{"id":7618,"date":"2025-07-15T19:03:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T17:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ambottawa.esteri.it\/?page_id=7618"},"modified":"2025-08-19T17:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T15:45:04","slug":"recognition-of-italian-citizenship-by-descent-iure-sanguinis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ambottawa.esteri.it\/en\/servizi-consolari-e-visti\/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero\/cittadinanza\/recognition-of-italian-citizenship-by-descent-iure-sanguinis\/","title":{"rendered":"Recognition of Italian citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis)"},"content":{"rendered":"

PLEASE, NOTE<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you have landed on this page directly from a Search Engine, please, go back to the <\/strong>main page<\/strong><\/a> and read carefully all the information, before returning to this page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

___________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

PROCEDURE DURATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

The law provides a maximum processing time of 24 months<\/strong> from the date of submission of the application, complete with all required documentation.<\/p>\n

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS RECOGNITION OF CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FROM MARCH 28, 2025<\/strong>, foreign-born citizens who hold another citizenship (for example, Canadian citizenship)\u00a0are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship BY DESCENT only if:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. a) they are first- or second-degree descendants of Italian citizens who hold, or held at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship.\u00a0This must exist at the applicant\u2019s date of birth, OR<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. b) a parent or adoptive parent has been resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the applicant\u2019s date of birth or adoption.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In this case, a historical certificate of residence<\/a> issued by the competent Italian municipality and a historical certificate of citizenship<\/a> issued by the same municipality must be presented.<\/p>\n

    ATTENTION: It is not sufficient for the second-degree ascendant (grandfather\/grandmother) to have, or had at the time of death, only Italian citizenship. In any case, it is necessary to verify that the line of transmission of Italian citizenship is intact for the first-degree ascendant (father, mother).<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

    ERRORS AND DISCREPANCIES:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    All documents listed must be carefully checked<\/u><\/strong> for errors and discrepancies regarding names, surnames, dates, and places of birth. Certificates\/documents with errors\/discrepancies must be corrected before requesting an apostille, and then translated, or corrected before requesting legalization and certified translation (if issued in countries not party to the Hague Apostille Convention).<\/p>\n

    Canadian birth, marriage, and death certificates (or foreign ones for those born elsewhere) must be in \u201cCertified Copy of Registration<\/strong>\u201d format.\u00a0Please note that \u201cwallet-size\u201d certificates will NOT be accepted. Please note that Canadian or foreign certificates must be apostilled and translated into Italian (click here for more information<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    ___________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

    DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Application for recognition.<\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Payment of the non-refundable consular fee 7bis<\/a>. This fee will be paid at the counter when submitting the application for recognition according to the procedures set forth on the dedicated page.<\/li>\n
    3. Copy of Canadian passport<\/strong> and proof of residency (copy of driver\u2019s<\/strong> license or any other utility<\/strong>). These documents do not need to be apostilled or translated.<\/li>\n
    4. Full extract<\/a> of the applicant\u2019s Canadian (or foreign) birth certificate, apostilled<\/a> and translated.<\/li>\n
    5. If required: Marriage, divorce, or naturalization certificate. See note no.2<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      CASE OF FIRST-DEGREE ASCENDANT (father\/mother exclusively Italian)<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Add:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Copy of identity documents<\/strong> (including expired in the event of death) of first-degree ascendants (of both parents).<\/li>\n
      2. Documentation proving that the parent possessed, or possessed at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant\u2019s birth<\/strong>. See note 1.<\/li>\n
      3. Full<\/a> birth certificate of the exclusively Italian parent<\/strong> and photocopy of the spouse\u2019s birth certificate. See note 2.<\/li>\n
      4. Marriage certificate<\/strong>, divorce certificate (if applicable), and death certificate (if applicable). See note 2.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        CASE OF SECOND-DEGREE ASCENDANT (exclusively Italian grandparent)<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Add:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Copy of identity documents<\/strong> (including expired ones in the event of death) of the second-degree ascendants (grandparent and grandmother).<\/li>\n
        2. Documentation proving that the second-degree ascendant (grandparent) possesses, or possessed at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant\u2019s birth<\/strong>.See note 1.<\/li>\n
        3. Full extract of the birth certificate<\/a> of the exclusively Italian second-degree ascendant<\/strong> and photocopy of the spouse\u2019s birth certificate. See note 2.<\/li>\n
        4. Marriage certificate<\/strong>, divorce certificate (if applicable), and death certificate (if applicable) of the exclusively Italian second-degree ascendant. See note 2.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n

          Note 1: It is the applicant\u2019s responsibility to conclusively demonstrate that one of the ascendants was exclusively an Italian citizen<\/strong> at the time of the applicant\u2019s birth. THE CONSULATE CANNOT PROVIDE ADVICE PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION<\/u>. For example, it is possible to submit an apostilled and translated copy of the Permanent Resident Card, or a document demonstrating that the Italian parent has never acquired Canadian citizenship. These apostilled and translated documents<\/a> can be requested from Citizenship and Immigration Canada through the Search of Citizenship Records<\/a> or \u201cAccess to Information<\/a>\u201d procedure. When requesting information regarding married women, <\/strong>it is important to specify both surnames<\/strong>\u2014maiden (before marriage) and married<\/strong> (after marriage)\u2014in the request.<\/p>\n

          Note 2: If the ascendant was born in Italy<\/strong>, a recent birth certificate issued by the Italian municipality of birth<\/strong> must be submitted. Click here<\/a> to download the application form for the Italian municipality. Be sure to request an \u201cExtract of the Birth Certificate<\/strong>\u201d and not a \u201cBirth Certificate\u201d. Photocopies of old passports or other certifications issued in Italy are optional, but it is recommended to present them at the counter to complete the information relating to your ancestor.<\/em><\/p>\n

          If <\/em>both<\/strong> ascendants were born in Italy, it is mandatory to present the extract of the birth certificate for both and the documentation relating to Canadian citizenship<\/em> in order to update the data with the municipality of origin.<\/em><\/p>\n