Some advice on the topic about obtaining the Italian citizenship for being descendant of an Italian ancestor.
The Italian citizenship “iure sanguinis” is based on the principle by which the child born from an Italian father or mother is Italian.
The transmission of the “iure sanguinis” citizenship by paternal lineage does not include generational jumps, but it does not accept “jumps”, meaning that none of the ancestors must have given up on the Italian citizenship.
Italian is the child, born in Italy or overseas, whose father or mother is or was an Italian citizen. However, children born before 1948 are Italian only if they were born from an Italian father, because Italian women transmit the Italian citizenship to their children only after that date. It is not possible for these people to obtain the jure sanguinis citizenship presenting the corresponding application at the Italian Consulate or in the civil registration office of the Italian town halls.
However, for the descendants of Italian mother (or with Italian descent), born before 1948, there is still a concrete possibility to ask for the recognition of their Italian Citizenship through the Italian judicial power.
The Italian citizenship application has to be submitted where the descendant lives, or in the same Italy, at any Italian Town Hall.
The process in Italy is without a doubt quicker, but more expensive; it is necessary to go to Italy, obtain the residency of the Italian Town Hall where they are planning to apply for the recognition of their Italian citizenship, submit the application in that Town Hall and finally to wait for the result.
The applications should be accompanied by the following documents:
- Italian ancestor’s birth certificate who emigrated overseas, issued by the Town Hall where they were born; if the certificate is issued by a parish, this should be legalized by the competent diocesan curia;
- birth certificates along with their Italian official translation, of all the direct descendants, including the ones of the person claiming possession of the Italian citizenship;
- Italian ancestor’s marriage certificate who emigrated overseas, along with the Italian official translation if it was issued overseas;
- their descendants’ marriage certificates, in straight line, including those certificates of the parents of the person applying for the recognition of their Italian citizenship;
- death certificate;
- certificate issued by the competent authorities of the foreign country of migration, along with the Italian official translation, indicating that the Italian ancestor did not acquire the nationality of the country of migration at the time of migrating, before the birth of the interested person’s ancestor;
- certificate issued by the competent Italian consular authority stating that neither the direct ancestors nor the person applying for the recognition of their Italian citizenship never gave up on their Italian citizenship;
- Italian Town Hall Residency certificate.
We do not intend to finish mentioning the several cases that can be very complex and diverse here.
It is impossible to deal with this, only in a few lines. However, we recommend all of those who want to obtain the two nationalities, to verify to be on the safe side, with the corresponding Italian Consulate, the suitability of the proper practice and its requirements.