Three steps to Italian citizenship by descent process in Italy
Applying for Italian citizenship by descent in Italy is the premiere method to use for all Italian Americans. In Italy, the Italian citizenship by descent process is faster, provides the best success rate, and requires less documentary evidence.
Thus, applying in Italy offers better results and tends to provide greater privacy to elements of your family’s history – just in case that matters to you.
There are two methods by which anyone eligible for Italian citizenship by descent can apply to realize their dream of being an Italian citizen.
They are –
- Apply in Italy
- Apply at an Italian consulate in the United States
Futura Italian Citizenship citizenship service is – first and foremost – experts in the Italian citizenship by descent process in Italy. And our Italian document service and appeals of consulate denials are valuable to those who apply at consulates in the US.
Here is everything you need to know about applying in Italy for your Italian citizenship by descent recognition.
What does Applying in Italy mean?
Most people misunderstand what it means to Apply in Italy for Italian citizenship by descent.
As most Italian citizenship assistance services are in the United States and their primary service is consulate application assistance, they tend to be very quiet on this issue.
Not Futura Citizenship Assistance – we are here to tell you the truth about your right to recognition and how you can best achieve your dream of US-Italian dual citizenship and an EU passport.
Applying in Italy means that your Italian citizenship by descent process will be conducted in Italy and decided by Italian officials. Those Italian officials will either be comune officials in charge of citizenship issues or judges.
Applications submitted in Italy are not processed by staff, as they are at Italian consulates in the United States.
Applying in Italy means your application for Italian citizenship by descent will be processed and decided in Italy by Italian officials to the letter of the Italian law and constitution – instead of at an Italian consulate in the United States by staff members using administrative rules.
Do I need to move to Italy to apply for Italian citizenship by descent?
No. Not everyone who applies in Italy must move to Italy.
Some recognition cases have a residency requirement, and some do not.
If your recognition case involves the 1948 Rule – as many do – then every Italian consulate in the United States will automatically deny your Italian citizenship by descent request – no exceptions.
In fact, if your case comes close to involving the 1948 rule, it may be denied.
However, when a case involves the 1948 Rule, Italian Americans have the right to conduct the entire process in Italy without leaving home!
This article will address Italian citizenship by descent cases where residency in Italy is required.
Cases that do not require residency are explained in further depth here.
However, this article covers some basics required by both types. So, you’ll want to read this article first and then go on to read about applying in Italy without residency.
Who can apply for US Italian citizenship by descent in Italy?
Every Italian American, eligible for Italian citizenship by descent, can take advantage of the speed and success rate of applying in Italy.
In some cases, such as those that include the 1948 Rule, applying in Italy is not only the absolute best option but the only real option.
If your case involves the 1948 Rule, you can apply at an Italian consulate in the United States, but your request for Italian citizenship recognition is guaranteed to be denied. You will be paying hundreds of dollars for an automatic denial.
No one eligible for Italian citizenship by descent, must first be denied by a consulate before filing in Italy.
Everyone who is eligible for Italian citizenship by descent can handle the entire process by applying in Italy. It’s simply a matter of understanding your case and your options.
Futura Citizenship Assistance offers a free consultation to help you understand what’s best for you.
How to apply for Italian citizenship by descent in Italy?
Obviously, there are some differences to applying for Italian citizenship by descent in Italy as opposed to filing through an Italian consulate in the United States.
Applying in Italy not only results in a quicker process with a higher success rate, but the requirements tend to be considerably less restrictive for many Italian Americans.
Let’s face it – most people simply don’t have that perfect situation that the consulate process was designed for – specifically an all-male line.
Here are the three steps involved with applying for Italian citizenship by descent in Italy.
Step 1 – Document preparations
No matter how or where you apply for recognition of Italian citizenship by descent, the process is decided based upon the document package you prepare and submit.
Thus, this is the most important element of the entire process.
So, why not take the route requiring the least amount of documentation?
Regardless of where in Italy you choose to apply, your document package will include – at a minimum:
- Birth and marriage records for all in-line ancestors – US and Italian records
- The naturalization records or a CONE for your LIRA
- Your birth records and marriage records – if you are/were married
Some comune officials do not require death records, as Italian law does not require them. Also, you may or may not need divorce records. It simply depends upon where in Italy you apply, but Futura Citizenship Assistance will personally ask the official what he or she wants for your case.
When you apply in Italy, you won’t need records for not-in-line ancestors. Also, you won’t need other forms or records, such as census records, Ellis Island records, A-files, or any notarized application forms that Italian consulates require.
With that said, if you can’t locate a necessary US vital record, Futura Italian Citizenship can discuss your case with the comune official to find out what document is acceptable in place of the missing document.
Italian consulates in the United States are notorious for giving ‘homework’ after document packages are submitted. This will not be the case when applying in Italy.
Also, comunes do not charge a filing fee like the $300 fee that consulates charge.
With Futura Italian Citizenship as your citizenship by descent representative, you will know how to prepare the perfect document package for your recognition process.
Once you have all your documents, you’ll need to prepare them for submission.
Futura Italian Citizenship can help you arrange document translations and certifications in Italy. Or, if you wish, you can have them translated and certified in the United States by whatever translation expert you choose.
Once your document package is ready to file, it’s time for step 2.
Step 2 – Where in Italy to apply
Unlike the consulate process – which restricts where you can apply – you can apply anywhere in Italy.
Only in certain situations is a case restricted to a specific comune.
If not restricted to a specific comune, then you need to decide where you want to conduct your Italian citizenship by descent process in Italy.
This is a very important decision, as obviously, some places are better than others.
When searching for a comune to process your Italian citizenship by descent case, these are some factors that you should consider –
- Do you speak Italian?
- Does the comune have experience processing recognition cases?
- Do you know what apps to download for scheduling all the appointments?
- What time of year do you intend to start the process?
- Can you get a contratto per uso transitorio apartment lease in that comune?
- What is the general cost of living in that comune, especially rent?
Places in Italy to avoid
While the law governing Italian citizenship by descent is the same throughout Italy, not all comunes are equal. For example, Rome is known as the Eternal City, and when it comes to the Italian citizenship by descent process, it genuinely lives up to that reputation. The process will take forever in Rome.
Generally speaking, you want to avoid the big cities and the tourist spots. However, many small comunes have no experience processing recognition cases and don’t know how to do it.
You need to conduct very thorough research about the various comunes to figure out which one checks all the boxes you need.
Renting a temporary apartment in Italy
You cannot stay at a hotel, bed & breakfast, or apartments used for tourism-related stays, such as Airbnb or VRBO – they will not satisfy the residency requirement.
The law requires that you sign a contratto per uso transitorio or Contract for temporary purpose lease for a domicile that satisfies the law. Thus you will need to contact a real estate agent for assistance.
After a 2019 scandal, all recognition cases are reviewed – every few years – to ensure the residency requirement was legally met. Failure to legally satisfy residency will result in losing your Italian citizenship.
The contratto per uso transitorio lease is for temporary habitation. It is essentially a month-to-month lease and only valid for the length of the recognition process. This lease is a legal requirement. Once your Italian citizenship is recognized, the lease terminates.
You will be presenting your residency claim with the same official that will process your recognition case. You will be required to provide the official your lease, along with your passport and entry stamp. This is the law.
You must fly directly to Italy, from the US, so your passport is stamped by Italy.
What comune you choose is one of the most important decisions you make. If you have never been to Italy, or only as a tourist, seeking expert advice is definitely recommended.
Futura Italian Citizenship handles all of these factors for you. We choose the best comune for your type of case, document package, time of year, and secure an apartment and lease through our real estate network for your stay.
Everything will be ready for you, on your timeline, and 100% in accordance with the law.
Step 3 – The recognition process
Once you arrive in Italy, the Italian citizenship by descent process begins.
From arrival onward, the process essentially happens in 4 stages –
- Codice Fiscale
- Declare residency
- Submit document package
- Recognition of Italian citizenship
Codice Fiscale – 7-10 after arrival
After you have moved into your temporary Italian home, the first step is to get your Codice Fiscale – or tax number.
Futura Italian Citizenship will make an appointment, pick you up at your apartment, take you to the agency, and handle all the paperwork on your behalf.
You simply need to be present with your passport.
Declare residency – 2-3 weeks after arrival
Futura Italian Citizenship will schedule the appointment at the comune town hall and take you to the appointment.
As with the Codice Fiscale, you simply need to be present and provide your passport to the comune official – along with the lease.
This is the official that will handle your recognition case.
The official will review the lease, check the entry stamp on your passport, and submit your residency claim to the local police.
The police will then have 45-days to stop by your apartment to verify that you actually live there [though it rarely takes more than a month in most cases].
Once the police verification is done, it’s time for the final stages.
Submit document package – 45-60 days after arrival
Futura Italian Citizenship will contact the comune official and schedule an appointment to submit your document package.
Again, you will be present for the process, but Futura Italian Citizenship will handle everything.
Prior to the meeting, you will need to buy a Marca di Bolla – or tax stamp – at a local store in the comune. It costs about $20 and needs to be submitted along with the document package.
The comune official will accept the documents, the Marca di Bolla, and send out the consulate communications – known as the non-rinuncia confirmation – to the necessary consulates in the United States.
The comune is required to find out if any of your in-line ancestors ever renounced their Italian citizenship at a consulate.
Renunciation is very rare – this is really just a formality to satisfy the legal requirements of the process.
Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing how long it will take for the consulates to respond – there is no legal timeframe for them to do so. It just depends on how busy the specific consulate is.
Once the consulates inform the comune official that there are no renunciations in your line, your case immediately moves into the final stage – Recognition.
Your Italian citizenship is recognized – what happens next?
The comune official will personally contact Futura Italian Citizenship.
Futura Italian Citizenship will set up all the appointments and take you to all the relevant offices to get you all of your new Italian identification, such as your Italian ID card and birth certificate.
If you plan on returning to the United States, all US Italian dual citizens who do not live in Italy are required to register their address in AIRE – Futura Italian Citizenship will take care of this for you as well.
The Italian passport is the only document not handled at the comune level – as it’s a federal document.
The process of getting a passport takes at least one month. However, you do not need to get your passport in Italy. You can get your Italian EU passport at the Italian consulate in the United States anytime you wish.
However, if you decide to stay in Italy long enough to get your new Italian EU passport, Futura Italian Citizenship will take care of that process as well.
What is the first step to applying in Italy for Italian citizenship by descent?
The first decision you need to make is if you are going to attempt the process on your own or rely upon trusted Italian-based citizenship experts, such as Futura Citizenship Assistance.
If you decide to give it a go on your own, then this <article> is a great place to begin.
However, when you trust Futura Italian Citizenship with your US-Italian dual citizenship dreams, you get your own expert in Italian citizenship by descent that deals with your case from beginning to end.
With Futura Italian Citizenship, the recognition expert that conducts your document analysis at the beginning of the process is the same expert that will walk into the comune office with you.
Applying in Italy is the best route to realize your dream of US-Italian dual citizenship and having an EU passport.
And with Futura Italian Citizenship, you have an expert at your side, literally, throughout every step of the application and recognition process.
Futura Italian Citizenship is very proud to be –
- 🇮🇹 Among the few recognition services with nearly a 100% rate of client success
- 🇮🇹 One of the most affordable providers while offering the same quality and spectrum of services as our $10,000+ competitors do.
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 their case.
We are Italian citizens, live in Italy, and literally deal with the comune officials personally every day.
We are a small effective team, and we only accept clients with the best chance of success. The expert that conducts your initial FREE document analysis is the same expert that will deal with the comune official on your behalf.
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?
Futura Italian Citizenship is your first, next, and last step toward success.
There is NO RISK to finding out the possibilities of success for your case – whether you need Italian records, appealing a 1948 consulate denial, or applying in Italy for recognition of your Italian citizenship.
Book your FREE consultation now