Italy

Italy's current government is squarely in the populist-far-right mainstream, making it a less-than-lovely place to live.

However, as a European Union citizen, one would have the ability to live and work in far less oppressive countries in the EU.

Birthright citizenship in Italy is offered through a relatively straightforward process, for anyone who can document direct lineage to someone born in Italy, and whose lineage qualifies under the current rules. This consists of (at least) every birth certificate and wedding certificate between the applicant and an Italian-born citizen whose birth certificate was registered in that citizen's governing town or region, known in Italian as a comune. A good place to start is the Dual U.S.-Italian Citizenship eligibility flowchart that will help you figure out if a specific lineage qualifies. If you have multiple lines of Italian ancestry, even if one line does not qualify, you may still be eligible through another.

All non-Italian birth, marriage, divorce and death records must be apostilled and translated into Italian.

Note also that if the Italian ancestor was born before 1948, Italian citizenship only passed down through the father's line. In 1948, mothers could also transfer Italian citizenship. Additionally, the ancestor from which the claim of Italian nationality is being claimed must have been alive on 17 March 1861, since before that date there was no Italy.

A source to look at to find the original birth records is Portale Antenati. The Italian government has digitized the records from across the country going into the 19th century. While not usable by themselves for proof of ancestry, the records on Antenati provide the correct area, which can point to the correct comune for the actual record.

If the consulate will not assist with procuring the record, you can contact the Ufficio Stato Civile for the comune where the ancestor was from and request a copy of the birth record, specifically an “Estratto per riassunto dell’atto di nascita completo dell’indicazione della paternità e maternità," which is typically annotated with parents' names and significant life events like marriage, adoption, and death if the comune was advised of them.

Some comuni have specific forms for this request; others will accept a request via email. Some comuni will require a small fee to cover the cost of postage; some will not. Contact the comune to inquire about fees and how to remit, typically through funds transfer to the comune's IBAN.

In any event, the request will inquire for a legal reason to release the record. “Chiedo il presente documento in quanto indispensabile per la mia istanza di riconoscimento della cittadinanza italiana” (“I am requesting this document as it is essential for my application for the recognition of my Italian citizenship”) is an appropriate means of requesting this information. Submitting proof of your identity, like a passport, will also be necessary.

The typical format for the website of a comune is “www.comune.NameOfTheComune.AcronymOfTheProvince.it”.

Note that a recent circulare (Italian Government website) from October 2024 does limit the ability to claim Italian ancestry at consulates. If an Italian ancestor naturalized as a citizen of another country while their children were minors, defined in Italian law as until age 21, the child may have lost Italian citizenship if the child was not registered as Italian previously. It is still possible to pursue Italian citizenship through legal processes in the courts with varying success rates per regional court, but this will require the services of an Italian citizenship lawyer.

More information pertaining to Italian citizenship can be found on the Dual U.S.-Italian Citizenship Facebook group (keep your privacy in mind since it is on Facebook), the Facebook group's website, and the /r/juresanguinis subreddit.