The way is clear for the approval of the tax 600 Euros for the recognition of Italian citizenship. The Budget Committee of the Italian Parliament gave the green light to the amendment included in Maneuver 2025 (Budget Law).
With the parliamentary majority guaranteed by the government, approval in plenary is practically certain.
“What happened today, with the last votes in the Budget Committee, is something that in 20 years of politics in favor of Italians abroad, in three terms in the Chamber of Deputies and a brief term in the Senate, I have never seen,” said the deputy. Fabio Porta ao Italianism.
“In addition to offending the prerogatives of parliament, in addition to offending the memory of our immigrants in the year of 150 years of Italian immigration in Brazil, are putting economic impediments to a request provided for by Italian law. Favoring only the richest, who will be the only ones able to apply for citizenship”, added Porta.
“Of course I will vote with great pride against this law, against this budget law and against this government that is proving to be, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst government in history in relation to Italians abroad”, he concluded.
What changes with the new rate?
- 600 euros for processes in municipalities: requests for recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis carried out directly in Italian town halls will have an administrative charge of 600 Euros by an applicant of legal age.
- Double the consular fee: processes conducted by Italian consulates will have the current rate of 300 Euros doubled, totaling 600 Euros.
- Fee for historical certificates: certificates issued from records with more than 100 years will have a cost proportional to age, limited to 300 Euros per document.
Bad news for Italian descendants
All amendments that attempted to suppress Article 106 of the Unified Contribution were rejected, according to Congressman Fabio Porta. The government's original proposal was maintained, establishing:
- the charge of 600 Euros for each applicant in legal proceedings relating to Italian citizenship.
- The value will be applied individually to each person, even in requests submitted collectively in the same process.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella's decree makes it clear in Article 106:
“For disputes concerning the recognition of Italian citizenship, the contribution due is 600 euros. The contribution is due for each applicant, even if the application is filed jointly in the same proceedings.”
Impact on the Italian-Brazilian community
The proposal represents a direct loss for thousands of Italian-Brazilians. With the euro rising against the real, the increase could make citizenship processes unfeasible, which already involve significant expenses with documentation, translations and travel.
Experts warn that the measure could turn Italian citizenship into a exclusive privilege for the few, making access difficult for families with lower purchasing power.
Justification of the Italian government
The Italian government argues that the measure aims to cover rising administrative costs and modernize consular services. Part of the funds will be earmarked for:
- Hiring temporary staff to speed up processes;
- Infrastructure improvement of consular services.
When does it come into effect?
If approved, the amendment will come into effect on January 1, 2025, affecting all new applicants for Italian citizenship.
The vote is scheduled to take place next Friday (20), without the possibility of changing the text presented by the committee. This is the so-called "vote of confidence", a mechanism that guarantees direct approval of the proposal linked to the government.
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