If your last Italian ancestor born in Italy was still an Italian citizen when their child (your next ancestor in line) was born, then everyone in subsequent generations also received Italian citizenship unless its transmission was interrupted. For example, your grandfather was your last Italian ancestor born in Italy. Your grandfather moved to the US/Canada where he married and had your father while he was still an Italian citizen. Your grandfather became a US/Canadian citizen when your father was 10. Because your grandfather was still Italian when your father was born, he passed his Italian citizenship on to your father and your father passed it on to you when you were born. If you have children, you passed it on to them when they were born, and so it continues down the line.

To help further explain the process and all the different eligibility criteria, click HERE to download my FREE Eligibility Flowchart which is a great place to start.

Yes! Canada, the US, and Italy, all allow their citizens to hold multiple citizenships, so you don’t have to worry about impacting your Canadian or American citizenship by getting Italian citizenship.

Jus Sanguinis (‘right of blood’) means that citizenship is passed down through the generations by descent from parent to child (i.e. through blood). This is different from Jus Soli (‘right of soil’) where a person is automatically granted citizenship of the country they are born in. Many European countries, Italy included, operate on the basis of Jus Sanguinis, while countries such as Canada, the US, Australia and the UK have citizenship laws based mainly on the principle of Jus Soli.

Yes! Italy has no generational limits on their Italian citizenship by descent laws, so as long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you can go back as many generations as you need to.

Yes! Italy is part of the EU which means that Italian citizens have access to the entire EU to live, work, and study without the restrictions and onerous visa paperwork that non-EU citizens face. Aside from Italy, the other EU member countries you have full access to are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

In addition to the opportunity to reconnect with your Italian heritage, Italian citizenship offers many practical benefits too! While there are too many to list in this short section, here are a few of the big ones:

• An Italian passport is one of the most powerful passports in the world (and ranks above the US and Canada)
• The right to live, work and study freely across EU member nations without restriction
• No 90-day stay limit when travelling/staying within the Schengen Zone
• Affordable healthcare
• Affordable/free post-secondary tuition
• A slower, simpler life as an Italian resident

…and all of these same citizenship benefits are available to your children and grandchildren too!

Almost never! If you’re a citizen of a country that allows dual citizenship, then getting Italian citizenship likely won’t impact the citizenship you already hold (but of course, always double-check). Also, becoming an Italian citizen in no way obligates you to pay Italian taxes unless you move to Italy and become a tax resident, hold Italian assets, or make an income in Italy. The only time Italian citizenship (or dual citizenship of any kind) can have a negative effect, is if you hold a position that involves a high-security clearance. Check with your employer to determine if dual citizenship will your current or future employment opportunities if this is your situation.

The difficulty of your specific application depends on a number of factors, including:

• how many generations back you’re tracing your lineage
• how old the records are that you need to find and order
• whether or not you know pertinent information about your family (such as names, dates, and places of life events)
• how many countries you need to source records from, and
• where and how you’re applying

The Italian citizenship by descent process is not standardized, which means that application requirements vary greatly from one country to another and even between consulates in the same country. This can lead to much confusion and overwhelm if you can’t dedicate the time and effort required to learn the ins and outs of the application process. If you would like to know more about the service packages I offer and how I provide Italian citizenship assistance regarding applications and the often-complicated process, click HERE.

This depends on where and how you’re applying for citizenship. The Italian citizenship by descent process is not standardized, which means that application requirements vary greatly from one country to another and even between consulates in the same country. There are further differences if you are applying directly in Italy or if you are proceeding via a judicial case. If you’re applying at a consulate, visit the consulate’s website and navigate to their ‘citizenship by descent’ page which will usually have an outline of their application requirements.

This depends on a whole host of factors, including:

• your consulate’s application requirements
• how many generations are in the lineage you’re tracing
• if you require court orders to obtain records or fix discrepancies, and
• if you do your application yourself or hire someone to assist you (much like the services I provide)

A simple, two-generation application with no legal fees where the applicant completes the process entirely by themselves can cost as little as $500. On the other hand, a full-service provider that does your application entirely for you can cost thousands of dollars. If you have the time and resources to dedicate to your application, I suggest a lower-cost option such as private mentorship/coaching to help you accurately complete your application (like my Guided DIY package). However, if you lead a busy life and keep putting off your application because you don’t have the time, going with a full-service provider is the difference between citizenship and no citizenship so the cost is definitely worth the end result.

To learn more about my services and how I can help you get Italian citizenship, click HERE.

The citizenship by descent process can vary significantly based on a number of factors, including:

• the wait time for an appointment at your consulate (a few months to 5+ years)
• how long it takes you to pull your application together and collect all of the required documentation, and
• how long it takes the consulate to process your application (by law, the Italian government has up to 2 years to issue a decision on citizenship by descent applications).

Generally speaking, expect the entire process to take several years.

The most expedient way to get Italian citizenship by descent is usually to apply directly in Italy. This method comes with its own set of rules which may not be practical for most people. For example, depending on the comune and how pristine your documentation is, the process can take anywhere from 12 weeks (or less) to a year or more. On average, expect to remain in Italy for a minimum of 4-6 months, during which time you will be unable to legally work (unless you have a work permit which is difficult to obtain). There are also a host of other requirements which may not always make applying in Italy a feasible option.

The best company to help you with your citizenship application is one that you feel comfortable with. Ideally, they will have testimonials from happy, successful clients and they are experienced with record collection in the country(ies) in which your documentation comes from. They are responsive during communication, can answer your questions, and are easily accessible. Most reputable companies within the dual citizenship industry will have an online presence and will offer free consultations to give you specific Italian citizenship assistance.. They typically don’t ask for all of their fees upfront and may even offer money-back guarantees. It’s always important to do your due diligence when hiring a service provider.

Absolutely! I offer a private one-on-one Guided DIY package where I guide you through the entire application process from start to finish and provide a lot of Italian citizenship help. No more confusion and overwhelm about your consulate requirements, which records you need, where and how to collect them, or what needs translations and apostilles. I even write your letters to Italy for you so you can collect your ancestor’s Italian records! I’m there to support you every step of the way with my collaborative approach to application completion. Finally feel confident in starting and completing your application while saving thousands of dollars compared to high-ticket agency fees! My Guided DIY package is available to Canadian and US applicants. Click HERE to see my Canadian package and HERE to see my American package.

For Canadian applicants, I sure can! As the only firm in Canada wholly dedicated to Italian citizenship by descent, I am experienced with the requirements of Canadian consulates and the collection of Canadian records. Don’t trust your Canadian application to firms outside of Canada who don’t know the intricacies of our Canadian record system and consulate requirements. Let me accurately complete your application for you exactly the way your consulate wants it – or your money back! Click HERE for more information (this service is open to Canadian applicants only, whether they are applying within or outside of Canada)

Citizenship by marriage is a fairly straightforward process and is not typically a good fit for the more comprehensive packages I offer. Because Italian citizenship reacquisition must be completed in Italy, I also do not typically coordinate these cases. For both citizenship by marriage and citizenship reacquisition, you can book a coaching hour with me where I will help clarify the requirements for each process and provide guidance about what records you must collect. Book your call HERE.

If you have a 1948 case (tracing your Italian citizenship through a female ancestor that had her child prior to 1948) and have hired an Italian lawyer to take your case to court, I can assist you with the aspect of record collection. Whether you want some assistance to DIY your record collection (Canadian and American applicants) or you want me to collect all of your records for you (Canadian applicants only), let’s have a chat to see if my application services make sense for you. Book a call HERE.