Quick FAQ

Dual citizenship is when an individual holds the nationality of two different nations at the same time. 

Yes, the US allows dual citizenship. You are not required to give up your US citizenship should you become an Italian citizen. The same applies for Italy, which allows an Italian citizen to also hold citizenship of another country.

• Travel freely to Italy and between European Union (EU) countries.
• Affordable education. Italian and EU universities are a small fraction of the cost of US universities and Masters’ Programs are frequently available in English.
• Work and live freely without visas in Italy and any EU country.
• Access to Italian universal health care.

Every citizen of a country member of the EU (ie. Italy) is automatically a citizen of the EU. There is no separate EU citizenship.

All EU citizens are afforded the basic rights of being able to live, work and vote in the EU without the need for a residency permit. Also, since 2008, most European countries are members of the Schengen Agreement, allowing for free movement and travel within member states. Dual citizens are not subject to certain restrictions and enjoy the protection of the diplomatic and Consular authorities of any EU state on the same conditions as the nationals of that State. The freedom of movement afforded to dual nationals was a great benefit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Until March 27, 2025, Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) could be pursued without generational limits, as long as your ancestor was alive on or after March 17, 1861 (the date of Italy’s unification) and had not renounced Italian citizenship before passing it on.

With the introduction of Law No. 74/2025, the rules have changed. Now, for those born abroad, eligibility for Italian dual citizenship by descent is restricted to having at least a parent or grandparent who was born in Italy and who never renounced Italian citizenship. 

Under the new law (Law No. 74/2025), great-grandparent cases are no longer eligible, unless you filed your application or booked a consular appointment before 11:59 PM (Rome time) on March 27, 2025. In those cases, your claim will still be evaluated under the old rules, which had no generational limit. Questions of constitutional legitimacy regarding the new law have been raised before the Italian Constitutional Court. The outcome of these cases will determine whether third or fourth generation descendants of Italian citizens can claim Italian dual citizenship by descent.

Children under 18 are no longer automatically included in a parent’s citizenship application. They may acquire citizenship only if:

• They qualify automatically under the new jus sanguinis rules, or
• Their Italian parent or legal guardian submits a formal declaration of will within one year of birth, or by May 31, 2026 for minors who were under 18 when the new law took effect (May 24, 2025).

Under Italian Law 74/2025, adopted children can acquire Italian citizenship in specific ways, depending on when and how the adoption occurs.

• If the adoptive parent is already an Italian citizen at the time of adoption, the child may acquire Italian citizenship by declaration, rather than automatically.
  The adoptive parent or legal guardian must submit a formal declaration of will within one year of the adoption decree to confirm citizenship for the child.
• If the adoptive parent becomes or reacquires Italian citizenship after the adoption, the child can obtain citizenship only if they have legally resided in Italy with the parent for at least two years.
• Children under two years old who are born and adopted in Italy are exempt from the two-year residency requirement.

This declaration process replaces the former automatic transmission rules and must be filed with the competent Italian authority or Consulate.

Italian birth records can be found in the relative Italian municipality of your ancestor’s birth. With_Papers will assist in acquiring Italian birth records. 

Yes. We will assist in acquiring Italian and US genealogy records and/or naturalization records.

Yes, we provide Iralian translations and authentication services of English (and other language) documents.

1-3 months from the time you have been granted Italian citizenship and are registered with the Italian municipality.

Costs depend on which road to citizenship is required by your case and the number of family members applying for citizenship. With_Papers encourages families to apply together and offers family group discounts. The initial consultation with an Italian dual citizenship lawyer is free. As a rough quote, the procedure for citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis) would cost between US$6000 and US$10000, not including out-of-pocket costs. Feel free to contact us for more details.

You will not lose your US citizenship should you become an Italian citizen.

The US allows dual citizenship, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Kawakita vs United States (1952) that people can “have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries”.

There is no Italian language requirement if you are applying for Italian citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis) since the re-acquisition of your Italian citizenship is considered a recognition of your birthright by the Italian government. 

The language requirement is, however, a requirement for applicants of Italian citizenship by marriage or by residency. The applicant must speak and read intermediate-level Italian and pass a B1 language test.

Often when one member of the family decides to re-acquire her/his Italian citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis), other members of the family decide to join in the process. If eligibility requirements are met, carrying out the process as a group is certainly cost-and-time-effective. The advantage is that the core set of documents can be prepared for the family group. However, individual adults from the same family must make individual appointments and pay separate consular fees, and present individual birth and/or marriage certificates if applicable.

If a parent acquires Italian citizenship, this is automatically passed on to her/his minor children, who must then be registered with the relevant Italian Consulate. 

Yes. If you are not eligible for Italian citizenship through marriage, descent, maternal line, or naturalization, there are forms of resident visas which you can apply for and, if granted and maintained, afterward (in 5-10 years) you can apply for Italian citizenship. 

No. If you are an Italian/US dual citizen living in the US you can continue to file your taxes in the US as you normally do, without any additional requirements from the Italian government. Unlike the US, Italy does not tax its citizens abroad. 

Prior to September 22, 1922, US law held that women lost their citizenship by marrying a US citizen or when their husbands became US naturalized citizens.