Embassy confirms that citizenship fee exemption excludes those born up to May 2025.

The Italian Embassy in Brasilia confirmed this Friday (2) that the free citizenship process for minor children, introduced by Budget Act 2026This exemption is not retroactive. The exemption from the €250 contribution to the Ministry of the Interior will apply exclusively to children born abroad. starting May 25, 2025.

The measure came into effect on January 1, 2026, and establishes different rules depending on the child's date of birth. For those born from May 2025 onwards, parents were given a longer period of three years to submit their declaration of intent free of charge.

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However, for children born up to May 24, 2025, the previous rule remains unchanged. In these cases, the declaration must be submitted by May 31, 2026, and the requirement to pay the €250 fee remains.

Divergence of interpretations

The official confirmation from the Embassy and other consular districts, such as Buenos Aires and Chicago, contradicts recent statements by political leaders. The president of MAIE Brazil, Luciana LasproHe even went so far as to claim that the fee had been eliminated for everyone.

In practice, consular networks follow the text approved by the governing majority in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. The amendment that would have extended the benefit and free services to all minors was rejected during the budget vote.

The Ministry of the Interior does not foresee any refunds for declarations already submitted or for those that still need to be paid. The official guidance is that parents carefully read the instructions on the consular websites to avoid errors in the process.

Scenario for 2026

The restriction on exemptions creates uncertainty about future legislative changes. Although MAIE leaders (Associative Movement Italiani all'Estero) They promise to revisit the topic in February through a decree. milleprorogheCurrently, the fee remains in effect for most ongoing cases.

Furthermore, the community awaits the judgment of the Italian Constitutional Court, scheduled for March 11, 2026. The analysis will decide on the validity of the restrictions imposed on citizenship by descent, which could again alter the registration rules.