Do you have a child who is a minor and was born abroad in a country from which they have acquired citizenship, and you are:
- an exclusively Italian citizen (meaning you have no other citizenship besides the Italian one)OR
- a dual citizen with at least one parent holding, or holding at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship?
Then your child is an Italian citizen and you can request the Consulate to register their birth certificate in Italy, submitting the documentation requested by the Office to prove the above circumstances.
Write to washington.cittadinanza@esteri.it to find out which documents to submit before making an appointment on the Prenot@mi portal.
Do you have a child who is a minor who was born abroad in a country from which they have acquired citizenship, and you are an Italian citizen who also holds another nationality (i.e. you are a dual-citizen; for example, you hold both the Italian and the US citizenships), but, at the same time, neither of your parents holds, or held at the time of their death, exclusively Italian citizenship?
In this case, obtaining Italian citizenship for your child is possible and it is ensured, under certain conditions, by “benefit of law.” A minor child can obtain Italian citizenship if both parents declare their wish to have them acquire it at the Consulate.
Please note, however that the declaration must be submitted within three years of the child’s birth (or from the subsequent date on which parentage, including adoption, from an Italian citizen is established). Otherwise, if the declaration is submitted after the child turns three years old, the child must legally reside in Italy for at least two consecutive years; after this time-frame elapses they will become Italian citizens.
Upon reaching the age of majority (i.e. legal age), anyone who acquired citizenship as a minor through a parental declaration of intent can obviously renounce it, if they so wish, provided that they hold at least another citizenship.
Consult the following link: MINORS – Art. 4, paragraph 1-bis, letters a) and b).
If you are you an adult born in a foreign country of which you hold citizenship and have not yet applied for Italian citizenship, nor did your parents apply for you while you were a minorAND you have either:
- at least one exclusively parent who is exclusively Italian? OR
- a grandparent who holds, or held at the time of their death, exclusively Italian citizenship
Then you are entitled to apply for Italian citizenship, but you must do so directly, submitting the documentation requested by the office to prove the above circumstances. Write to washington.cittadinanza@esteri.it to find out what documentation you need to submit before scheduling an appointment on the Prenot@mi portal.
Were you born abroad in a country where you hold citizenship, and have a parent who acquired Italian citizenship through naturalization and who resided in Italy for at least two years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before your birth (or possible adoption)?
Then, according to current legislation, you can apply for Italian citizenship (in the case of a minor, the application will be submitted by the parents).
See the following link: PROCEDURES art. 3bis, paragraph 1, letter d) ADULT AND MINOR APPLICANTS
Are you an adult who was born abroad and was recognized as an Italian citizen by iure sanguinis before March 28, 2025, and have a child who is a minor, or who was a minor on May 24, 2025, whom you have not yet registered?
If your child is still a minor, you can submit, together with the other parent, the declaration required for the second previous application (by benefit of the law), but only by May 31, 2026.
Obviously, if your child, who was a minor on May 24, 2025 (the date upon which Legislative Decree No. 36/2025, converted into Law No. 74/2025, entered into effect), has since become an adult, he or she will be required to submit the declaration on his/her own, by the same deadline.
See the link: CHECKLIST 1, art. 1, paragraph 1-ter, of Legislative Decree No. 36/2025
Are you an adult born abroad and have applied for citizenship by descent to the Consular Office (or have received confirmation of your application appointment) by March 27, 2025? Are you awaiting the processing of your application by the Consular Office and have minor children?
The regulations in force until March 27, 2025, still apply to you: please immediately notify us if you have minor children, or if they were minors on May 24, 2025, by writing to washington.cittadinanza@esteri.it.
If your application for Italian citizenship is successful under the regulations in force as of March 27, 2025, you will be scheduled to submit the declaration of acquisition of citizenship for your child, which you and the other parent must submit together.
If your child has since reached the age of majority (i.e. legal age), he or she will be required to submit the declaration on his/her own.
Were you born in Italy and, having moved abroad, lost your Italian citizenship pursuant to Article 8, paragraphs 1 and 2, or Article 12 of Law No. 555 of June 13, 1912, by acquiring a foreign citizenship?
Unless you have formally renounced your citizenship before the Italian authorities, you can regain it by submitting a declaration to that effect to the Consulate by December 31, 2027. Please write to washington.cittadinanza@esteri.it to review the required documentation and schedule an appointment.
For all other questions regarding the law, please write exclusively to the following email address: washington.cittadinanza@esteri.it. The office will respond within the required timeframe (30 days).