How Much Does Italian Dual Citizenship Cost?
How much Italian dual citizenship will cost you depends on several factors. If you qualify based on an Italian ancestor or by marriage, you will need to provide documentation to support your claim. Both of these options allow many Americans to obtain Italian dual citizenship.
Keep in mind, how much it costs to apply for Italian citizenship depends on which documents and services you need to support your application. The services and fees for Italian vital records, Italian naturalization records, translation services, and apostille will vary depending on where the documents were issued and the processes needed to obtain an official copy.
There are a number of processing fees, Italian consulate fees, and service provider costs that add to the Italian dual citizenship price tag. Let’s look into the different prices associated with the different paths to obtain dual citizenship.
Italian American Dual Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis)
If you are descended from an Italian ancestor who remained an Italian citizen, you may qualify for Italian citizenship by descent. To file your application for dual citizenship, you will need various documents to prove you are the direct descendent of an Italian citizen. For each generation a complete set of documents is required by the Italian consulate, so these costs will multiply depending on the number of generations you need to trace your Italian bloodline.
- Birth Certificates: Depending on how far back you need to go, you may need to get birth certificates for yourself, your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, and so on. The cost of obtaining official copies of birth certificates varies by location and the issuing authority but usually range between $8-35. If an Italian birth certificate does not exist, you may be allowed to use a baptismal certificate.
- Naturalization Papers: If your Italian ancestor was not born in Italy, you will need their Italian naturalization records. You will also need to provide the US naturalization records for your immigrant ancestors, which cost about $65 from the USCIS Genealogy Program.
- Marriage Certificates: You will need copies of marriage certificates to establish family relationships and lineage. Depending on where the marriages took place, these prices will vary, usually between $2-40.
- Death Certificates: In some cases, you may need to provide death certificates for your Italian ancestors. Depending on which authority recorded the official death certificate, an official copy may cost between $8-35.
- Divorce Decrees: You may also need certified copies of divorce decrees in certain situations, especially if your Italian ancestor remarried and you are descended from a second marriage.
Additionally, you will need to obtain apostille stamps which are a legal certification for many of these documents. Each document that is not written in Italian in its official form must also be translated into Italian by professional translators. Apostille stamps run about $120, and translation fees are about $60 per page.
Italian American Dual Citizenship by Marriage (Jure Matrimonii)
If you are married to an Italian citizen or dual citizen, you will need copies of your birth certificates and your marriage or civil union certificate. Italian laws may require you to demonstrate an intermediate proficiency in the Italian language.
When submitting your documents that were not issued by Italian agencies, you will need certified translation services and apostille certification. These fees will add to your Italian citizenship assistance cost.
Other Costs Associated with Applying for Italian Dual Citizenship
How much will it be to file for Italian citizenship? Regardless of which path you use, there will be standard costs associated with submitting your documents. These fees are listed in euros, but may be paid in US dollars subject to current conversion rates.
- Italian Citizenship Assistance Cost: If you use the services of an Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program, the process is usually easier and faster with experts to help you locate vital records and resources.
- Processing Fee: The Italian consulate will charge a processing fee of approximately 300 euros when you submit your documents and application.
- Italian Passport: Once you are granted dual citizenship, you can obtain an Italian passport from the consulate for a fee of 116 euros.
- Italian ID Card: Once you have your Italian passport, you will need to apply for an ID from the Italian government for approximately 25 euros.
- Permanent Resident Costs: You can obtain Italian dual citizenship without ever traveling to Italy, but if you do wish to live, work, or retire in Italy, you have the right to do so.
For further information about Italian citizenship assistance costs, how to apply for dual citizenship, or to find out if you qualify, please contact the Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program at (877) 456-1660 for a FREE 30-minute initial consultation today!