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Citizenship by Descent

WEBPAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

Citizenship Office
Email: cittadinanza.losangeles@esteri.it
Aree di competenza: Arizona, Sud California, Nevada, New Mexico

URGENT NOTICE

While apologizing for any inconvenience, we inform our users that – due to urgent legislative changes, approved on March 28, 2025 by the Council of Ministers (https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2025/03/28/25G00049/SG) and pending instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – we are going to temporarily suspend:
– all appointments for the submission of documentation related to iure sanguinis citizenship recognition procedures;
– the scheduling of new appointments, via the Prenot@mi portal, for the aforementioned procedures;
– the registration, also on the Prenot@mi portal, for the waiting lists for submitting iure sanguinis citizenship applications;
– the acceptance of applications for recognition of citizenship iure sanguinis sent by post and received by the Embassy after 11.59 pm on 27 March 2025.

 

APPOINTMENTS (TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED)

Applicants who wish to apply for Italian Citizenship by descent will be able to make an appointment online through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s online portal Prenot@mi.

Each adult applicant must reserve an individual appointment – all members of the same household must reserve their own appointment (group appointments are not allowed). Appointments are not transferable.

Appointments can be scheduled only if applicants have gathered all the required documentation.

Further directions on how to submit the application will be sent to every applicant by the citizenship department once an appointment has been secured.

 

RECOGNITION OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP FOR INDIVIDUALS OF ITALIAN DESCENT BORN ABROAD 

Italian Citizenship is based upon the principle of “jus sanguinis” (blood right).

In order to be recognized as an Italian citizen, applicants must prove that their Italian-born ancestor did not obtain any additional citizenship (U.S. or other) before the foreign-born child`s attainment of legal adulthood. It should be noted that prior to 1975, adulthood was attained at age 21, while from 1975 and up to the present, adulthood is set at age 18.

 

NEW INTERPRETATION GUIDELINES FOR CITIZENSHIP JUS SANGUINIS

To the attention of users who are potentially interested in having their Italian citizenship by descent recognized, please be aware of the significant implications of some of the recent rulings of the Supreme Court of Appeal (Civil Court of Appeal, Section I, orders No.  454/2024 and No. 17161/2023) and the Circular No. 43347 dated 3 October 2024 of the Ministry of Interior issued pursuant to the new interpretation guidelines on the matter as dictated by the aforementioned judicial authority.

Adopting the guidance of the Court of Appeal, the circular clarifies first and foremost that – in accordance with the law of 1912 (and, even earlier, with the Civil Code of 1865) – an Italian citizen who lost his Italian citizenship as a consequence of the voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality concurrently caused his minor child living with him to lose our status civitatis, even if said child was born in a country, such as the United States, that applies jus soli (and therefore, the child was a dual national at birth: Italian citizen by paternal descent based on the principles of jus sanguinis and foreign citizen based on the place of birth in accordance with the principles of jus soli). In all such cases, therefore, the citizenship line of transmission is to be considered discontinued; as of the date of their father’s naturalization, the minor in question no longer has the ability to pass on the right to their prospective descendants. 

Without prejudice to the foregoing, however, it is possible now to prove that one’s own ancestor, who incurred the loss for the reasons above, then carried out a deed to recover our status civitatis after coming of age. In the cases in which this happened in fact and can be documented, the event must still have taken place before the birth of the direct descendant of the person concerned. Otherwise, the line of transmission cannot be considered restored.

NEW DISPOSITIONS ON THE TRANSMISSION OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP

The new Decree-Law no. 36 issued on March 28th, 2025, introduces important changes regarding Italian citizenship for individuals born and residing abroad. Specifically, individuals born abroad and holding another citizenship are not considered Italian citizens, unless one of the following conditions is met and duly proven with appropriate documentation:

  1. The parent or adoptive parent who is an Italian citizen was born in Italy and can provide a birth certificate originally issued by an Italian municipality;
  2. The parent or adoptive parent who is an Italian citizen has resided in Italy for a minimum of two consecutive years before the child’s birth or adoption (for Italian parents born outside Italy). The residence must be proven by a historical certificate of residence (Certificato Storico di Residenza) issued by an Italian municipality where the parent resided, and it may refer to a period before the acquisition of Italian citizenship.
  3. The grandparent of the child is/was an Italian citizen born in Italy and can provide a birth certificate originally issued by an Italian municipality.

FAST FACTS

  • You may be eligible to apply for Italian Citizenship iure sanguinis as long as your Italian lineage is proved and it is established that there is no interruption in the line of transmission, under the conditions provided by the law.
  • It should be noted, in particular, that prior to August 16, 1992 and pursuant to Law no. 555 introduced on June 13 1912, an Italian citizen who willingly acquired a foreign citizenship by naturalization lost their Italian citizenship. As a result of the parent’s naturalization, any minor children living with them also lost their Italian citizenship (Articles 8 and 12, paragraph 2, Law 555/1912 and Circolare del Ministero dell’Interno No. 43347 of 03/10/2024).
  • It should also be noted that decree-law no. 36/2025, which came into effect on March 28, 2025, establishes limitations on how citizenship iure sanguinis is passed on, based on an actual bond with Italy.
  • If that ancestor became a U.S. citizen (or citizen of another foreign country) by naturalization before August 16, 1992, you will not be entitled to Italian citizenship if your ancestor’s child(ren) was a minor (minor age: 21 years old until March 09, 1975 –  18 years old from March 10, 1975 and on) on the date of obtaining foreign citizenship, even if born before your Italian ancestor’s naturalization.
  • If there is a woman in the line of descent, Italian citizenship can be transmitted only if the son/daughter was born after January 1, 1948. For individuals born before January 1, 1948, the transmission of citizenship occurs only through the male line.
  • From an Italian citizen mother to a child born before January 1st, 1948: applicants who fall into this category will have to appeal directly in Italy to an Italian civil court to obtain recognition of citizenship.
  • An Italian citizen who acquired a foreign citizenship before August 16, 1992 automatically lost his/her citizenship according to art. 8 of the law 555/1912.
  • The acquisition of a foreign citizenship by an Italian citizen on or after August 16, 1992 does not cause the loss of his/her Italian citizenship.
  • Under the new regulations, for applications submitted after March 27, 2025, Italian citizenship may be granted to an applicant whose parent is an Italian citizen born in Italy, or whose parent is an Italian citizen born abroad and who lived in Italy for a minimum of two consecutive years prior to the applicant’s birth, or to an applicant whose grandparent is an Italian citizen born in Italy.

 

  1. BEFORE YOU START
  2. CATEGORIES AND CHECK LISTS OF DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
  3. S. NATURALIZATION AND “NON EXISTING RECORDS”
  4. COST AND PAYMENT METHODS

 

BEFORE YOU START

  • You can submit your application to this Consulate if you are a resident of the following States: South California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada.
  • Your application is individual and must be presented personally together with all the supporting documents.
  • In order to present your application and related documents you need to make an appointment through our online booking system  Prenot@Mi (esteri.it)
  • If a family member, residing in our jurisdiction, is interested in submitting in the future an application for the recognition of the Italian citizenship, the same ancestors’ original documentation will apply, but he/she must present his/her original certificates.
  • Residents of South California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada whose family members have obtained the recognition of the Italian citizenship at a different Consulate or in Italy, must submit at this Office all original documentation from the Italian ancestor.

 

CATEGORIES

There are many possible categories of Jure Sanguinis lines; here are the most common:

Category n. 1: Your father was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time of your 21st birthday (until March 9th, 1975) or 18th birthday (from March 10th, 1975 and on). CHECKLIST

Category n. 2: Your mother was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time of your 21st birthday (until March 9th, 1975) or 18th birthday (from March 10th, 1975 and on). You were born after January 1st, 1948. CHECKLIST

Category n. 3: Your father was born in the United States or in another foreign country; your paternal grandfather was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time of you father’s 21st birthday (until March 9th, 1975) or 18th birthday (from March 10th, 1975 and on). CHECKLIST

Category n. 4: Your mother was born in the United States or in another foreign country; your maternal grandfather was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time of your mother’s 21st birthday (until March 9th, 1975) or 18th birthday (from March 10th, 1975 and on). You were born after January 1, 1948. CHECKLIST

Category n. 5: Your father was born in the United States or in another foreign country; your paternal grandmother was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time of you father’s 21st birthday (until March 9th, 1975) or 18th birthday (from March 10th, 1975 and on). Your father was born after January 1, 1948. CHECKLIST

Category n. 6: Your mother was born in the United States or in another foreign country; your maternal grandmother was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time of your mother’s 21st birthday (until March 9th, 1975) or 18th birthday (from March 10th, 1975 and on). Your mother was born after January 1, 1948. CHECKLIST

 

U.S. NATURALIZATION AND NONEXISTING RECORDS

The Italian ancestor’s naturalization document is crucial for the recognition of your Italian citizenship. Click here for details.

 

COST AND PAYMENT METHODS

It is hereby announced that, pursuant to Article 1, paragraph 639 of the 2025 Budget Law, the Consular Fees related to applications for the recognition of Italian Citizenship iure sanguinis by adult applicants have been increased from 300 to 600 euros per application, equivalent, for the period from 01/01/2025 to 31/03/2025, to US $643.70.

This new fee applies to all applications for Citizenship recognition by descent that will be submitted starting from January 1st, 2025.

The fee must be paid at the Consulate the day of the appointment with a cashier’s check or a money order made out to the “Consulate General of Italy – Los Angeles”.

The application fee is NON REFUNDABLE, regardless of the outcome of the petition.

Please be aware this office will not return any original documents to the applicant (except for original certificates of American naturalization/citizenship). The submitted documentation must be kept in the applicant’s personal file as proof of his/her Italian citizenship.