Italy dual citizenship: generally open
Italy receives the maximum rating of 100 out of 100 points for allowing dual citizenship. The rating fits because Italy generally accepts multiple citizenship and does not broadly require a new Italian citizen to give up a previous nationality.
For migrants and families, this is a major advantage. A person who lives long term in Italy or acquires Italian citizenship can often keep personal, family and legal ties to the country of origin. The other country's law remains decisive too.
What the measured value means
The underlying value is a legal principle assessment: multiple citizenship is allowed. Nomadino is not measuring how quickly or easily Italian citizenship can be acquired here, but whether more than one nationality can generally coexist.
Italy is therefore part of the open group. Each person still needs to check whether the previous country also accepts multiple citizenship or has loss rules, permission duties or reporting obligations.
Naturalization and descent are different questions
Italy is known for citizenship by descent, but this indicator is about multiple citizenship as such. Descent cases, naturalization after residence, marriage routes and other routes have different requirements.
Especially in descent cases, documents, birth and marriage records, name changes, consular jurisdiction and timing can matter. Italy's openness to multiple citizenship does not remove those evidence questions.
Practical meaning
Dual citizenship can support return options, family planning, inheritance, travel and professional mobility. For children in international families, it can preserve identity and rights in more than one country.
At the same time, duties can arise: tax residence, military obligations in another country, passport use, consular protection and reporting obligations should be checked. Two passports do not make every rule simpler.
What this indicator does not measure
This indicator does not measure the duration of Italian naturalization, language or residence requirements, or practical consular processing time. It measures only the general permission for multiple citizenship.
What to check before relying on this indicator
Nomadino uses dual citizenship as a comparison indicator, not as a stand-alone decision tool. Before relying on the result, readers should check route to citizenship, origin country, consulate, naturalization, descent, documents and possible loss rules in other states together, because a small condition can change how useful the country is in practice.
The practical question is not only whether the country performs well in the table. It is also which authority applies the rule, which document proves eligibility, what validity period applies and whether the answer changes when a spouse, child, employer or long-term plan is included.
This indicator does not replace legal, tax, insurance or consular advice. It summarizes the country position for comparison, while the final decision depends on citizenship, residence status, family composition, timing, health profile and the specific route chosen.
It is most useful when read together with naturalization, passport power and permanent residence. That broader view shows whether the situation remains workable after arrival, renewal, a job change, a family move or a later transition to another status.
For important relocation decisions, the official source should always be checked shortly before applying. Application portals, fees, appointment availability, document language requirements and evidence standards can change faster than the underlying country ranking.
How to use the official sources
Official sources should be used to confirm the current operational details behind dual citizenship. The most useful pages are usually those that explain eligibility, required evidence, application channels, fees, processing responsibilities and validity periods rather than broad policy descriptions.
Readers should compare the official rule with their own facts before treating the indicator as actionable. For this topic, the practical check normally includes route to citizenship, consular evidence, descent documents, naturalization rules and origin-country law, plus any country-specific document format, translation, legalization or appointment requirement.
It is also worth saving the official source used for the decision. Government pages can be updated, and applicants may later need to show which version of a requirement they relied on when preparing documents, booking appointments or choosing a residence route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Italy require people to give up an old passport?
Generally no. Italy does not broadly require renunciation, but the country of origin may have its own rules.
Does this also apply to children?
Children can have separate issues, especially with descent, birth abroad or parents with several nationalities.
Why does Italy receive the maximum rating?
Because Italy generally treats multiple citizenship openly. The difficulty of acquiring citizenship is a separate issue.
Related indicators
- 🏠 Time to Permanent Residency or Citizenship in Italy
- 👪 Family Reunification in Italy
- 📜 Naturalization Requirements in Italy
- 🛡 Residence Status Stability in Italy
Sources
- Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - citizenship and consular information
- Italian Ministry of the Interior - citizenship
- Normattiva - official Italian legislation portal
This article was created on June 26, 2026
