You want ASSISTANCE with your Italian Citizenship Application

1. Italian Citizenship allows you to be eligible to work, live and study in Italy and in the other EU countries without the need for a Visa. Other benefits that you will accrue by having your Italian Citizenship include:

2. Buying property in Italy is easier.

3.Transferring citizenship to all children under 18 years old.

4. Having easier access to public health care and public education available to all EU citizens.

5. You can vote for your regional Italian Parliament representative.

If your Italian-born Ancestor was a minor when he or she left Italy, you cannot use him or her as your proof of eligibility. Until 1976, the age of majority in Italy was 21. Minors who emigrated would naturalize concurrently with their parents. If your ancestor was a still a minor when his or her parent naturalized, it is likely that he/she also was naturalized at the same time.  You will need to provide proof/appropriate documentation if this individual was naturalized at a later date. FOLLOW THIS LINK to learn how to determine if your ancestor became a naturalized citizen. If your Italian Ancestor was naturalized along with his or her parent as a minor, he or she effectively renounced his or her right to Italian citizenship. This means that your Ancestor was unable to pass Italian citizenship by Ancestry (jure sanguinis) to his or her children as an adult. No exceptions are made in these cases. 

There is really no limit of the number of generations, provided your ancestor was born in Italy and emigrated after the beginning of the Kingdom of Italy, March 17th, 1861 and did not naturalize before July 1, 1912. If you are unsure or if you have questions, you can schedule a Free Telephone Consultation. 

If your Italian Ancestor was born in Italy before 1861, but migrated to another country after 1861, he or she was an Italian citizen. If instead, your Italian Ancestor migrated away or died before 1861, he or she was NOT an Italian citizen.

If your Italian Ancestor naturalized before July 1, 1912, you do not qualify for Italian citizenship even if his or her child was born before this individual naturalized. Prior to that date, when a native-born Italian naturalized in another country, he gave up not only his own Italian citizenship but also that of all of his minor children, regardless of where they were born. Ancestors who naturalized before July 1, 1912 cannot pass on Italian citizenship under Italian Law No. 555 of July 23, 1912.

No, you do not if you are applying for Italian citizenship, jure sanguinis. You have to learn Italian if you are applying for Italian citizenship through "marriage" or through "residency". You are required to show an adequate knowledge of the language (at least level B1 of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - CEFRL). This is a new requirement following the new Law No. 113/2018 in effect since December 2018. 

If you are an American and you're not sure which consulate covers your state, FOLLOW THIS LINK to find which consular office has jurisdiction over the State where you reside.

A.I.R.E. (Anagrafe Italiani Residenti all’Estero) is the registry of Italians residing abroad. For people of Italian descent pursuing Italian Dual Citizenship jure sanguinis, AIRE’s enrolment is a right and a duty. It provides access to consular services abroad and allows the exercise of some important rights, such as the right to vote and the right to renew IDs and travel documents. Enrolment is free of charge.

NOTE: More and more Italian Consulates require that applicants for Italian Dual Citizenship fill out the AIRE Registration Form and have it ready the day of their appointment. You can download the enrolment form by visiting the Italian Consulate that has jurisdiction of the State where you reside. 

You will be contacted by the Italian authority through which you submitted your application for citizenship. Though this may vary from country to country, you will probably receive an email or a letter stating that you have been recognized an Italian citizen and what is the procedure in order to receive an Italian passport.  You will be registered in the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad (A.I.R.E.). 

A.I.R.E. was established by Law no. 470/1988 and keeps track of the changes in citizenship status, address, marriage, birth and death of Italian citizens. A.I.R.E. enrolment is obligatory for Italian citizens living abroad for more than 12 months and for Italian citizens residing abroad either as a result of being born there or having obtained Italian citizenship through Ancestry (jure sanguinis), marriage or other.