Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) (Italy): Requirements
Italy residence route
Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis)
Americans with an Italian-born parent or grandparent. If you qualify, this is better than any visa: it makes you an EU citizen.
- Income threshold
- No income test
- Minimum age
- None
- Validity
- Permanent, and it is EU citizenship with free movement across the entire European Union.
- Permanent residence
- Not applicable
- Processing
- 1 to 5 years by consulate, faster by direct application in an Italian comune
The financial test in detail
No income test. This is a recognition of a citizenship you already hold rather than a grant.
What the status gives you
- Work rights
- Yes, anywhere in the EU.
- Citizenship
- Immediate on recognition
- Government fees
- Visa: 300 EUR. A per-applicant administrative fee plus substantial document, apostille and translation costs.
- 1 Establish the line You need an unbroken documentary chain of birth, marriage and death records from your Italian-born ancestor down to you, plus proof the ancestor had not naturalised as a U.S. citizen before the next person in the line was born.
- 2 Order and apostille every U.S. record Every U.S. vital record in the chain needs a certified copy and an apostille from the issuing state, then an Italian translation. This is typically the largest apostille order an individual American ever places, often twelve to twenty documents.
- 3 Correct discrepancies Names misspelled at Ellis Island, dates that disagree between records, and missing middle names all have to be reconciled, sometimes by court order. This is where most claims stall.
Your action Documents and authentication Government processing
Your document checklist for this route
4 documents in total, of which 3 need authentication: 0 through the U.S. Department of State and 3 through a Secretary of State. All authenticated documents also need certified translation into Italian.
- Certified birth certificate Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Proves identity, nationality and, where relevant, family relationships for dependants. Lead time: 3 to 20 days depending on state
- Certified marriage certificate Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Required whenever a spouse is included as a dependant, and to prove joint income or joint savings. Lead time: 3 to 20 days
- Divorce decree or death certificate of a former spouse Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Needed when your current marital status differs from what other documents suggest, and for survivor pension claims. Lead time: 5 to 30 days
- Certified translation of the authenticated set Non-English-speaking destinations require the document and its apostille translated by a translator they recognise. Lead time: 2 to 7 days
Why applications on this route fail
- A decree-law in March 2025 and subsequent legislation substantially restricted this route, generally limiting recognition to applicants with a parent or grandparent born in Italy and adding residence conditions in some cases. Claims that were valid under the old rules may not be valid now. Confirm the position currently in force before spending money on documents.
- The "1948 rule" affects lines passing through a female ancestor before 1 January 1948 and historically required a court case in Rome rather than a consular application.
- Consular appointment waits have historically run to several years in the busiest U.S. jurisdictions.
Apply here
- Ministero dell Interno: citizenship Official citizenship rules.
- Italian consulates in the United States Jurisdiction and appointment systems.
- 1 Obtain the record Order certified copies from the issuing authority. Do not use photocopies, scans or hospital souvenir certificates.
- 2 Notarise if required Letters and affidavits need a notary acknowledgement before any state can authenticate them. Government-issued vital records do not.
- 3 County clerk (some states) A handful of states require the county clerk to certify the notary commission before the Secretary of State will act.
- 4 Authenticate State-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
- 5 Apostille or legalise Hague Convention destination: an apostille finishes the chain. Non-Hague destination: the document then goes to that country embassy or consulate for legalisation. For Italy the apostille ends the chain.
- 6 Certified translation Translate the document together with its apostille. Translating first means paying twice.
- 7 File with the consulate Book the appointment at the consulate with jurisdiction over your state of residence and bring originals plus copies.
The expensive mistake: translating before the document is authenticated. The apostille or legalisation certificate is itself part of what the receiving government reads, so it has to be inside the translation. Do it the other way round and you pay for the same translation twice.
Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis): common questions
How much income do I need for the Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis)?
There is no published income test on this route. No income test. This is a recognition of a citizenship you already hold rather than a grant.
Can I work on this visa?
Yes, anywhere in the EU. This is the field applicants most often misread, and in several countries remote work for a U.S. employer counts as work performed locally.
What documents need an apostille?
For this route we count 3 documents needing authentication: 0 federal, through the U.S. Department of State, and 3 state-issued, through the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Italy is a Hague Convention country, so an apostille completes the chain.
How long does it take?
1 to 5 years by consulate, faster by direct application in an Italian comune Securing Italian accommodation before applying, and the permesso di soggiorno queue after arrival, are the two constraints.
Does it lead to permanent residence?
Permanent residence: Not applicable. Citizenship: Immediate on recognition.
Verified Sep 7, 2026
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This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Immigration rules, income thresholds, fees and processing times change frequently and often without notice, and consulates apply them differently. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific consulate that has jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence before you act. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
