This article will outline how individuals who have an Italian-born ancestor can apply for Italian citizenship in relation to residency. It will also explore the requirements for the purpose of providing a comprehensive overview of the application process.
If you have an ancestor who was born in Italy, you meet one of the criteria that qualifies you for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis (which means “right of blood”). With that said, in addition to having an ancestor who was born in Italy, in order to qualify for Italian citizenship by descent you also need to prove that your Italian-born ancestor did not naturalize as a U.S. citizen before the birth of his child in the U.S. If this is the case, and if none of your intermediate ascendants ever formally renounced their citizenship; then Italian citizenship was transferred without interruptions from one generation to the next down to you. Furthermore, it is also important to note that if your Italian ancestor took the oath of allegiance in the U.S. before July 1, 1912, you are not eligible to apply for citizenship by descent. If there is a female who gave birth to the next individual in the Italian line prior to January 1, 1948, it is not possible apply for Italian citizenship by descent via a standard process, however it may be possible to obtain citizenship via the Italian courts. There are no generational limits to apply for citizenship by descent and, if the qualification requirements are met, you can file your application via an Italian consulate or Italian municipality.
If you are unable to apply for Italian citizenship by descent, there are still avenues through which you can obtain Italian citizenship, and one of them is through residency.
The traditional pathway for non-EU citizens who wish to become Italian citizens by residency (which falls under the category of naturalization) is to make an application after 10 years of legal residency in Italy. However, if you have a parent or a grandparent born in Italy, or you were born in Italy as a non-Italian citizen, you are able to claim Italian citizenship after only 3 years of legal residency in Italy.
To be eligible to apply, the following conditions must be met:
Proof of residency- you will need to evidence you have lived legally as a resident in Italy, on a continuous basis, for the entire 3 years. This means presenting proof such as showing that you are registered as a legal resident in the municipality where you live. If you are a non-EU citizen, you will need to be in possession of a valid residency permit.
Proof in income– if you are making the application as a sole adult applicant, you will need to show that your income exceeds € 8.263,31 in those proceeding three years.
The amount of income varies according to status, whether single or married, and if you have dependent children.
Tax Returns– you will need to have documentation of three years’ of tax returns in Italy.
Italian language proficiency- to be eligible to apply for citizenship this way, you will need to have at least a level B1 Italian language qualification which has been awarded by one of four accredited language institutions in Italy, which must be certified by an educational institution approved by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) or Ministry of Foreign affairs (MAECI). The approved educational institutions are:
- The Roma Tre University.
- The University for foreigners of Siena.
- The University for foreigners of Perugia.
- The Dante Alighieri Society.
Where do I make an application?
Applications for Italian citizenship by residency are submitted online with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministero dell’Interno) website. Once you have completed and submitted that the online form, you can upload scans of all the required documentation.
Following the approval of your application, you will need to attend the local prefecture (prefettura) in order to present originals copies of the documents.
What documents are needed to apply?
For those applicants who have an Italian-born parent or a grandparent), you will need to submit vital records that show your family lineage, and prove your direct line of descent to your ancestor. These documents will include birth, marriage and death certificates and naturalization records. You will need to submit your U.S. birth certificate, which is in the long-form, certified, legalized with an apostille, which is an internationally recognized legalization that permits a document for foreign use, and translated to Italian. If you have resided in multiple U.S. states, you must have the FBI criminal record background checks, along with the criminal checks for each of the U.S. states where you have lived. These documents must be legalized with the apostille and translated to Italian.
You will need to include an Italian language B1 certificate by one of the four recognized educational institutions as stated above. You will need to include evidence of proof of Income and tax returns covering the three years of legal residence in Italy will also need to be submitted. Following completion of the online application form, you will need to make a payment of €250.00 to the Ministero dell’Interno.
Application processing times and next steps
Italian citizenship by residency applications are usually processed between 24 months (2 years) and 36 months (3 years).
Following a successful Italian citizenship application, an official decree of Italian citizenship will be sent to the town hall where you live, and, around 6 months later, you will be invited to attend the “Oath of Allegiance” ceremony.
If you have minor (under 18) children, they will automatically become Italian citizens at the time you take the oath of allegiance to the Italian Republic, and following this you will officially be recognizied as an Italian citizen and can apply for an Italian passport.
If you would like more information about applying for Italian citizenship, you can contact us at [email protected], and one of our friendly advisors will be in touch to answer your queries.
