Passing Italian Citizenship to Future Generations

Among the many benefits of having Italian citizenship is the fact that you can pass it on to your children, grandchildren, and so on. A truly wonderful family gift! Here is how it works.

What happens to your minor children when you apply for Italian citizenship?

If you are in the process of applying for Italian citizenship, your minor children will be part of your application because they become Italian citizens automatically with you at no additional cost. You will only have to include their birth record, issued in the long form, certified, apostilled and translated to Italian. Your minor children don’t have to be present the day of your appointment. After your Italian citizenship is granted, you will register with A.I.R.E. (Registry of Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) and be able to apply for a passport for you and your minor children.

What happens if you have children after your application for Italian citizen has been accepted? 

This is part of the responsibilities that come with having Italian citizenship. You will need to register their birth records (with apostille and translation to Italian) as soon as possible, certainly before they turn 18 so they can be granted Italian citizenship automatically. 

Failure to do so will cause them to have to file a brand-new application with the Italian Consulate that has jurisdiction over the state where they reside here in the U.S. If they happen to apply at the same Italian Consulate where your application was filed, they can tap into your document portfolio and only present their own birth record, including all the required application forms and application fee payable to the Italian Consulate. If they reside under a different Italian Consular jurisdiction they will have to start from scratch and present a complete portfolio starting with the Italian born ancestor who migrated to the U.S., documenting all the generations with births, marriages, divorces, and death records all in original with apostilles and translations to Italian. In both cases, whether they apply at the same Italian Consulate where you applied or at a different Italian Consulate, they will be required to make an appointment.