Italian Dual Citizenship for Foreigners of Italian Descent

Italian Dual Citizenship for Foreigners of Italian Descent

The recognition of Italian dual citizenship to foreigners of Italian descent is complicated, due the system differences between Italy and the countries of emigration. Countries that welcomed Italian emigrants during the time of massive Italian emigration, like those on the American continent and Australia, apply the Jure soli principle, while Italy follows the principle of Jure sanguinis, according to which every child born from an Italian father is Italian as well. This same principle was applied for children born to Italian women starting on January 1, 1948. Children born before that date did not inherit Italian citizenship from their mother. Likewise, the chain of Italian citizenship is deemed to have been “interrupted” if the Italian ancestor naturalized before June 14, 1912.

With the above in mind, in order to obtain recognition as an Italian citizen, an applicant needs to produce proof of the following three requirements:

  1. That the applicant is, indeed, the descendant of an Italian citizen.
  2. That the Italian citizenship line was never interrupted.
  3. That the transmission of Italian citizenship was not interrupted due to the renunciation of Italian citizenship by the Italian ancestor or the applicant before the Italian Consul.

Verification of Italian origin

The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed on March 17, 1861; however, the territories of the Veneto were annexed in 1866, while those of the Friuli Venezia Giulia did to come under Italian rule until July 16, 1920. Therefore, the Italian citizenship line must start after these dates. If an ancestor was born before the abovementioned dates, it is necessary to investigate the citizenship status of the ancestor at his death.

Uninterrupted line of Italian citizenship

The applicant must produce a certificate issued by competent foreign authorities stating that the Italian ancestor did not renounce his or her Italian citizenship, if  he or she naturalized in the new Country; and when the naturalization occurred. If the naturalization and the oath of allegiance to the ancestor’s new State happened after the birth of a child, the Italian citizenship line was not interrupted, thus meaning that all of his or her descendants were born Italian citizens.

Verification that Italian citizenship was not renounced before the Italian Consul

The consulate of residence in the applicant’s home country must verify and issue a certificate stating that neither the Italian ancestor nor the applicant ever expressed the will to renounce his or her Italian citizenship before the Italian Consul.

Where to submit the application

Depending on the applicant’s place of residence, an application may be submitted either at the Italian consulate in the foreign country, or at the office of the Mayor of the Italian city where the applicant is moving his or her residency.

The procedure for the recognition of Italian citizenship can become time-consuming and complex, due to the difficulty in retrieving documents, the great number of documents to be provided, and the procedure required for the international validation and translation of non-Italian documents.

Bureasy can assist applicant through every step of the process, helping them to obtain one of the most sought after citizenship in the world. Contact us for a free consultation to learn if you are eligible to be recognized with Italian citizenship.