What is a consulate?
A consulate is a public office which represents a state in a foreign country for the purpose of performing routine functions for that state’s citizens, such as issuing visas, renewing passports or processing citizenship applications. On the other hand, an embassy is larger than a consulate and it is described as a permanent diplomatic mission. In other words, an embassy is responsible for representing the home country, for handling diplomatic issues between states and for preserving the rights of its citizens abroad. The Italian Embassy in Washington DC is the largest bilateral embassy worldwide. The Embassy coordinates a network of 9 Consulates, 5 Cultural Institutes, 5 Italian Trade Agency offices and 2 Italian Tourist Board offices. The Embassy of Italy in Washington also offers consular services to Italian and non-Italian citizens who live within its jurisdiction.
What is a consular jurisdiction and how do you determine which one applies to you in the U.S?
Prior to start preparing an application for the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent you need to determine which consulate you will need to apply to. The rule is that you need to apply to the consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside. Each consulate has jurisdiction over a number of states. The consulate in Houston, for example, covers the jurisdiction of the state of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The list of Italian consulates in the U.S. can be found here. When you attend your appointment at the consulate, the citizenship clerk will ask you to provide proof that you reside under the consulate’s jurisdiction. Proof of address may include:
- a recent utility bill
- a state ID or driver’s license
- a bank statement.
If you do not hold any of the above, it is advisable to enquire with the consulate as to which other type of proof of address they will accept.
How do you apply via an Italian consulate outside of the U.S.?
If you apply for Italian citizenship via a consulate in a country outside of the U.S. and you are not a citizen of that country nor have permanent residency there, you will be required to hold a visa which covers you for at least 2 years from the date you submit your application. This is due to the fact that, by law, the citizenship office has a maximum of 2 years to process an application for Italian citizenship by descent.
If you hold a renewable study or work visa, or if you provide the Italian consulate with sufficient proof that you will be residing in the country where you apply for a period that exceeds 2 years, they might allow you to file an application.
How do you book an appointment to apply for citizenship?
In order to book an appointment you need to create an account with Prenotami, the consulate’s online booking system. In order to register you will need to provide the following:
- a valid email address
- your first name, middle name and last name
- your date of birth
- your residency address within that consulate’s jurisdiction
- pour passport or ID number
- your phone number.
Once you have registered you can log into your account and book an appointment for Italian citizenship by descent. Some consulates release new appointments every day, others release them only on specific days of the week or month. The consulate will send you an email a few weeks prior to your appointment to provide you with instructions regarding the submission of your application.
Which documents do you need in order to apply via an Italian consulate in the U.S.?
When you prepare an application you will need to check the consulate’s requirements as to the vital records and documents needed to submit a request for the recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis. While some consulates only require the vital records pertaining to the individuals’ in the direct line of descent, other may require the respective spouses’ vital records or the photocopies. As a general rule, you will need to collect certified copies of all your family’s vital records[1]. The consulate only accepts vital records issued in the long-form whereas short-forms[2] are not accepted. Furthermore, you will also need to provide proof that the ancestor through whom you are claiming citizenship was naturalized or was never naturalized. The records will need to be authenticated with Apostilles and translated into Italian. If the records you are submitting were issued outside of the U.S. you will need to make sure that they comply with the obligations provided for by law in relation to legalization/apostille and translations. Click here for the complete list of records required to apply for Italian citizenship by descent.
In order to apply for Italian citizenship you will also need to provide the consulate with a copy of your passport and/or driver’s license, proof of address (this must not be older than 90 days from the day of your appointment) and a number of duly signed consular forms. In particular, you will need:
- FORM 1 (application for Italian citizenship). It outlines your ancestors’ and your personal information;
- FORM 2 is a self-declaration form listing all the residency addresses where you have resided since the age of eighteen. By signing the form you declare that you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship before any Italian authority.
- Any living intermediate ascendant (e.g. parent or grandparent,) will need to sign FORM 3 stating that they never renounced their right to Italian citizenship before any Italian authority in order for you to apply for Italian citizenship by descent.
- Finally, you will need to sign FORM 4 listing your deceased ancestor’s residency addresses since the age of eighteen. By signing this form you declare that your deceased ancestor in your Italian lineage never renounced his/her right to Italian citizenship.
You will need to sign these forms before a U.S. public notary or before the consular officer on the day of your appointment. Some consulates also require the forms to be authenticated with Apostilles.
Which documents do you need to apply for citizenship at an Italian consulate outside of the U.S.?
The process of applying for the recognition of Italian citizenship via an Italian consulate abroad is similar to applying via a consulate in the U.S. in that you will need to provide the consulate with certified copies of your family’s vital records, authenticate them with Apostilles and translate them into Italian. One of the differences is that if you apply abroad, you will most likely be required to provide the vital records pertaining to the family members in your direct line of descent only. Furthermore, unlike applying to the majority of consulates in the U.S. which require applicants to submit uncertified translations of their vital records, if you apply abroad you may be required to provide certified translations of your U.S. vital records. This is due to the fact that although the consular clerks might speak English, officially, they are required to speak Italian and the language of the country where they are based, therefore they cannot verify that the translations into English are accurate. You will need to pay a fee in order to obtain the certifications. This information is available on the consulate’s website in a specific table which outlines the consulate’s services and costs.
How do you submit an application?
Only the individual applying for Italian citizenship can file his/her application before an Italian consulate. The application must be filed in person by the applicant. It is advisable to arrive at the consulate 30 minutes before your scheduled interview. During the appointment the clerk will ask you to provide all the vital records[3] collected to support your citizenship application, the required application forms and the citizenship application fee. As for the language used during an appointment at the consulate, citizenship clerks in the U.S. speak English and Italian. Speaking Italian is not a legal requirement to apply for citizenship by descent thus if you apply at an Italian consulate in an English-speaking country the interview will be conducted in English.
During the health emergency, some consulates started to process citizenship applications via mail. On the other hand, others replaced in-person appointments with short interviews conducted over the phone. It is advisable to check the website of the consulate to which you will be applying for instructions regarding submitting your application.
What happens if you do not hold all of the documentation needed to apply?
If you are due to submit your documentation to the consulate but one of the records needed to file your application is missing, the consulate may allow you to mail the outstanding records soon as you receive them. However, please note that the consulate may reject applications received with incomplete documents.
How much does it cost to apply?
Booking an appointment for the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent is free of charge. The fee to file an application is €600. The exact amount in USD changes every three months due to the exchange rate. Applicants can find the exact fee to apply for citizenship on the consulate’s website. Payment must be made in US Dollars[4]. Generally, the fee must be paid via money order or cashier’s cheque.
How long does it take to be granted citizenship?
Once you submit your application you will need to allow up to 24 months, by law, for the consulate to process your application. The processing time will vary depending on the consulate to which you apply. In fact, some consulates have fewer applications to process than others and thus may have faster processing times. If the consulate needs additional documents to assess your application, or if the clerk examining your records requires that you make some specific amendments, the consulate will allow you the time to submit the required/missing documentation.
Can you apply via a consulate with your family?
If you are applying for Italian citizenship with your minor children they will be automatically included in your citizenship application, provided that you submit certified copies of their birth certificates with Apostille and translation into Italian.
If you are applying with adult children or other family members please note that you will all need separate appointments and each applicant will need to pay the consulate a fee to process his/her application. If you are all applying via the same consulate, in most cases, you will only need to retrieve one set of vital records pertaining to the individuals in your Italian lineage starting from the ancestor who was born in Italy and who emigrated to the United States. Nevertheless, it is advisable to check the requirements of the consulate to which you will be applying as some consulates may require the photocopies of the vital records which were submitted by family member who applied first and which prove the applicant’s Italian lineage. On the other hand, if you and your family apply via different consulates, each adult applicant will need to retrieve certified copies of the vital records pertaining to the family members in the Italian lineage starting from the ancestor who was born in Italy because different consulates cannot share documents with one another.
What happens after your application has been assessed?
If your citizenship application has been approved you will receive an email from the consulate stating that they have sent your vital records to the municipality in Italy where your ancestor was born. Only when the municipality has registered your vital records and has registered you with the A.I.R.E. (Registry of Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) will you be able to apply for an Italian passport. This entails booking an appointment at the consulate and submitting a duly completed and signed form.
Being registered with the A.I.R.E. means that your vital records are filed in a municipality in Italy and that both the Italian government as well as your consulate have proof that you are an Italian citizen residing abroad. If you move to another state in the U.S., or if you move abroad, you will need to update your address with the A.I.R.E. in order for you to be able to access the services of the consulate that covers the new jurisdiction where you reside.
How do you register vital records as an Italian citizen?
If you have children after you are granted Italian citizenship, you will need to remember to register their birth certificates via the consulate before they turn eighteen in order for them to be recognized as Italian citizens. If you get married or divorced after you are granted Italian citizenship you will need to register your marriage certificate or divorce decree and certificate of non-appeal[5]; all the records will need to be duly apostilled and translated. In order to register your vital records you will need to mail them to the Italian consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside together with an application form. The consulate will then forward them to the Vital Records Office in the Italian municipality where you are registered with the A.I.R.E. The application form can be found on the consulate’s website in the section regarding vital records registration.
If you would like to determine whether you are eligible to apply for citizenship via an Italian consulate, feel free to contact us for a free assessment of your case. Our team will help you prepare for your application and guide you through every step.
[1] It is not necessary to re-submit vital records pertaining to your ancestors if they were previously submitted by another relative who applied first because the consulate will still have the records on file.
[2] Vital records in the short form generally include only the county of birth and not the exact city of birth. In other cases, they may include the city of birth but omit other important details.
[3] The vital records provided to the consulate to support an application for citizenship by descent will remain on file at the consulate.
[4] When applying for Italian citizenship via a consulate outside of the U.S. the fee for a citizenship application must be paid in the local currency.
[5] A certificate of non-appeal is issued by a court were the divorce is finalized. It indicates that the divorce is final and therefore no longer subject to appeal.