Who is eligible for Italian Citizenship By Descent (Jure Sanguinis) and how do you apply?

What is Jure Sanguinis and how can it be applied for?

Jure Sanguinis is the Italian law that allows U.S. citizens and those born in the US to claim Italian citizenship and an Italian passport through their Italian born Ancestors.

Requirements that must be met to be eligible for Italian citizenship through descent:

• Have an ancestor that was born in Italy, that lived past March 17, 1861.
• The applicant must be born to an Italian citizen or to a parent who has the right to Italian citizenship.
• No one in the applicant's direct line renounced their Italian citizenship or became a citizen of another country before their child (the next person in the line) turned 21—or if it happened after 1992.

If you are uncertain of this you can use the following guide to establish the best legal route forward to claim Italian dual citizenship as a US citizen.

How do I apply for Jure Sanguinis? An Italian Court Case, My Regional Italian Consulate, Or Italian relocation?

There are three ways to obtain Italian citizenship.

Although they differ slightly, all three processes are document-intensive and require assembling a comprehensive case. You can learn more about the required documents here (documents URL).

The first two methods of applying for Jure Sanguinis we will go through are administrative processes.

Consular Application – This applies to straightforward cases where citizenship is passed down through an unbroken male lineage or through a female ancestor only if her child was born after 1948, when Italian law allowed mothers to transmit citizenship if the father was unable to. This process typically takes 3 - 5 years

Italian Municipality Application (Italian Relocation) – If you establish residency in Italy, you can apply directly through the local municipality (comune). This process enables individuals to obtain citizenship often in under a year and it typically the quickest route.

The third option is a judicial process, required for cases that don’t qualify under the administrative routes.

Italian citizenship through a Court Case

You are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship through the courts if:

• You are unable to secure an appointment with your regional consulate, or the next available appointment is more than two years away.
• Your direct Italian lineage includes an ancestor born to an Italian mother before 1948 (as Italian women could not transmit citizenship before this year).
• Your case involves missing documents or special circumstances that make it ineligible for the standard administrative process.

In the case of a court application, an Italian attorney will represent you directly in court, meaning you won’t need to be personally involved in the legal proceedings.

This route is typically faster than consular applications, with citizenship recognition often taking 1 to 3 years. It also eliminates the stress of dealing directly with bureaucratic hurdles, making the process much smoother for the applicant. We often say we deal with the headaches so you don’t have to.

Determine if you qualify for Italian citizenship

To determine your eligibility for Italian citizenship, you need to gather key dates and details about your lineage. You can book a call with us here if you think you may qualify.

Specifically, you will need:

• Birthdates for every direct ancestor in your lineage, tracing back to your last ancestor born in Italy. In the worst case scenario the year is fine.
• Marriage dates for each direct descendant between you and your Italian-born ancestor.
• Naturalization history, including the date your Italian ancestor became a citizen of another country—or confirmation that they never naturalized.

These details are essential for verifying your eligibility, deciding who you are applying through and preparing the necessary documentation for your application.