The restriction on granting Italian citizenship, promoted by Giorgia Meloni, is advancing in Italy.

The Italian Senate approved Giorgia Meloni's decree restricting access to Italian citizenship by 81 votes to 37. Although it still needs to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies, all indications are that it will also be ratified there.

Although there are still several uncertainties surrounding this new legislation, there are some important issues to consider if the decree ultimately becomes law.

It's important to know that Italian citizenship is not automatically transferred to those born outside of Italy who hold another nationality. Furthermore, those born abroad before the current law came into force are not recognized.

The new regulations establish that only Italian parents or grandparents who have never acquired another nationality can transmit citizenship. It is also important to keep in mind that this transmission is only possible up to the second generation.

To be able to transfer citizenship to a child, the father or mother with Italian citizenship must have resided in Italy for at least two years before the child's birth.

Italian Citizenship: What are the requirements for applying for it in Argentina?

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Those who will be eligible for citizenship upon passage of the law must meet the following conditions:

• The children and grandchildren of native Italians who were never naturalized
• Minors as of the date the law goes into effect. In this case, they can obtain citizenship, but they have until May 31, 2026, to submit the documentation.
• Those who have already submitted documentation to their consulates or municipalities, those who have appointments, or those who filed an application before this decree came into effect. The old citizenship law will apply to them.

However, many unknowns remain surrounding the new legislation. For example, what will happen to a person residing in Italy who has a child? Will the newborn have to wait two years to obtain Italian citizenship if the mother or father has not lived in the country for the past two years?

Experts point out that many of these questions can be resolved once the final version of the law is released. For now, the decree has been approved in preliminary stages and is expected to be approved next week in the Chamber of Deputies.

Although everything indicates that it will eventually be approved, lawyers and Argentines of Italian descent are not giving up.