Most common ways to get Italian EU dual citizenship
One of the hottest topics in America is dual citizenship – specifically US-EU dual citizenship – and a second passport. As Italy has one of the European Union’s most progressive economies, US-Italian dual citizenship is a very appealing option that is available to millions of Americans.
For many decades, American citizenship and the US passport were held as the global gold standard for quality of life and freedom to travel. However, that is simply not the truth any longer.
In 2022, Arton Capital’s Passport Index, the world’s only recognized real-time global ranking system for passports, shows EU passports outrank the United States passport.
In fact, for nearly the past decade, the EU passport has outranked the US passport – with the Italian passport maintaining a solid lead over most EU countries and the United States.
As having US-Italian dual citizenship and an Italian EU passport is one of the best assets and resources Americans can have, the only question is –
How can Americans get US-Italian dual citizenship and an EU passport?
What are the US dual citizenship rules – is dual citizenship legal?
Dual citizenship and having a second passport used to be for the realm of the wealthy. But that was not because it was illegal and only those with connections could pull it off. It was mostly because it provided an effective way to create tax shelters for income without violating any laws.
Having dual citizenship and a second passport is legal for all US citizens and does not affect your US citizenship in any way. In fact, due to the global nature of the US economy and society, dual citizenship has become fairly common.
Many famous Americans are also dual citizens –
- Tom Hanks – US-Greek dual citizenship
- Peter Thiel – US-New Zealand dual citizenship
- Angelina Jolie – US-Cambodia dual citizenship
- Jim Carrey – US-Canada dual citizenship
- Arnold Schwarzenegger – US-Austria dual citizenship
- Elon Musk [triple citizenship USA] – US-Canada-South Africa citizenship
For most Americans, dual citizenship and having a second passport are possible – regardless of income. There are many advantages for Americans to have an EU passport, but the most fundamental element to understand is, US Italian dual citizenship is completely legal.
As is having [and using] two valid passports, a US passport and an Italian passport – which is the same as an EU passport.
Can a US citizen get Italian citizenship?
The simple answer is YES and in fact, in some cases, it may be your right.
In February 2022, Forbes reported that almost half of Americans could be eligible for dual citizenship and a second passport. And since dual citizenship and holding two valid passports is legal in the United States and the EU, US citizens can have the best of both worlds.
When it comes to acquiring US-Italian dual citizenship, there are several viable routes. And when using a trusted and reputable citizenship/recognition assistance service – like Futura Italian Citizenship – acquiring US-Italian dual citizenship can be relatively easy and success has been proven to be highly probable in the vast majority of cases.
Ways US citizens can get Italian dual citizenship and an EU passport
There are numerous ways in which US citizens can acquire dual citizenship in Italy and get an EU passport. However, these are the most common routes to consider.
Citizenship by descent / Jure Sanguinis
By far, one of the easiest and most common routes to US Italian dual citizenship for many Americans is through their Italian ancestry or bloodline. This is called citizenship by descent, or jure sanguinis – right of blood.
Eligibility for citizenship by descent is very straightforward –
- You must have a direct ancestor who was born in Italy and immigrated to America, and
- Italian citizenship cannot have been broken before being passed onto the next in line
As Italian citizenship by descent is based upon the fact that Italian citizenship is inherited by blood, having US-Italian dual citizenship is actually your right under Italian law.
Thus acquiring Italian citizenship by descent is called Recognition, as you were born an Italian citizen, and are simply having that fact officially recognized. Futura Italian Citizenship is a leader in Italian citizenship by descent recognition, and has successfully helped thousands get recognized.
While the eligibility for US Italian dual citizenship by descent is straightforward, the actual process and requirements differ depending upon how you apply and where you chose to conduct the process – via an Italian consulate in the US or by applying in Italy [the most successful method].
The cost and time associated with applying for Italian citizenship by descent differ depending upon whether you are applying in Italy [the most affordable and quickest] or through a US-based Italian consulate, which costs several hundreds of dollars and can take years.
Citizenship by birth / Jus Soli – Reacquisition of Italian citizenship
The Latin term, jus soli, literally translates as right of soil. However, citizenship by birth is not to be confused with birthright citizenship – especially when discussing Italy.
Birthright citizenship is the model used by the United States. No matter who you are or why you are on American soil, if you give birth in the United States, the baby is a US citizen.
Italian law has a form of birthright citizenship as well.
If a baby is born in Italy, and at least one of the parents was, at the time of the birth, an Italian citizen, then the baby has Italian citizenship. But if the parent(s) naturalized in a foreign country prior to the child reaching adulthood, the child could have lost Italian citizenship.
But under Italian law, a baby born on Italian soil to non-Italian parents is not automatically an Italian citizen. The child must continue to legally live in Italy and officially claim Italian citizenship prior to their 18th birthday to fully satisfy the requirements for citizenship. Otherwise, the child loses Italian citizenship.
If Italian citizenship has been lost in either of these situations, it is possible to regain it. This is known as Reacquisition.
Be advised, this route to Italian citizenship can be very complex and confusing unless you are relying upon a trusted and credible citizenship assistance expert, such as Futura Italian Citizenship.
Citizenship by marriage / Jure Matrimonii
The old reliable route your mom used to tell you – just marry an Italian!
Well, it’s still a viable route, but it’s also the route with the most requirements for eligibility. Yep, sorry, it’s simply not as easy as marrying an Italian anymore. And it can be a time-consuming route as well.
US Italian citizenship by descent or by birth requires nothing more than an unbroken attachment to Italy.
However, citizenship by marriage involves a slew of eligibility requirements which can be a hurdle for many people.
Briefly, to be eligible for US-Italian dual citizenship by marriage, the couple must –
- Remain legally married for at least 2 years if residing in Italy or 3 years if residing outside of Italy [times are reduced by half if the couple have children together]
- Be legally married at the time of application for Italian citizenship
- The non-Italian spouse must provide a clean FBI background check
- The non-Italian spouse must provide proof of Italian language fluency
A 2021 update to Italian law provides for a maximum wait time of up to 2 years for requests for US-Italian citizenship by marriage to be processed – reduced from the previous 4-year wait.
The same law also updated the actual application and made it much more confusing.
The cost associated with applying for US Italian citizenship by marriage differs depending upon whether you are applying in Italy or through a US-based Italian consulate.
Citizenship by residency/naturalization
Finally, every country on Earth provides a route to citizenship by simply residing in the country for a specified number of years. In addition, some countries offer citizenship by investment schemes, also known as Golden Visas.
Italy has both –
- Italian citizenship by residency
- Italian citizenship by investment
US Italian citizenship by residency is a standard naturalization process that begins with applying for a long-term Italian residency visa and meeting additional eligibility requirements –
- Legally reside in Italy for at least 10 years
- Demonstrate sufficient income according to current law
- Provide a clean FBI background check
- Determined to not be a security risk to Italy or Italian society
- Proof of Italian language acquisition to at least B1 Level
Citizenship by residency typically takes three years to finalize – after the application is officially submitted – and the cost of applying is several hundred dollars.
The naturalization process, leading to US-Italian dual citizenship, can also be initiated using Italy’s Golden Visa program or citizenship by investment scheme. This is also a much faster process when compared to the normal residency visa.
US Italian dual citizenship by investment typically takes half the time than normal residency but is far more expensive – options currently range from $250,000 to $2 million.
How do I start the process of acquiring US-Italian dual citizenship?
As you can see, there are numerous effective ways for US citizens to gain US-Italian dual citizenship and acquire a second passport.
How to begin your journey to get your EU passport and become a US-Italian dual citizen depends upon which route is best for you – as each pathway involves its own unique application requirements.
You first need to decide if will it be –
- US Italian dual citizenship by descent – recognition
- US Italian dual citizenship by birth – reacquisition
- US Italian dual citizenship by marriage
- US Italian dual citizenship by residency or investment
If you decide on either routes 1, 2 or 3, Futura Italian Citizenship is available to assist you every step along the way.
Futura Italian Citizenship is one of the leading recognition assistance services in Italy, experts in both recognition and acquisition processes, as well as a nation-wide Italian document service for any Italian record.
Futura Italian Citizenship also handles appeals to the Italian courts for consulate denials and 1948 cases.
Regardless of why you want US-Italian dual citizenship –
- So you can retire in Europe
- Invest in real estate
- Expand your business
- Open a business
- Have a ‘backup’ plan
- Avoid EU visa requirements
- Just because …
The bottom line is, it doesn’t matter.
Dual citizenship and having an EU passport are possible for millions of Italian Americans, and in some cases, such as Italian citizenship by descent, it’s your right.
Futura Italian Citizenship is very proud to be one of the most affordable citizenship assistance providers while offering the same quality and spectrum of services as our $10,000+ competitors do.
Futura Italian Citizenship is also one of the few citizenship assistance services currently available that is 100% Italian-based and deals personally with comune officials every day.
We are not sitting in a US office telling our clients what they need to do and then passing them off to a foreign-based partner whom they’ve never spoken with or who has no prior knowledge of the client’s case.
We are a small effective team in Italy and we only accept clients with the best chance of success. The expert who conducts your initial FREE document analysis is the exact same expert that will walk into the comune official’s office with you.
Are you ready to explore your Italian heritage and have your Italian citizenship officially recognized in Italy?
Do you need your Italian ancestor’s records from his or her comune?
Futura Italian Citizenship is your first, next, and last step toward success.
There is NO RISK to finding out what the possibilities of success are for your case – whether you simply need Italian records, appealing a 1948 consulate denial, or applying in Italy for recognition of your Italian citizenship.
Simply, book your FREE consultation now