The 2025 Budget Law, approved to curb the flow of Italian citizenship applications, ended up hitting Italians themselves hard. Now, everyone — yes, everyone! — has to pay up to 300 euros for historical certificates, something that was previously free.
The idea was clear: to stop the avalanche of requests for documents from descendants around the world. But the plan went wrong. Italian residents were also included in the new fee. Do you need a certificate for inheritance, historical research or adoption? Get your wallet ready.
To avoid accusations of discrimination, the authorities decided to treat everyone equally. “If we’re going to charge, we’ll charge everyone!” seems to have been the motto. However, the decision became a source of jokes in some circles: after all, who would have imagined that even a native Italian would pay to access his own story?
For many, the irony is obvious: while the measure was intended to make it more difficult for foreigners to apply, legitimate Italians ended up in the same situation.
When the plan backfires, the bill comes due — literally.
And it doesn’t stop there…
Municipalities (comuni) also can charge up to 600 euros through the processes of recognizing Italian citizenship by jus sanguinis. And some mayors are not hiding their enthusiasm for applying the new fees.
An emblematic example is that of Val di Zoldo, where the mayor, known for his frequent criticism of Italian-Brazilians, wasted no time. He went to the press to declare his intention to charge the maximum amount allowed.
According to him, the measure is a way of “organizing demand” and, in addition, expressing his dissatisfaction with the volume of orders coming mainly from Brazil.
