How to get your American Italian dual citizenship

Acquisition of Italian Citizenship by Birth

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

(A) Your father was an Italian citizen at the time of your birth and you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship

    You must obtain the following documents, all in original:

1. Your father's birth certificate (the birth certificate must be either in "formato internazionale", or in "estratto per riassunto" showing his father and mother's names)
2. Your mother's birth certificate
3. Your parents' marriage certificate (if the marriage took place in the U.S.A., you must obtain a "certified copy" of the license and certificate and an APOSTILLE from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued)
4. Your father's certificate of naturalization, or his Italian passport and green card. If it is not available, you must request a statement from U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington, D.C. (425 I street NW, 2nd floor - ULLICO Building Washington, D.C. 20536, tel. 1-800-375-5283) and from the County in which he resided. Statement must show his full name (and any other names he went by on any official documents), place of birth and date of birth, date of the naturalization, certificate number (or, if a legal alien, his green card number). If the research shows no record, you are requested to double check with the "National Archives" at http://www.nara.gov requesting a full research under his name and nicknames, possible dates of birth which he may have declared. If the record is found, you will obtain from National Archives a certified copy of his "petition for naturalization" and "oath of allegiance"
5. Death certificate (if it applies)
6. US Passport and driver’s license
7. Your birth certificate (you must obtain a "certified copy” or "full form" or "long form", with an APOSTILLE from the Secretary of State of the State in which it was issued)

Please note: US certificates must be in certified copy a.k.a. long form or full form. Certificates reporting only the County of birth can not be accepted. You must request the Vital Statistics Authority to state the city of birth.

Check all documents word by word to make sure that there are no discrepancies or changes in the names, last names, dates and places of birth. All documents issued outside Italy must bear the name or family name of the interested parties exactly as issued on the original Italian birth certificate. All variation or errors must be corrected with an official affidavit to amend a record to be requested from the Vital Statistics Office that issued the document or with other appropriate official document.

Please be aware that if your father became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship unless you fit into another category.

(B) Your mother was an Italian citizen at the time of your birth, you were born after January 1st, 1948 and you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship

You must follow the instructions listed above (A) but in regards to your mother.

Please be aware that if your mother became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship unless you fit into another category.

(C) Your father was born in the United States, your paternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of your father's birth, neither you nor your father ever renounced your right to Italian citizenship

You must obtain the following:

1. Your paternal grandfather's birth certificate
2. Your paternal grandmother's birth certificate
3. Your grandparents' marriage certificate
4. Your grandfather's certificate of naturalization
5. Your father's birth certificate
6. Your mother's birth certificate
7. Affidavit that your father never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian authority. If applies, please ask him to sign his own affidavit. Signature must be notarized. Copy of his passport and driver license are requested
8. Your birth certificate
9. Any pertinent death certificate/s or grandfather/father's current address/es
10. Your affidavit that you have never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian authority

Please note: US certificates must be in certified copy a.k.a. long form or full form. Certificates reporting only the County of birth can not be accepted. You must request the Vital Statistics Authority to state the city of birth.

Check all documents word by word to make sure that there are no discrepancies or changes in the names, last names, dates and places of birth. All documents issued outside Italy must bear the name or family name of the interested parties exactly as issued on the original Italian birth certificate. All variation or errors must be corrected with an official affidavit to amend a record to be requested from the Vital Statistics Office that issued the document or with other appropriate official document.

Please be aware that if your grandfather became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your father's birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship unless you fit into another category.

(D) Your mother was born in the United States, your maternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of her birth, you were born after January 1, 1948 and neither you nor your mother ever renounced your right to Italian citizenship

You must obtain the following:

1. Your maternal grandfather's birth certificate
2. Your maternal grandmother's birth certificate
3. Your grandparents' marriage certificate
4. Your grandfather's certificate of naturalization
5. Your father's birth certificate
6. Your mother's birth certificate
7. Affidavit that your mother never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian authority. If applies, please ask her to sign his own affidavit. Signature must be notarized. Copy of her passport and driver licence are requested
8. Your birth certificate
9.  Any pertinent death certificate/s or grandfather/mother's current address/es
10. Your affidavit that you have never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian authority

Please note: US certificates must be in certified copy a.k.a. long form or full form. Certificates reporting only the County of birth can not be accepted. You must request the Vital Statistics Authority to state the city of birth.

Check all documents word by word to make sure that there are no discrepancies or changes in the names, last names, dates and places of birth. All documents issued outside Italy must bear the name or family name of the interested parties exactly as issued on the original Italian birth certificate. All variation or errors must be corrected with an official affidavit to amend a record to be requested from the Vital Statistics Office that issued the document or with other appropriate official document.

Please be aware that if your grandfather became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your mother's birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship unless you fit into another category.

(E) Your paternal or maternal grandfather was born in the United States, your paternal great grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of his birth, neither you nor your father nor your grandfather ever renounced your right to Italian citizenship

You must obtain the following:

1. Your paternal great grandfather's birth certificate (from Italy)
2. Your paternal great grandmother's birth certificate
3. Your great grandparents' marriage certificate
4. Your great grandfather's certificate of naturalization
5. Your paternal grandfather's birth certificate
6. Your paternal grandmother's birth certificate
7. Your grandparents' marriage certificate
8. Affidavit that your grandfather never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian (see above)
9. Your father's birth certificate
10. Your mother's birth certificate
11. Affidavit that your father never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian authority (see above)
12. Your parents' marriage certificate
13. Your birth certificate
14. Any pertinent death certificate/s or grandfather/father's current address/es
15. Your affidavit that you have never renounced the Italian citizenship before any Italian authority

Please note: US certificates must be in certified copy a.k.a. long form or full form. Certificates reporting only the County of birth can not be accepted. You must request the Vital Statistics Authority to state the city of birth.

Check all documents word by word to make sure that there are no discrepancies or changes in the names, last names, dates and places of birth. All documents issued outside Italy must bear the name or family name of the interested parties exactly as issued on the original Italian birth certificate. All variation or errors must be corrected with an official affidavit to amend a record to be requested from the Vital Statistics Office that issued the document or with other appropriate official document.

Please be aware that if your great grandfather became a naturalized U.S. citizen before your grandfather's birth, you are not entitled to Italian citizenship unless you fit into another category.

From: Italy-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia