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 After a Supreme Court ruling partially overturned Italy’s ‘minor issue’, who is eligible to have their application reviewed – and what do you need to do? https://www.thelocal.it/20260825/how-rejected-minor-issue-applicants-can-have-a-fresh-chance-at-italian-citizenship Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:59:10 +0200 how-rejected-minor-issue-applicants-can-have-a-fresh-chance-at-italian-citizenship You may have heard that Italian citizens living abroad, including people with dual citizenship, are required to register with AIRE. So what is it exactly and who does it apply to? https://www.thelocal.it/20240308/what-is-italys-aire-and-who-needs-to-register Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:50:47 +0100 what-is-italys-aire-and-who-needs-to-register Applicants for ancestry-based Italian citizenship blocked by a 1912 law will have a chance to have their case reviewed, under new guidance based on a ruling from Italy’s highest court. https://www.thelocal.it/20260818/descendants-of-italian-emigrants-blocked-by-minor-issue-get-new-shot-at-citizenship Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:38:28 +0200 descendants-of-italian-emigrants-blocked-by-minor-issue-get-new-shot-at-citizenship As Italy’s governing parties race to appear tougher on citizenship, the new far-right Futuro Nazionale is demanding new rules plus "assimilation to Greco-Roman civilisation." https://www.thelocal.it/20260812/a-20-year-wait-and-fluent-italian-how-the-far-right-wants-to-tighten-citizenship-rules Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:28:33 +0200 a-20-year-wait-and-fluent-italian-how-the-far-right-wants-to-tighten-citizenship-rules Before Italy tightened its citizenship rules, applicants were booking flights and signing leases on the strength of a government campaign urging them to connect with their roots. https://www.thelocal.it/20260724/shot-itself-in-the-foot-how-italys-citizenship-crackdown-stranded-its-diaspora Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:59:14 +0200 shot-itself-in-the-foot-how-italys-citizenship-crackdown-stranded-its-diaspora After Italy tightened the law in 2025, who is still eligible for Italian citizenship by descent and what exactly are the rules on applying? https://www.thelocal.it/20251020/who-can-apply-for-italian-citizenship-via-ancestry Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:47:44 +0200 who-can-apply-for-italian-citizenship-via-ancestry Hundreds of thousands of people blocked from claiming citizenship by ancestry were urged to file new claims immediately after Italy referred the restrictions to Europe’s highest court. https://www.thelocal.it/20260723/descendants-of-italian-emigrants-get-new-chance-to-claim-citizenship-after-eu-court-referral Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:43:23 +0200 descendants-of-italian-emigrants-get-new-chance-to-claim-citizenship-after-eu-court-referral Two of the parties in Italy's ruling coalition have put forward competing bills targeting foreigners in Italy. But what do they actually say? https://www.thelocal.it/20260709/citizenship-stripping-and-deportations-what-are-italys-ruling-parties-proposing Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:58:13 +0200 citizenship-stripping-and-deportations-what-are-italys-ruling-parties-proposing Italy's ruling parties put forward competing bills this week aimed at increasing powers to revoke citizenship, currently used only for terrorism convictions. https://www.thelocal.it/20260709/italy-moves-to-widen-rarely-used-power-to-strip-citizenship-rights Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:25:29 +0200 italy-moves-to-widen-rarely-used-power-to-strip-citizenship-rights 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