https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Two US families went to Italy’s highest court on Tuesday to challenge the limits imposed by Giorgia Meloni’s government on claiming citizenship via ancestry. https://www.thelocal.it/20260415/us-families-take-italian-citizenship-law-to-countrys-highest-court Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:08:49 +0200 us-families-take-italian-citizenship-law-to-countrys-highest-court If you're thinking of applying for Italian citizenship, you're far from alone. Here's what the latest data tells us about new citizens and where they come from. https://www.thelocal.it/20260123/revealed-how-many-people-get-italian-citizenship-every-year Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:59:27 +0100 revealed-how-many-people-get-italian-citizenship-every-year People applying for Italian citizenship by residency or marriage need to prove proficiency in the Italian language by taking a test. But where can you take it and how can you book it? https://www.thelocal.it/20241014/how-to-organise-your-language-test-for-italian-citizenship Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:56:13 +0200 how-to-organise-your-language-test-for-italian-citizenship A challenge to last year’s crackdown on ancestry-based Italian citizenship may be on the path to defeat, but more are in the works. https://www.thelocal.it/20260316/whats-next-in-the-battle-against-italys-citizenship-clampdown Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:23:39 +0100 whats-next-in-the-battle-against-italys-citizenship-clampdown Some countries don’t allow dual citizenship, but Italy isn’t among them. So why does this belief persist among so many Italians? https://www.thelocal.it/20260223/why-do-so-many-people-think-you-cant-have-italian-dual-citizenship Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:17:53 +0100 why-do-so-many-people-think-you-cant-have-italian-dual-citizenship The court said challenges to the new limits on gaining Italian citizenship through ancestry were "partially unfounded" following a hearing on Wednesday, with a final ruling yet to come. https://www.thelocal.it/20260313/italys-constitutional-court-hears-challenge-to-citizenship-crackdown Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:41:16 +0100 italys-constitutional-court-hears-challenge-to-citizenship-crackdown From a court ruling that could overturn last year's citizenship restrictions to new EU asylum rules and digital border controls, here's what to expect from Italy's immigration system in 2026. https://www.thelocal.it/20260108/the-planned-changes-to-immigration-and-citizenship-in-italy-in-2026 Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:00:05 +0100 the-planned-changes-to-immigration-and-citizenship-in-italy-in-2026 After Italy restricted citizenship by descent earlier this year, a new decree opens up a work visa pathway for US nationals who can prove Italian ancestry. https://www.thelocal.it/20251230/how-americans-with-italian-ancestry-can-now-move-to-italy-for-work Tue, 30 Dec 2025 10:37:12 +0100 how-americans-with-italian-ancestry-can-now-move-to-italy-for-work Italy's Constitutional Court will rule on whether a law change that blocked thousands from claiming citizenship by descent should stand, after challenges from Italian nationals abroad. https://www.thelocal.it/20260107/court-to-decide-if-italys-citizenship-crackdown-is-legal Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:49:57 +0100 court-to-decide-if-italys-citizenship-crackdown-is-legal Italy is opening a new pathway for some people of Italian descent to move to the country to work, nine months after drastically restricting citizenship by descent. https://www.thelocal.it/20251229/how-descendants-of-italians-can-move-to-italy-under-new-rules Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:29:34 +0100 how-descendants-of-italians-can-move-to-italy-under-new-rules A sweeping reform drastically tightened the rules for passing Italian citizenship to children born abroad earlier in 2025. But some parents benefit from a special grace period ending in May 2026. https://www.thelocal.it/20250711/how-to-secure-italian-citizenship-for-your-child-before-the-2026-deadline Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:37:59 +0200 how-to-secure-italian-citizenship-for-your-child-before-the-2026-deadline A new bill aims to make it significantly harder to obtain - or keep - Italian citizenship, with proposals ranging from testing knowledge of Italian culture to making it possible to leave people stateless. https://www.thelocal.it/20251209/five-ways-italys-league-party-wants-to-tighten-citizenship-rules Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:48:03 +0100 five-ways-italys-league-party-wants-to-tighten-citizenship-rules A new bill presented by the League party sets out plans to make it harder for foreigners to acquire Italian citizenship, following June's unsuccessful referendum vote. https://www.thelocal.it/20251209/new-bill-seeks-to-further-tighten-italian-citizenship-requirements Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:06:25 +0100 new-bill-seeks-to-further-tighten-italian-citizenship-requirements Living in Italy for a number of years can make you eligible for citizenship through residency. But at what point does your time in the country start to count towards your application? https://www.thelocal.it/20250630/when-can-you-start-counting-your-residency-in-italy-towards-citizenship Mon, 30 Jun 2025 18:39:18 +0200 when-can-you-start-counting-your-residency-in-italy-towards-citizenship As a foreigner in Italy you enter a complicated world of bureaucracy, but one question we’re asked a lot is the difference in status between residency and citizenship. Here's an overview. https://www.thelocal.it/20210211/whats-the-difference-between-italian-residency-and-citizenship Thu, 11 Feb 2021 10:26:53 +0100 whats-the-difference-between-italian-residency-and-citizenship After Italy tightened its rules on applying for ancestry-based citizenship earlier this year, who’s still eligible for Italian citizenship by descent – and are there any exceptions? https://www.thelocal.it/20251020/who-can-apply-for-italian-citizenship-via-ancestry Mon, 20 Oct 2025 14:47:44 +0200 who-can-apply-for-italian-citizenship-via-ancestry After Italy approved major changes to the process for applying for ancestry-based citizenship from abroad, what can applicants expect? https://www.thelocal.it/20251021/how-is-italy-changing-the-process-for-overseas-citizenship-claims Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:40:42 +0200 how-is-italy-changing-the-process-for-overseas-citizenship-claims Ancestry-based citizenship applications filed abroad could soon be handled very differently after Italian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a major change. https://www.thelocal.it/20251017/italy-approves-plan-to-speed-up-overseas-citizenship-applications Fri, 17 Oct 2025 13:13:10 +0200 italy-approves-plan-to-speed-up-overseas-citizenship-applications The Italian government on Thursday agreed to grant citizenship to Fox News journalist and author Maria Bartiromo for “special merits,” hailing her work in “strengthening” US-Italy ties. https://www.thelocal.it/20250919/italy-to-grant-citizenship-to-us-journalist-maria-bartiromo Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:16:58 +0200 italy-to-grant-citizenship-to-us-journalist-maria-bartiromo If you’re planning to apply for Italian citizenship, a language test might be one of the first hurdles you'll have to overcome. Is your Italian good enough? https://www.thelocal.it/20240206/how-good-does-my-italian-level-have-to-be-to-get-citizenship Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:03:40 +0100 how-good-does-my-italian-level-have-to-be-to-get-citizenship