Do you have any Italian ancestors? (An Italian great-grandfather will work, though!) Well, jokes apart- if you are wondering how to get Italian citizenship by descent, you have come to the right place. There are several other people who wish to come to Italy from the US to become Italian citizens. It goes without saying that marrying an Italian citizen will always be one of the ways by which you can gain citizenship here.

‘By descent’ is another way by which you can become an Italian citizen. The best thing about Italy is that it has some really favorable laws when it comes to granting citizenship. So, people of Italian descent are considered to be family members of the person who had Italian citizenship from the very beginning.

Keep your eyes stuck to this article because we will now be discussing the various aspects of how to get Italian citizenship by descent.

About Jure Sanguinis

Jure Sanguinis is a Latin phrase and bears the meaning of “right of blood.” It is a part of Italian law by which people having Italian ancestors can claim citizenship of Italy by descent. After a person succeeds in getting Italian birthright citizenship by showing proper evidence of his descent, they will be permitted to enjoy all the rights, as well as, privileges that an Italy-born person gets. They will also be able to procure a passport of the European Union.

How to Get Italian Citizenship by Descent?

Applications for Italian citizenship by descent can be made by visiting the Italian consulate or embassy located in your jurisdiction. Make sure that you have access to birth and death certificates and the marriage certificates of yourself, your parents, and all of your relatives who are Italians.

Do note that if your Italian relative or ancestor was admitted as a citizen to the US, you need to show the naturalization records of that person at the time of the application process.

Here is a list of parameters that you need to know before applying for Italian citizenship.

  • You are the descendant of a person who lived or was present in Italy after 17th March 1861.
  • The person from whom you have descended has not naturalized in any other country before 14th June 1912.
  • They have not been naturalized in the past before the birth of any other descendant who is equally looking forward to getting Italian citizenship.
  • If your Italian ancestor is a female, born before 1st January 1948, you can claim Italian citizenship only from that female’s paternal side.

Detailed Process about How to Get Italian Citizenship by Descent

Once you know who that Italian ancestor is, visit them and ask for all of their pertinent documents. Make sure that these documents are translated into Italian and then shown to the Department of State. The documents will be checked and an Apostille will be granted to these as proof that these are verified.

The entire application process along with the exhausting proper paperwork may take a duration varying from 1 to 3 years. If everything goes well, you will receive an Italian passport along with dual citizenship.

Costs to Be Borne During the Entire Process of Receiving Italian Citizenship

This lengthy process demands quite a bit of expenditure on your part. So, it is better to be prepared with the funds. If you wish to take the help of an advocate, you may have to pay $8000. The application fee is $340 and won’t be refunded to you even if your application form gets rejected.

The price for birth, death, and marriage certificates will be $25 to $50 each. You have to pay $25 per document for the apostille. Moreover, the translation will cost you $60 to $100 per document, and it is undoubtedly a great cost to bear.

Conclusion

Now that you have a clear understanding of how to get Italian citizenship by descent, start taking the necessary preparation so that your application gets accepted without any hassle. After all, no one wants to see their citizenship application getting rejected. Go through the above protocols and undergo the phases carefully. Good luck!

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