The law will go into force upon publication in the Official Gazette. It was passed on 5 February 1992 and amended in 2001.
The latest amendments, adopted by the House of Representatives in July 2005 and by the Senate on 9 February 2006, make it possible for the Italian minority in areas formerly under Italian rule to acquire Italian citizenship.
The law has drawn criticism from some politicians in Slovenia and Croatia, who consider it to be in contravention of international conventions.
According to estimates by Mojca Drcar Murko, a Slovene member of the European Parliament, as many as 100,000 citizens of Slovenia and Croatia might apply for Italian citizenship.
Italian minority officials have welcomed the passage of the law, saying that not more than 20,000 people might apply for Italian citizenship.