If there are chances that your ancestors came from a European country, especially Italy then you can apply for citizenship by descent. Italy is a country that allows you to go back three generations or more to claim citizenship by descent. However, it can be more if you can prove that your lineage is not broken and you can connect the dots that claim that you are from the same bloodline as your ancestors. Getting dual citizenship from Italy is very beneficial as it allows you to travel to 150+ countries without a visa. Moreover, Italy comes in both the European and Schengen zone which allows you to have more benefits. Also, Italy has a very powerful passport so, getting a second citizenship and a passport from Italy will give you true freedom.

When it comes to Italy they are very generous in giving citizenship by descent. They allow you to have citizenship if one of your parents your mother or your father, your grandparents or great-parents even your great-great-grandparents are from Italy you can obtain citizenship from the descent of Italy. The only thing you need to ensure is that the lineage is not broken. For example, if your grandparents have denounced or quit their citizenship before your father was born you cannot claim citizenship by the descent of Italy. However, if your father was born before the grandparents gave up the citizenship you are eligible for citizenship by the descent of Italy.

There is virtually no limitation when it comes to the generation gap however, you need to ensure that your ancestors were alive after March 17th 1861. If your Italian ancestors were not from this date or died before this date you are not eligible to get citizenship by the descent of Italy.

The process to obtain Italian citizenship by descent

I am going to explain the process that allows you to get citizenship by descent in Italy.

First, you need to determine if you are eligible to apply. That process is essential you don’t want to waste your time only knowing that you are not eligible for citizenship. So, first, determine that you are eligible by having proof that your ancestors are from Italy. This is the first step. Second, you need to know that the lineage is not broken and you have a blood right to obtain second citizenship of Italy. After knowing that you are eligible you need to gather all the documents. There are 10 documents you need to have to go through the process of obtaining Italian citizenship by descent. I am going to share the list of those documents below.

Before sharing the list of documents I want to highlight that you need to get documents apostilled and translated into Italian.

1. You need to have a copy of your passport
2. You also need to have a copy of your driving license
3. An application form that is given by the Italian government
4. You need to have proof of residency that proves that you can live in Italy.
5. You need to have a birth certificate of your ancestors that proves the bloodline
6. More you need to have the birth certificate of yourself and your ancestors that proves the birthright.
7. You need to show your marriage certificate if you are married you need to have that document ready.
8. You need to have the death certificates of your ancestors. These certificates are required to prove that you are from the same family as you have access to the death certificates of your ancestors.
9. If you are divorced you need to show that document as well.
10. You need to show the documents of naturalization if applicable. It ensures that your bloodline is not broken when your ancestors were given up their nationality in Italy.

These are all the documents you need to have. Yes, it can make your head spin but that is the legal procedure you need to follow if you are applying for citizenship by descent in Italy.

My two cents are that you should hire the legal team for that purpose. As, if you mess up even one document you will get rejected by the consulate of Italy.

After gathering all the documents you need to contact your local Italian consulate to submit the documents and get an appointment for an interview. You need to know that it can take up to years to get an appointment at the consulate. Yes, this is a very slow process but that’s the only process. However, I can give you tips to fast-track your application. You can make the processor faster by going to Italy and residing there by getting the property on rent. Then, you can submit the documents from within the country and you can avoid the consulate altogether. However, there is no other way except the methods I have mentioned.

You need to know that if you get Italian citizenship it can be passed to your children. If your child is born after getting citizenship in Italy they will be considered a legal citizen of Italy. However, if your child is born before getting citizenship in Italy they will not be able to claim citizenship in Italy.

Moreover, you don’t have to speak Italian if you are obtaining your citizenship by descent.

In a nutshell

The Italian passport is very powerful and getting one for yourself can give you true freedom of internationalizing. The process is slow but worth the fruit you will gain in terms of a second passport and citizenship. In this article, I have covered the things you need to know to get Italian citizenship by descent. I have also shared the list of documents you need to have to obtain citizenship in Italy. Moreover, I highly recommend hiring the legal team to fill out the forms as it will be less headache for you. The Italian process is very slow and it can take years to meet the home counselor of the Italian embassy. However, you can make the process slightly faster if you can go to Italy and can rent the property there.