How to get your American Italian dual citizenship

The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia (IACCGP) have compiled some important rules and regulations to help you get your American-Italian dual citizenship.

• Acquisition of dual citizenship (you are here)
• Acquisition of Italian citizenship by birth
• Acquisition of Italian citizenship by marriage to an Italian citizen
• Reacquisition of the Italian citizenship
• The process
  

By law the Italian citizenship will be granted for one of the following reasons:

(A) Citizenship by birth

The Italian citizenship is granted by birth through the paternal line (with no limit on the number of generations) or through the maternal line (for individuals born after 1st January, 1948).

U.S. citizens of Italian descent born in the United States can apply for Italian citizenship if:

1. Their father was an Italian citizen at the time of their birth and they never renounced their right to Italian citizenship.
2. Their mother was an Italian citizen at the time of their birth, they were born after 1st January, 1948 and they never renounced their right to Italian citizenship.
3. Their father was born in the United States, their paternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of their father's birth, neither they nor their father ever renounced their right to Italian citizenship.
4. Their mother was born in the United States, their maternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of her birth, they were born after January 1, 1948 and neither they nor their mother ever renounced their right to Italian citizenship.
5. Their paternal or maternal grandfather was born in the United States, their paternal great grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of his birth, neither they nor their father or did their grandfather ever renounce their right to Italian citizenship.

Please note:  A grandmother born before 1st January, 1948 can claim the Italian citizenship only from her father and can transfer it to descendants after 1st January, 1948. 'Italian citizen at the time of birth' means that he/she did not acquire any other citizenship through naturalization, before the descendant's birth.

(B) Citizenship by marriage

A foreign woman who married an Italian citizen prior to 27th April, 1983, has automatically acquired Italian citizenship after the registration in Italy of her birth certificate.

The foreign husband or wife of an Italian citizen can apply for citizenship through the “Prefetto” if he or she has established residence in Italy for six months. Foreign nationals residing abroad may apply for Italian citizenship by virtue of marriage to an Italian citizen so long as they have been married for at least three years.

(C) Reinstatement of citizenship

Italian citizens who were naturalized in the United States prior to 15th August, 1992, implicitly renouncing to their Italian citizenship, can reinstate it by establishing legal residency in Italy.