Italian Citizenship by Descent
We provide legal assistance to individuals who want to obtain Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis / blood right), including assistance with cases of 1948 Court actions. Contact us for an initial assessment to check your eligibility.
Contact usItalian citizenship: the principle of jure sanguinis
Italian citizenship (cittadinanza italiana) is based upon the principle of jure sanguinis (blood right), meaning the child born to an Italian father or mother is also an Italian citizen. However, this does not apply if the child is born abroad.
Individuals born abroad with Italian ancestry will not be granted Italian citizenship, unless they meet one of the requirements outlined below:
- An individual has a parent or grandparent who exclusively held Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant’s birth or who exclusively held Italian citizenship at the time of their death if it occurred before the applicant’s birth.
- An individual has a parent or adoptive parent that has been resident in Italy for at least two continuous years after the acquisition of Italian citizenship and prior to the date of his/her birth or adoption.
For citizenship by descent application it is necessary to provide proof that the transmission of the Italian bloodline was not interrupted from the parent/grandparent to the applicant. The acquisition of Italian citizenship does not bring any tax obligations, which are instead linked to moving residency in Italy.
Different rules are in force for minor children of Italian citizens:
- Italian parents of children who were still minors on May 24th, 2025 (under 18) can submit a declaration for them to acquire Italian citizenship until May 31st, 2026.
- The child of Italian citizens younger than one years old can acquire citizenship if a parent or guardian submits a declaration for them to acquire Italian citizenship, within the first birth year.
- The minor child of Italian citizens older than one years old must reside in Italy for two consecutive years following the submission of a declaration by their parents.
- was an Italian citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth; and
- the applicant never renounced his/her right to Italian citizenship
Example: Italian ancestor, Michele, was born in Naples on May 16th, 1936. He moves to London in 1954. His son, Emiliano, was born in London on November 28th, 1960. Emiliano is born an Italian citizen as his father never renounced his Italian citizenship.
- was an Italian citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth; and
- the applicant was born after January 1st, 1948; and
- the applicant never renounced his/her right to Italian citizenship.
- The applicant's father was born in a Foreign Country, and
- The applicant’s paternal grandfather or grandmother was exclusively an Italian citizen at the time of the applicant’s father’s birth, and at the time of the applicant's birth
- Neither the applicant nor the applicant’s father ever renounced the right to Italian citizenship.
- The applicant’s mother was born in a Foreign Country
- The applicant’s maternal grandfather or grandmother was exclusively an Italian citizen at the time of the applicant’s mother’s birth and at the time of the applicant's birth
- The applicant was born after January 1, 1948, and
- Neither the applicant nor the applicant’s mother ever renounced the right to Italian citizenship
Documents Needed for Italian Citizenship By Descent
Ancestry applications must be supported by vital records certificates (birth, marriage, death certificates) proving the relationship between the applicant and the Italian ancestors.
The eligibility assessment is also grounded on the consistency of the information contained in those certificates, where discrepancies within names, dates, and places of birth may be an issue for the Italian authorities. Ancestry applications can either be filed at the Italian Consulate of your jurisdiction or in Italy to a Town Hall, provided that the applicant takes legal residency in Italy.
Our Assistance for Italian Citizenship by Descent
We provide advice and legal assistance for foreigners who may be entitled and would like to obtain Italian citizenship.
Our service starts with an initial assessment to check your eligibility for Italian citizenship. Once we confirm you are eligible, we can assist you with document procurement, translation, and legalization of necessary documents for citizenship applications. After obtaining all documentation, we will process and complete the citizenship application. We also assist with the preparation of applications to be submitted to the town hall of residence in Italy.
Our services include:
- Legal advice on citizenship compliance
- Advise of documents to submit and drafting documents
- Preparation and submission of citizenship application
- Fast-track citizenship procedure
- Court action for applicants born to an Italian mother before 1948
Extra Services:
- Document translation and Attestation
- Legalization and Apostille
- Residency registration with Town-hall
- National Health Service registration
- Identity Card application
- Home feasibility certificate
Related articles
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Contacts
- E-mail: info@mazzeschi.it
- Tel: +39 0577926921
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