How much Italian citizenship costs in 2026

7 min read · Published 6 October 2026

The consular fee is only about $675, but after the 2025 reform the right remains only for children and grandchildren of Italians with no other citizenship. The costs, timelines and what to do if descent does not work for you.

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Key point	2026 figures
Route	recognition of citizenship by descent
Consular fee	~$675 per adult
Who qualifies	children and grandchildren of Italians with no other citizenship
Language	no exam
Decision	within 36 months of filing
Living in Italy	not required
Dual citizenship	allowed

Amounts checked: 2026-10-06

Italian citizenship by descent is not bought but recognised: the state confirms you have been Italian from birth. So the procedure itself is inexpensive - a consular fee of about $675 per adult applicant.

Archives and waiting are what get expensive. And since 2025 the main question is not even the price but the right: after the reform, citizenship by descent is recognised only for children and grandchildren of Italians who held no other citizenship. Below are all the cost items, family amounts, timelines and what happens on refusal.

What the cost is made of

Cost item	Amount	Who pays
Consular fee for recognition	$675	main applicant
Birth, marriage and death certificates for each link	at registry office rates	per document
Record of the ancestor's naturalisation or its absence	at the emigration country's agency rate	once per chain
Apostille and sworn translation into Italian	at issuing country and translator rates	per document
Fee for a minor's citizenship declaration	~$290	each child

The consular fee is paid on filing and is not refunded on refusal. Italian documents need neither an apostille nor a translation.

The longest and most decisive document is the record of the ancestor's naturalisation or its absence: it is what proves they held no second citizenship.

The fee is about $675, but a refusal costs a year of archives

The main loss on the Italian route is not the fee but a year of document gathering ending in refusal: most often it turns out the ancestor had a second citizenship or the right runs through a great-grandparent. Murblz checks the chain and the ancestor's status under the new rules before filing, orders the naturalisation record, arranges apostilles and translations and prepares the application for the consulate or town hall.

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How much it costs for a family of 2, 3 and 4

Family	Minimum
Two adults	from $675 if only one spouse has roots: the other takes a separate path through marriage
Two adults and a child	from $675 for the applicant; the child's route depends on the degree of kinship
Two adults and two children	from $675 for the applicant; the children's route depends on the degree of kinship

Each adult with a right by descent files their own application and pays their own fee. A spouse without Italian roots acquires citizenship through marriage - a different procedure with its own fee and language. For minor children the route depends on which generation the right runs through.

We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.

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What the cost does not include

archive records for each link in the chain;
apostilles and sworn translations;
records of non-renunciation and absence from electoral rolls;
travel to the consulate to file;
court fees and legal support if the route goes through court.

Timeline by step

Step	Time
Checking the chain and the ancestor's status under the new rules	before gathering documents
The ancestor's naturalisation record	the longest stage
Certificates, apostilles and translations	several months
Consulate appointment	from weeks to years depending on the district
Application review	up to 36 months after filing
Registering records in Italy and the passport	after recognition

The bottleneck is usually not the review but the appointment itself: in districts with large Italian communities free slots go in minutes. After moving to Italy you can file with the town hall where you live.

Is money refunded if you are refused

The consular fee is not refunded on refusal, nor is the money spent on archive records, apostilles and translations.

So the ancestor's status is checked at the start: if the grandfather had a second citizenship, a negative answer before gathering documents saves several thousand dollars and a year of waiting.

Comparison with neighbouring programmes

Country	Route	Minimum for one	Time	Dual citizenship
Greece	Citizenship by Greek descent through a consulate	from $150	About 18 months	allowed
Romania	Citizenship restored by descent (Article 11)	from $60	Years in the National Citizenship Authority (ANC) queue	allowed
Bulgaria	Citizenship by Bulgarian origin	fees at the tariff	1-2 years	allowed

Greece by descent is cheaper in fees, Romania and Bulgaria are closer in procedure. But after the 2025 reform the Italian route became the strictest on generations: it is fully closed to great-grandchildren.

Who qualifies after the 2025 reform

Since 24 May 2025 Law 74/2025 applies: a person born abroad with another citizenship is deemed never to have acquired Italian citizenship unless an exception applies. The main ones are a parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship, or an Italian parent who lived in Italy for two consecutive years before the child's birth. Applications and lawsuits filed before 23:59 on 27 March 2025 are decided under the old rules.

The route is fully closed to great-grandchildren of emigrants. Italy's Constitutional Court did not strike down the reform. The legal details and real examples are on Italian citizenship by descent.

If descent does not work for you

Naturalisation by residence - for children and grandchildren of citizens by birth the term is cut to 2 years, with Italian at B1 level.
Marriage to an Italian citizen - a separate procedure with a language requirement.
Italian residence - the digital nomad visa or the elective residence visa, then the general path to a passport.

Residence options are on Italy's nomad visa and Italian residence.

This topic in other countries

Citizenship cost in other countries:

More about the country:

All programmes and a family calculator - how much citizenship costs in different countries.

FAQ

How much does Italian citizenship cost in 2026?

The consular fee for recognition by descent is about $675 per adult and is not refunded on refusal. Archive records, apostilles and translations are paid separately.

Who can get Italian citizenship by descent after the reform?

Children and grandchildren of Italians who held only Italian citizenship, and children of an Italian who lived in Italy for two consecutive years before their birth. Great-grandchildren are excluded.

Do you need Italian for citizenship by descent?

No, recognition by descent has no exam. Italian at B1 level is needed for naturalisation by residence or marriage.

How long does Italian citizenship by descent take?

Review takes up to 36 months after filing, but a consulate appointment in busy districts can take years.

Can you keep Russian citizenship?

Yes, Italy allows dual citizenship. A Russian citizen must notify the Russian interior ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days.

Is the fee refunded on refusal?

No, the consular fee is not refunded, nor are document costs. That is why the ancestor's status is checked before filing.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

We handle the whole process end to end: we check your documents, match a program to your situation and give you honest timelines and costs. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.

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