Essential Documents for Securing Italian Citizenship Through Ancestral Roots

If you have Italian ancestry and wish to begin the recognition process, you may be wondering which documents are required under Italian law. No worries—this guide explains which documents you need to collect to obtain recognition of Italian citizenship iure sanguinis, one of the most common procedures under Italian citizenship law.

The most important rule to obtain recognition of Italian citizenship by descent is proving uninterrupted Italian lineage.

The first documents you will need to collect are those related to your Italian ancestor who was born in Italy. Let’s take a closer look.

The most important document is the ancestor’s birth certificate, which must be requested from the Italian municipality (Comune) where the ancestor was born.

You will also need the ancestor’s marriage certificate, which must be requested from the municipality where the marriage was officiated. Finally, you will need the ancestor’s death certificate from the municipality where the death occurred.

It is fundamental that the Italian ancestor never renounced Italian citizenship. For this reason, it is necessary to obtain a certificate of non-naturalisation. This document states that the person never acquired a foreign citizenship (or, depending on the issuing authority, confirms the absence of naturalisation) and is used to support the continuity of Italian status.

Summary (Italian ancestor): birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate, certificate of non-naturalisation.

Now let’s look at the documents needed for all other descendants.

For each direct descendant in the line, you will generally need: birth certificate, marriage certificate (if the descendant married), and death certificate (if the descendant is deceased).

Finally, the person requesting recognition of Italian citizenship must present their own birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), and a certificate of residence.

Required format and validity of documents

All documents should be requested in long form. For example, birth certificates should include the parents’ names.

A sworn Italian translation of all documents is essential.

To ensure the validity of foreign documents, please refer to the applicable international conventions. If no convention applies, the documents must be legalised according to the ordinary procedure.

Given the large number of countries that adhere to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, in most cases foreign documents (including those submitted to the Italian Consulate) must be apostilled to be deemed valid in Italy. For example, certificates issued in countries such as Brazil, the United States, and Argentina (in specific cases, including certain digital certificates) typically require an apostille under the Hague Convention rather than ordinary legalisation. The document must also be translated by a sworn translator.

All of the above-mentioned documents are necessary to prove uninterrupted descent from the Italian ancestor and must be submitted to the competent Italian authority (often the relevant Consulate based on the applicant’s place of residence, or in some cases the Italian courts, depending on the procedure).

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You may also find useful:

• Italian Citizenship by Descent (overview)
• Explore our legal services for international clients under Italian law

If you have any doubts or need clarification regarding your eligibility or documentation, you may request a free preliminary assessment with an Italian citizenship lawyer.