in your possession does NOT show the MANDATORY data (Name, Surname, Date of birth, Day/Month/year of naturalization), you may submit (click to get more information) a “Search of Citizenship Records” or an “Access to information” certificate. Please note that the “wallet size naturalization certificate” does not indicate the exact date of naturalization (as the year alone is insufficient) and, as such, does not allow to complete the procedure.

(4) *PLEASE NOTE: For WOMEN, if instead of the maiden name the married name appears, a marriage certificate in “certified copy of registration” (long form)  format (or similar foreign document), apostilled and translated (click here for more information) must also be submitted.

Marriage certificates issued by religious authorities cannot be considered.

In case the certificate in your possession does NOT show all the MANDATORY data, A to D :

a) you may ADD the “wallet size” citizenship certificate, if it integrates the necessary missing data,

OR

b) as an alternative to both the aforementioned certificates, a “Search of Citizenship Records” or an “Access to information” can be submitted.

HOW TO APPLY, GET AN APPOINTMENT AND PAY

BEWARE: The Consulate CANNOT provide prior advice of any kind on any category of application for citizenship, including reacquisition.

Pursuant to Law 74/2025, it is upon the applicant to submit the necessary documentation: the list  is detailed in these pages and the person concerned must refer to these pages.

1) Once you have ALL the documents to be submitted in original at the counters:

Please scan the following documents in ONE file, in pdf format:

  • Application for reacquisition
  • Italian birth certificate (estratto di nascita) – (see examples), or extract of foreign birth certificate apostilled and translated,
  • historical citizenship certificate issued in Italy or proof that the Municipality cannot issue it, as indicated in note 1 (see examples),
  • Foreign naturalization certificate

and send an email to consgentoronto.riacquisto@esteri.it with the scanned pdf and write in the subject line “Application for reacquisition of citizenship”; in the body of the message write, “I am sending as an attachment my application with the necessary documents. NAME and SURNAME (surname at birth)

2) You will receive at that point an AUTOMATED response CONFIRMING we have received your application for reacquisition,  recommending (to accelerate the procedure) to create your profile on the online booking system Prenot@mi, Just create the profile, you DO NOT NEED to book any appointment.

3) the Office will then schedule an appointment through Prenot@mi at the earliest possibility (with priority for those having already created their online profile), beginning July 1, 2025 (on first working day: July 2), for the applicant to appear in person, WITH ALL the documentation in ORIGINAL to  pay the necessary consular fee.

YOU WILL RECEIVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT DATE AND TIME of your appointment BY E-MAIL, automatically, by the Prenot@mi system (PLEASE CHECK DAILY , including your SPAM folder)

4) At the counter, upon paying the non reimbursable fee:

4a) you will be able to complete the procedure by signing the declaration of reacquisition before the competent consular officer.

OR

4b) if your documents are incomplete or incorrect, you will get a notice of refusal granting you a term to regularize your application, and instructions on how to integrate the documents. Failing too comply within the term will involve the rejection of your applications.