Did you know that millions of Americans qualify for dual citizenship to Italy? Italy’s unique citizenship laws allow for those with a direct line to an Italian-born ancestor to qualify for citizenship. For those that dream of living abroad, as well as those that just think it would be fun to be an Italian citizen, the process of obtaining citizenship can be extremely fun, rewarding and exciting!Become Italian Citizen
The first step to the Italian dual citizenship process is to determine if you qualify. You must be able to answer “yes” to all of the following questions:
Is your “link” within three generations (a great-grandfather is as far back as you can go)?
If you’re tracing through your maternal side of the family, was your father or mother born after January 1, 1948?
Are you sure that your ancestor, grandparent and/or parent never renounced his or her Italian citizenship?
Let us first discuss the first qualifier, as it’s the most simple. You can only claim citizen through a great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, father or mother. Unfortunately, you cannot go back more than three generations.
Next, lets address qualifier number two. People are often surprised that you cannot claim citizenship through a female great-grandparent. The reason for this is that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was very uncommon for a married woman to bother with becoming a naturalized citizen; it was something the head of household – usually the husband – took care of. Just because your great-grandmother never naturalized doesn’t mean that her husband did not. As such, applying for dual citizenship through a female ancestor is seen as an unreliable way to prove that citizenship was never renounced. Only toward the middle of the 20th century (hence the 1948 start date) does Italy begin to recognize women as a legitimate ancestor to pass on citizenship.
Finally, let us discuss the third qualifier, which can also be the most difficult to prove. Renouncing citizenship generally means that the person became a naturalized citizen of the United States. If you’re ancestor never became a citizen, and you answered the other two questions in the affirmative, congratulations! You most likely qualify for Italian dual citizenship. But, you’ll now need to collect 2-3 documents from the Federal Government that clearly state that no immigration records exist for your ancestor. Best Italian Dual Citizenship Service
Now, even if your ancestor did become a naturalized citizen, it’s important to note the date that the naturalization occurred. If the next person in your ancestral line was born prior to that naturalization you will qualify. For instance, if your father was born in 1952 and your grandfather didn’t naturalize until 1954, you are in the clear!
Italians believe citizenship is passed through the blood and, as such, someone can’t take it from you once you are born. This is where the official Latin term for Italian dual citizen, jure sanguinis, originates from.
