Documents U.S. Citizens Need to Obtain Dual Italian Citizenship

Applying for Italian citizenship (Jure Sanguinis) is an incredibly document-intensive process.

It’s not just about obtaining the right documents — they must also be properly processed to ensure they are accepted by Italian authorities and can be used effectively in your case.

Beyond the standard application forms, the specific documents required will depend on your unique case and where you are applying. To simplify the process, we’ve broken it down into few key categories.

Documents Always Required for Italian Citizenship

Regardless of where you are applying, the following documents are essential for any Jure Sanguinis case:

• Birth, marriage, and death certificates of your Italian ancestor.
• Birth, marriage, and death certificates of any direct ancestors in the Italian lineage (your parent, grandparent, etc. who are a direct descendant of the italian ancestor you are applying through).
• Your own birth and marriage certificates.
• Naturalization or non-naturalization document(s) that prove that your Italian ancestor did not renounce citizenship before the birth of the next descendant or they naturalized after the next descendant was 21 years or older.

Case Dependent Documents for Italian Citizenship

The following documents are typically required only if they pertain to someone in your direct lineage and impact your case — for example, to explain discrepancies in names or surnames on key documents or if you are unable to produce a specific key document.

Whether these documents must be included will ultimately be at the discretion of your lawyer, commune, or consulate based on the specific requirements of your case.

• Adoption records if anyone in your lineage is adopted
• Divorce records if anyone is divorced
• Military records
• A Document of Non-Existence is an official statement from the government entity responsible for issuing a specific document, confirming that the document does not exist, has been lost, or has been destroyed.
• In a 1948 case you will need naturalization documents to prove that the female ancestor through whom citizenship is being claimed was eligible to pass citizenship down. Additionally, you will need naturalization records for her partner to verify that he was naturalized.

Region Dependent Documents for Italian Citizenship

If you are applying through a consulate, you may be required to provide additional records for individuals outside your direct lineage.

This often means submitting birth, marriage, and death certificates not only for your direct Italian ancestors but also for their spouse or partner (e.g., your mother/father, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc.).

Requirements vary by consulate, so it’s important to verify what specific documents are needed for your case.

Jure Sanguinis Document Processing for Submission

While official Italian documents do not require additional processing, all foreign documents must be properly processed according to the specific requirements of your consulate or court case.

• Apostille Authentication: Documents like birth, marriage, and naturalization certificates must be apostilled, confirming their validity for international use.
• Translation into Italian: Documents must be translated into Italian by a certified translator. For court submissions, translations must be sworn-in, in Italian court and certified.
• Certification of Translations: Translations may need certification by a public notary or consulate, depending on the location of the application.
• Legalization (if needed): If the country is not part of the Hague Convention, documents will require legalization by the foreign ministry and the Italian consulate.
• Consulate-Specific Requirements: The requirements may vary by consulate. Some consulates may require additional documents, notarization, additional certification, or specific formatting for documents. It’s important to consult with us to ensure your documents meet the correct standards.

Use the table below for further clarification: