Citizenship by Descent – iure sanguinis – Citizenship by direct descent

This category is only for applicants whose parent (or parents) were born in Italy.

If you fulfil this requirement, you can submit your application by booking a virtual appointment online. Please create an account on the Prenot@mi portal and select

Citizenship by direct descent (parent born in Italy)

Your application, which is handled EXCLUSIVELY by mail, must include the following forms and documents:

1. Your Italian parent’s birth certificate (estratto dell’atto di nascita) issued within the last six months, by the Italiancomune where the birth was registered.
2. Your parents’ marriage certificate. If the marriage occurred in Italy, please submit the estratto dell’atto di matrimonio issued within the last six months, by the Italian comune where the marriage was registered. If the marriage occurred abroad, please submit the original certificate (in long form), duly legalized and translated into Italian. Should there be discrepancies in how your parents’ names are noted on their marriage certificate, you must first have the document corrected, or submit the existing Court order that has granted the name change. The Court order must also be duly legalized and translated into Italian (the translation of the court order must be done by a professional translator who must also issue a certificate of accuracy).
3. A notarized copy of your Italian parent’s green card, or notarized copy of their US naturalization certificate. Please check that the parent’s correct name and date of birth are printed on the naturalization certificate (the married name can be accepted for a woman).Should the naturalization certificate not show the parent’s date of birth, the following document is required: a certified copy of the Declaration of intention/Petition for naturalization/Oath of allegiance issued by the National Archives (NARA). No Apostille, nor translation required.
4. Your original birth certificate in long form where your parents’ name appear EXACTLY as they do on their original birth certificates. The document must be duly legalized and translated into Italian. Should there be discrepancies in how your parents’ names are noted on your birth certificate, you must first have the document corrected, or submit the existing Court order that has granted the name change. The Court order must also be duly legalized and translated into Italian (the translation of the court order must be done by a professional translator who must also issue a certificate of accuracy).
5. If you are married, you must submit an original of your marriage certificate (long-form), duly legalized and translated into Italian. The certificate must show your parents’ names as they appear on their respective birth certificates. You must also include a photocopy of your spouse’s birth certificate (please refer to point 4 in case of name discrepancies).
6. If you have minor children, you must include an original birth certificate for each child. The certificate must be in long form, duly legalized by apostille and translated into Italian.
7. You must include the following FORMS (to be downloaded from our website) which need to be notarized by a notary public who has jurisdiction in the State of residence of the undersigned.
   • ”Application for Italian citizenship recognition” with applicant’s notarized signature, DULY LEGALIZED BY APOSTILLE
   • Form 1 with applicant’s notarized signature, and DULY LEGALIZED BY APOSTILLE
   • Form 2 with applicant’s notarized signature, and DULY LEGALIZED BY APOSTILLE
   • Form 3 (if your parent/s is/are still living) with their notarized signature, and DULY LEGALIZED BY APOSTILLE
   • Form 4 (if your parent/s is/are deceased) with applicant’s notarized signature, and DULY LEGALIZED BY APOSTILLE
8. Copy of your valid passport.
9. Proof of residence: copy of your valid driver’s license / recent utility bill /latest tax statement (please only provide the page with your name and address).
10. Payment by money order or cashier check made out to the “Consulate General of Italy in New York”. Please include full (maiden if applicable) name on the memo portion of money order. The current amount can be found here.
11. Printout of the appointment confirmation from the online booking system.
12. A self-addressed, prepaid USPS envelope

Following recent rulings by the Corte di Cassazione, on October 3rd 2024 the Italian Ministry of the Interior has issued new guidelines which establish that if the Italian citizen naturalized before 16 August 1992, their minor child lost their Italian citizenship even if they were born in a Country where jus soli (right of the soil) is applicable. Therefore, in order to be recognized, the applicant must prove unequivocally that their parent was still an Italian citizen at the time the applicant became an adult. However, it may be possible that the applicant falls, even unwittingly, into one of the categories that would have, at that time, determined reacquisition of Italian citizenship. (see notes on the discendenza jure sanguinis page).