Italy has allowed dual and multiple citizenship since 1992 and does not require you to give up your existing passport when you acquire Italian citizenship. There is one key thing to grasp right away: almost all the restrictions, renunciations and notifications people worry about come not from Italy, but from the other country of which you are already a citizen. Italy keeps its door open; only the other side can close it. And a second important point: dual citizenship in itself does not create any tax obligation in Italy — that is determined by tax residency, not by the passport. Below we look at which countries you can combine statuses with, whether you have to renounce anything, how things stand with taxes, military service and passports at the border, and whether Italian citizenship can be lost.
Does Italy Allow Dual Citizenship
Yes, and with no limit on the number of citizenships. The legal basis is Article 11 of Law No. 91 of 1992, in force since August of that year. Under it, a citizen who acquires a foreign citizenship keeps their Italian one, and when granting Italian citizenship Italy does not require renunciation of the previous one.
The rules used to be stricter. Before 1992, an Italian who naturalised abroad automatically lost Italian citizenship. And until 2004, a foreigner obtaining an Italian passport was still required to provide a certificate of release from their previous citizenship. Both of these requirements have now been abolished, and Italy's dual citizenship regime is one of the most liberal in Europe.
Which Countries You Can Hold Dual Citizenship With
Here lies the main misunderstanding. Italy itself keeps no list of countries and imposes no country-based restrictions. Whether dual citizenship is allowed to you is decided not by Italian law, but by the law of your own country.
Some states ban dual citizenship themselves and strip you of their passport if you voluntarily acquire a foreign one. Various sources cite, for example, Japan, China, Singapore and India among them. If you are a citizen of a country that does not allow dual citizenship, obtaining Italian citizenship may mean losing your first passport — but that will be your country's decision, not Italy's. So the first thing to check is the law of your own country.
A separate detail for those who follow current developments. There used to be an international convention under which naturalisation in a member state led to the loss of the previous citizenship. Italy withdrew from it, and since 2010 that rule no longer applies to Italians.
Do You Have to Renounce Your Previous Passport
On Italy's side there is no renunciation. It is not required either when you obtain Italian citizenship or if you later acquire a third one. Italy simply keeps your status in place.
On your own country's side, the answer depends on its laws. If renunciation of the previous citizenship is required, it is carried out under the rules of that country and has nothing to do with Italy. This is the main line to keep in mind throughout the whole topic: one thing is what Italy does, and quite another is what your country decides.
Taxes and Dual Citizenship: the Main Myth
The most common fear goes like this: "I'll get an Italian passport and I'll have to pay taxes in Italy." This is a myth, and here is why.
Dual citizenship in itself does not create any tax obligation. Taxes are determined by tax residency, not by the passport. Italy taxes on the basis of residency: a tax resident is someone who spends more than 183 days a year in the country or whose centre of vital interests is in Italy. A resident pays tax on worldwide income, while a non-resident pays only on income from Italian sources. Citizenship in itself has no bearing on this.
In this Italy differs, for instance, from the USA, which taxes its citizens by citizenship wherever they live. There is nothing of the kind in Italy. Moreover, Italy has double taxation treaties with many countries, and a tax resident declares foreign assets on a separate form. How tax residency and preferential regimes for new residents work is explained in detail in the article on how to move to Italy.
Notification, Military Service and Other Obligations
Another obligation often attributed to Italy in fact relates to your own country. A number of states require you to notify their authorities of the acquisition of a second citizenship within a set period, with penalties for non-compliance. But this is an obligation towards your country, not towards Italy, so the deadlines and consequences must be checked in its legislation.
With military service it is simpler. In Italy conscription has been suspended since 2005 and the army is professional, so an Italian passport in itself does not entail service. That said, a military obligation may still exist on the side of your second country. Voting, pensions and property back home are likewise governed by the rules of the relevant country, and are not cancelled by Italian citizenship.
Which Passport to Use at the Border
A practical question that concerns almost everyone holding two passports. The rule is simple: into Italy and other EU countries an Italian citizen enters on the Italian passport, which confirms the right of free entry and the status of an EU citizen. Into your second country you enter on its passport, because many states require you to cross the border on their own document.
Hence an important detail when buying tickets: you should book them under the passport you will use to enter on that specific leg of the journey. This especially matters when the name is spelled differently in the two passports due to different transliteration. In third countries you can present either of the two passports, choosing the one that gives the better visa regime.
Can You Lose Italian Citizenship
By accident, no. Italian citizenship does not simply "fall away" because you don't live in Italy, don't vote or don't pay taxes there. This is a common fear, especially in the wake of recent news about tightened rules, but it is unfounded: to part with citizenship, a deliberate act is required.
Voluntary renunciation (rinuncia) is carried out in person at an Italian consulate under three conditions: being of age, holding another citizenship and residing abroad. There is a €250 fee for the procedure. Automatic deprivation is possible only in rare exceptional cases, mainly linked to service to a hostile state. For naturalised citizens there is a separate provision for revocation of citizenship in connection with terrorism — also an exceptional situation, not an everyday risk.
Dual Citizenship and Children
Italian citizenship is passed on to children by descent, including those born outside Italy. A minor child cannot renounce citizenship themselves, and usually keeps the dual status acquired at birth.
Here a recent change should be taken into account. The 2025 reform limited the transmission of citizenship by descent to distant generations: now automatic recognition requires a parent or a grandparent born in Italy. This does not affect the dual citizenship regime itself, but it does affect those counting on obtaining citizenship through distant ancestors. This topic is covered in detail in the article on how to obtain Italian citizenship. As for military service, for a child it may arise on the side of the second country, but not on Italy's side.
How Dual Citizenship Arises
There is no separate "apply for dual citizenship" procedure. Dual status is a result: as soon as you have obtained Italian citizenship while keeping your previous one, you already hold two citizenships. No additional application "for dual status" needs to be filed.
And Italian citizenship can be obtained by descent, by marriage or by naturalisation through long-term residence. The Italian passport itself and what it offers is described in the article on how to obtain an Italian passport. The path to citizenship begins with a residence permit: at Law Honor we handle the Italian residence permit turnkey and support the client all the way to citizenship, after which dual status arises by itself.
What Comes Next
Dual citizenship with Italy is not a separate bureaucratic task but a natural consequence of obtaining an Italian passport while keeping your previous one. On Italy's side there is no renunciation, no traps and no automatic taxes. The only thing worth checking is what your own country's law says about a second citizenship. Law Honor's lawyers will help you map out the path to Italian citizenship and sort out questions of tax residency and obligations. The first consultation is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to renounce my previous citizenship when obtaining Italian citizenship? On Italy's side, no. Italy has allowed dual citizenship since 1992 and does not require renunciation of the previous passport. Renunciation may be required by your own country if its laws do not permit dual citizenship, but that has nothing to do with Italy.
Does my country allow dual citizenship with Italy? This must be checked in your own country's legislation, because it is your country that decides the matter, not Italy. Some states do not allow dual citizenship and strip you of their passport upon acquisition of a foreign one. Italy, for its part, imposes no restrictions.
Will I have to pay taxes in two countries? Dual citizenship in itself does not create any tax obligation. In Italy taxes are determined by tax residency: if you spend more than 183 days a year in the country, you pay tax on worldwide income; if less — only on Italian income. Double taxation treaties are in place between countries.
Which passport do I use to enter Italy and which to go home? Into Italy and EU countries an Italian citizen enters on the Italian passport, and into their second country on its passport. You should book your plane ticket under the passport you will use to enter on that specific leg of the journey, especially if the name is spelled differently in the two passports.
Will my Italian citizenship be taken away if I later acquire a third one? No. Italy keeps your Italian citizenship in place even when you acquire any other. It does not require renunciation of previous citizenships.
Will I lose Italian citizenship if I don't come to Italy? No. Citizenship is not lost because you don't live in Italy, don't vote or don't pay taxes there. You can part with it only through a deliberate voluntary renunciation at a consulate, or in rare exceptional cases of deprivation.
Is Italian citizenship passed on to children? Yes, it is passed on by descent, including to children born abroad. That said, the 2025 reform limited transmission to distant generations: automatic recognition requires a parent or a grandparent born in Italy.
Do I have to do military service? In Italy conscription has been suspended since 2005 and the army is professional, so Italian citizenship in itself does not entail a military obligation. It may still exist on the side of your second country, depending on its laws.
Can I renounce Italian citizenship, and how? Yes, through the voluntary renunciation procedure (rinuncia) at an Italian consulate. For this you must be of age, hold another citizenship and reside abroad; there is a €250 fee for the procedure.