Get Italian Dual Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

 If you’ve searched online for Italian citizenship requirements, and you’re more confused now than you were at the beginning, you’re not alone! There’s plenty of information floating around on the internet about the qualifications for dual citizenship, but it’s often confusing or incomplete. 

To help you make sense of the process of becoming an Italian citizen through jure sanguinis (blood right), the experts at the Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program have provided a step-by-step overview below. The following are services we provide to our customers: 

1. Determine your most recent Italian-born ancestor.. Read more about qualifying via jure sanguinis (bloodline) in this post. 

2. Make an appointment with your local consulate. Do a search online to find the Italian consulate address for your region.

3. Obtain your ancestor’s naturalization records. The date your ancestor became naturalized is important because it will determine whether you can become a dual citizen. 

4. Obtain your ancestor’s Italian vital records. At a minimum, you’ll need to obtain a certified copy of the birth certificate of the Italian ancestor, plus possibly some additional records. 

5. Obtain American vital records. You will need all birth, marriage, and divorce records for you and all the people in your bloodline your Italian ancestor, as well as your ancestor’s death records (if applicable)..

6. Apostille your American vital records. An Apostille is a form of authentication like a notarization; it’s a way of certifying documents as official and legitimate. 

7. Translate your American documents into Italian. All the vital records must be translated into Italian.

8. Present your documents to your consulate office. You must apply for Italian citizenship in person during your appointment. There are currently nine Italian consulates in the United States plus an Embassy. You may have to travel a considerable distance to get to your regional office.  

9. Get your Italian passport. Once your Italian citizenship is recognized, your consulate office will either automatically register you in AIRE (registry of Italians living abroad) or tell you who to contact to register in AIRE. Once you are registered, your final step is getting your Italian passport. 

Get Help Understanding Italian Dual Citizenship Requirements 

The fastest way to find out if you qualify for Italian citizenship is to consult an expert like the Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program. We’re here to help you navigate and understand the often-complex Italian dual citizenship requirements, gather the necessary documents, and more. 

Our Italian citizenship program has helped hundreds of people discover whether they are eligible to become an Italian citizen! Contact us today to learn more.