Italy 2025,Key Changes in Immigration and Visa Policies

. Citizenship Law Reform

Effective: May 20, 2025
Source: Decree-Law 36 (Passed by Italy’s Chamber of Deputies)

🔑 Key Changes:

• Ancestry Limitations: Citizenship through great-grandparents is no longer allowed.
• Only children and grandchildren of Italian citizens born in Italy can now apply.
• The Italian ancestor must have held sole Italian citizenship at the time of death.
• Applicants must reside in Italy for 2 years before passing citizenship to children.
• No automatic recognition for children born abroad to dual nationals.

📣 Impact:

• Millions in Latin America (e.g., Brazil, Argentina) lose eligibility.
• Sudden cut-off creates legal confusion and financial loss for pending applicants.
• Criticized as a departure from Italy’s historical diaspora values.
• Government defends the move as protecting citizenship integrity and preventing misuse.

🎓 2. Student Visa Rule Changes

Effective: 2025 To Onward
Applies to: Type D Visas (Stays over 90 days, including semester programs)

🔑 New Requirements:

• Mandatory in-person fingerprinting at Italian consulates.
• Batch (group) visa processing is discontinued.
• Students must individually book appointments, potentially facing long delays.
• No fingerprinting at honorary consulates or via remote/local alternatives.

📣 Impact:

• Higher financial burden and logistical challenges for students.
• US-based study abroad providers may shorten or cancel Italy programs.
• Major organizations (NAFSA, Forum on Education Abroad) urge:
  • Reinstating batch processing,
  • Allowing local fingerprinting,
  • Increasing consular capacity.

🔜 3. Coming Soon: ETIAS Travel Authorization

Launch Date: Mid-2025
Applies to: Citizens of 60 visa-exempt countries (including the US)

Key Feature:

• Mandatory ETIAS authorization required before travel to Europe.
• Affects short-term travel for tourism, study, and business.

📌 Summary

Italy is adopting a stricter approach to both citizenship and long-term visa policy:

• Diaspora access is narrowed, ending a decades-long citizenship pathway.
• International education may suffer, with students and institutions facing new hurdles.
• These shifts reflect broader trends of controlled mobility and administrative tightening across Europe.