Essential Documents for Securing Italian Citizenship Through Ancestral Roots

You have an Italian descendant and want to begin the recognition process but you do not know which documents are necessary.

No worries, in this guide we will explain which documents you need to search for to obtain recognition of Italian citizenship iure sanguinis.

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

The first documents you will need to search for 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 needs to be requested in the Italian city where the ancestor was born.

You will also need the ancestor’s marriage certificate, which needs to be requested in the city where the marriage was officiated. And finally, the ancestor’s certificate of death, from the city where the death took place.

It is fundamental that the Italian ancestor never renounced their Italian citizenship. For that reason, it is necessary you obtain a certificate of non-naturalisation. This document states that the person has never renounced their Italian citizenship.

Summing up, the Italian ancestor needs to have the following documents: Birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate, certificate of non-naturalisation.

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

For each direct Italian descendant you will need to obtain the following documents: birth certificate, marriage certificate (if the descendant entered in marriage), death certificate (if the descendant is deceased).

 Finally, the person that is requesting recognition of Italian citizenship must present their own birth certificate, marriage certificate (if they have entered in marriage) and a certificate of residence.

Now let’s take a look at what form the documents must have.

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

A sworn Italian translation of all documents  is fundamental.

To ensure the validity of the foreign documents, please refer to the  current international conventions. In the case there are no existing conventions, the documents need to be legalised following ordinary procedure.

Having said that, considering the large number of countries that have adhered to the Hague Convention of  October 5, 1961, in a majority of cases, for foreign documents to be deemed valid in Italy, including those presented to the Italian Consulate, they need to be apostilled. For example, a marriage certificate for a marriage officiated in countries like Brazil, United States, Argentina (only for digital certificates), to be deemed valid in Italy, it needs to be apostilled according to the procedure foreseen by the Hague Convention, rather than being legalised through ordinary procedure. Obviously, the document also needs to be translated by a sworn translator.

All of the above-mentioned documents are necessary to prove uninterrupted descent of the Italian ancestor, they need to be presented to the relevant Consulate located where the request for recognition of Italian citizenship is being presented.

 If you have any doubts or need clarification, please contact us to receive a free consultation from an Italian citizenship lawyer.