How to Get an Italian Consulate Appointment

Effective May 24, 2025: Italian citizenship procedures have been substantially modified by Law 74/2025. For new jure sanguinis filings, administrative recognition at consulates is generally limited to parent/grandparent lines. Appointments communicated/booked by 11:59 p.m. (Rome) on March 27, 2025, may be assessed under the previous rules if honored by the consulate.

Getting an appointment at the Italian consulate can be a time-consuming process, but applying for dual Italian citizenship can be managed through the official Prenot@Mi portal. If you’re an American citizen who has determined you’re eligible for Italian citizenship by blood (jure sanguinis)—meaning you have an Italian parent or grandparent and meet other requirements for jure sanguinis—your next steps are:

• Gathering your ancestor’s information—full name, date of birth, and town of birth.
• Obtaining the appropriate supporting documentation—including Italian vital records, your ancestor’s certificate of naturalization, marriage certificates, and others.
• Submitting your complete application for Italian citizenship.
• Getting an Italian consulate appointment with your regional consular office, where your case will be reviewed to determine if your request for citizenship will be granted.

Please note that, under current law, new administrative filings at consulates generally recognize only parent or grandparent lines. Great-grandparent paths typically require that your appointment with an Italian consulate was communicated before March 28, 2025, or that you proceed via a judicial route.

What Is a Consulate?

Consulates are branches of an embassy and can be thought of as “junior” embassies. An embassy represents one country inside another country. In this case, the Italian embassy and its consulates represent the Italian government within the United States.

Since there is only one Italian embassy in the United States—located in Washington, D.C.—and the country is so large, it’s necessary to have consular offices scattered throughout the nation. Currently, there are ten Italian consulates in the United States, including the embassy’s consular office in Washington, D.C.:

• Boston—serving the states of Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island
• Chicago—serving the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
• Detroit—serving the states of Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee
• Houston—serving the states of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma
• Los Angeles—serving the states of Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, as well as Southern California (Counties of S. Luis Obispo, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial Valley, Orange)
• San Francisco—serving the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and California (except Imperial Valley, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties), and the American Territories of Samoa, American Territory of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Johnston Atoll, Wake Island, and Midways Islands
• Miami—serving the states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, as well as Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks, Caicos, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Saba, and the Bahamas
• NYC—the consulate of Italy in New York serves the states of New York and Connecticut, and the British Territories of the Bermuda Islands
• Philadelphia—serving Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland (except Prince George and Montgomery counties), New Jersey (only Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem Counties), North Carolina, Virginia (except Fairfax and Arlington counties), and West Virginia
• Washington Embassy—providing consular services for the states and areas of District of Columbia, Maryland (only Montgomery and Prince George’s counties), and Virginia (only Arlington and Fairfax Counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax)

Jurisdictions are set by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Always verify which office covers your area.

How to Get an Appointment at Your Regional Consulate Office

Your instinct may be to gather all the necessary documentation before making an appointment at your regional consulate office, but keep in mind that wait times for appointments at the Italian consulate can range from one to six years. Start early—availability is limited and new legal eligibility checks can add time to the process.

Each family member applying for citizenship will need their own appointment, although some consulates allow two family members to attend one appointment. Minor children can sometimes be included in the same appointment as a parent, depending on consulate rules.

This is why it makes sense to book an appointment as soon as you’ve made a firm determination that you are eligible for Italian citizenship. Then you can immediately get started gathering the documents you’ll need to present to your consulate office on the day of the appointment. Before you book, confirm that your case still qualifies under Law 74/2025 (see the update above).

Schedule With Your Regional Consulate Office

As of June 14, 2021, you will use the online system to schedule Italian citizenship appointments with your consulate. You can only be seen by the consulate for your region. For example, if you live in Arizona, your consulate is Los Angeles (the Los Angeles consulate’s jurisdiction includes Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Southern California counties). Each consulate office operates separately with different timelines, requirements, and results. Note that in Italy, a consulate appointment is possible only if you are already living in the country.

To use the online reservation system called Prenot@mi, create an account. Once you receive a confirmation email, you will be able to access the main menu, where you can make your reservation.

After selecting “Make Your Reservation,” you will be taken to another page where you will “Choose Service,” and you will select “Citizenship.” You may be asked if you have a direct ancestor who was born in Italy.

Other services are available here, including visa applications and visa appointments. You will need to wait to obtain an Italian visa until your citizenship is confirmed, after which it will take approximately 90 days to receive.

When you select the appropriate service, you will be provided with an online form to fill out. Supply all requested information as accurately as possible, and then click “Confirm.” This will take you to the calendar page, where you will see any appointments that are available for booking.

Before registering, double-check your personal details—many consulates do not allow you to edit core identity fields (e.g., name, date of birth) yourself in Prenot@Mi, and changes often require a manual request to the consulate.

Once you select an appointment, watch for a follow-up email containing a one-time code (OTP) to confirm the action. Your booking isn’t completed until you enter the code promptly.

What If No Appointments Are Available?

Periodically the consulate will open up another day, week, or month at the end of the calendar. You will automatically be taken to the last month available for scheduling, and you can navigate to earlier months to see if appointments are available. However, you might find none are open on your first try.

If this is the case, try signing in at regular intervals, just after 6 p.m. Eastern Time each day. The system in Italy refreshes at midnight, local time, and canceled appointments are often released and become available at this time. However, there is no official time for new slots, and procedures can vary by consulate. Some consulates also offer a waiting list that notifies you of cancellations—join it if available and respond immediately when contacted.

Don’t be tempted by sites or persons who offer to sell you an appointment time at the consulate. This is illegal, and your appointment might be canceled if obtained in this way.

Do You Qualify for Italian Citizenship?

Important (Law 74/2025): Consulates generally recognize new administrative jure sanguinis claims only through an Italian parent or grandparent. Pre-March 28, 2025 appointments/applications may be assessed under the previous rules.

In order to qualify for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis or by descent, you will need to prove that the ancestor your application is based on did not become a U.S. citizen before the next person in your line of ancestors was born, or that they never became a U.S. citizen at all. Under current rules, additional conditions may apply (e.g., special procedures for minors).

For example, if your father was born in the United States, but your paternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of your father’s birth, you may qualify for Italian citizenship under jure sanguinis.

What to Bring to Your Appointment at an Italian Consulate

• Prenot@Mi appointment confirmation (and any required email/code confirmations)
• Government-issued photo ID (passport/driver’s license)
• Proof of residency within your consulate’s jurisdiction (e.g., utility bill, lease, driver’s license)
• Completed application forms required by your consulate (per its website checklist)
• Original vital records for each person in your line (birth, marriage, death, divorce as applicable), plus apostilles and certified translations where required
• Naturalization/Non-naturalization evidence for the Italian-born ancestor (e.g., Certificate of Naturalization, USCIS records, or “no record” letter)
• Money order/accepted payment for consular fees (check your consulate’s fee schedule and instructions)
• Any consulate-specific documents listed on your consulate’s website (requirements vary)

Get Expert Help

The process of obtaining dual citizenship is not easy—it is time-consuming and can be frustrating and confusing at times. This is where professional assistance can be invaluable when preparing for your Italian consulate appointment.

The Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program is staffed by experts who will help you through the process from beginning to end, including guiding you through the steps for obtaining necessary Italian citizenship documents, finding out where and how to make an Italian consulate appointment, and providing translations and apostille services as needed.

If your appointment with an Italian consulate was communicated before March 28, 2025, or was rescheduled, we can help confirm whether your case will be examined under the previous rules.

We’ve helped hundreds of people become Italian citizens and connect with their heritage. To find out more about how to book an Italian Consulate appointment, contact us today for dual citizenship assistance.

Quick Notes on the New Law

• Pre-March 28, 2025 appointments/applications: many consulates indicate these can be assessed under the prior rules if honored/rescheduled.
• Post-May 24, 2025 filings: parent/grandparent limit applies. Great-grandparent lines generally require a different path, and acceptance is not certain.
• Minors: declaration within 1 year (or by May 31, 2026 for those already minors), €250 per child.
• Judgment 142/2025 confirmed birthright by descent but did not remove the new administrative limits.

FAQs

What’s the difference between the Italian consulate and the Italian embassy?

The embassy (in Washington, D.C.) handles diplomatic relations and high-level consular matters. Consulates are regional offices that serve residents of specific U.S. jurisdictions and handle day-to-day services like passports, visas, AIRE, and citizenship applications.

Can I go to the Italian consulate without an appointment?

Generally no—most services require an online Prenot@Mi appointment and walk-ins are not accepted. Limited exceptions may exist for true emergencies or specific pickup windows explicitly listed by a consulate.

What time does the Italian consulate release appointments?

Release times vary by consulate and are often tied to midnight in Italy (00:00 Rome time). Some release in batches while others post sporadically. Cancellations can appear anytime—check frequently and enroll in any available waiting list for notification.