If a proposed government bill is passed, the cost of obtaining Italian citizenship is set to rise. The 2025 State Budget includes a new fee of 600 euros per person for applications for Italian nationality, an increase from the current fee of 545 euros, regardless of whether multiple parties are involved in the case.
If a government bill is approved, the process of obtaining Italian citizenship may become more costly. According to the Italian Embassy in Brazil, around 30 million Brazilians are eligible for Italian citizenship. However, under the administration of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, accessing this benefit—established by the Nationality Law of 1912—could see significant price increases. The proposed 2025 State Budget indicates that individuals seeking citizenship through legal channels would need to pay a fee of 600 euros (approximately R$3,600) to the state, in addition to the other expenses associated with the application process.
The cost of obtaining Italian citizenship may rise significantly if a proposed government bill is passed. Currently, as noted by lawyer Ana Carolina Nogueira, who collaborates with Italian attorney Antonella Castellone, filing a citizenship action in court costs 545 euros (approximately R$3,300) regardless of how many individuals are involved. Nogueira explains that if the budget is approved as it stands, a collective action for 10 adults and five children would amount to 9,000 euros (around R$54,000) just for the court registration. “This increase will be a significant burden for many families,” she emphasizes.
Nogueira argues that this fee could be deemed unconstitutional, as it applies exclusively to citizenship applications while other collective actions do not incur such per-person fees. “This creates a clear discrimination aimed at reducing the number of legal cases for Italian nationality,” she states. She also warns that there may be further measures introduced to restrict citizenship access, a trend that several European nations are currently pursuing.
No judges
Ana Carolina highlights another hurdle facing those aspiring for Italian citizenship: the Court of Rome, which manages hundreds of thousands of cases, has eliminated the system of dedicated judges for these matters. This change is expected to prolong an already sluggish process. Additionally, since 2022, citizenship lawsuits can only be filed in courts located in the regions where the Italian ancestors are registered, further complicating matters due to a lack of staff to handle the documentation. “Even in smaller courts, like the one in Venice, the demand for nationality cases is overwhelming, resulting in decisions taking approximately two years,” she notes, calling the situation “absurd” as it adversely affects many individuals.
She emphasizes that the backlog in citizenship applications is partly due to the slow administrative processes at consulates that assist descendants in accessing citizenship. “Some consulates have a waiting list of up to 10 years,” she points out. Moreover, once the administrative process is complete, applicants must reside in Italy for up to six months to finalize their nationality, which incurs additional costs.
According to Ana Carolina, the Brazilian Embassy in Italy is closely monitoring the proposed changes to citizenship laws, given a bilateral agreement that limits the imposition of court fees. “The Brazilian government will likely challenge the individual fee for citizenship lawsuits,” she states. “We will have to see how things develop. Regardless, many are rushing to submit their applications before December 31 to only pay the current fee of 545 euros, regardless of the number of individuals involved in the case.”
