Paperwork and cost
What a citizenship by descent file costs
Choose the country and the ancestor, adjust prices to your state if you know them: the US side is totaled in dollars, the country fee shown in its currency.
What will the file cost?
US side of the file, fee included
$1,217
| 5 certified records (2 births, 2 marriages, 1 deaths) | $126 |
| Apostilles (5 records) | $120 |
| Naturalization proof | $280 |
| Translations (6 documents) | $0 |
| Italy fee | €600 ($691) |
Dollar fee: New York consulate rate for October 1 to December 31, 2026. Records from the old country are not counted: they are ordered there.
The cost of citizenship by descent is mostly paperwork on the US side, plus a fee that ranges from nothing to several hundred dollars. Certified copies of vital records are priced by each state: in California, $31 for a birth record, $19 for a marriage and $26 for a death since January 1, 2026 (CDPH). Countries that want apostilles add the state's fee per document, $20 at the California Secretary of State, and $20 at the State Department for federal documents such as USCIS letters (22 CFR 22.1). Proof about the ancestor's naturalization costs $25 for a National Archives certified copy, or $280 online for a USCIS certificate that no record exists. Translations are quoted by translators. The country fee comes last: free in Germany's declaration, €278 for an Irish adult, $691 at Italy's New York consulate.
Rules read and verdicts built by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How verdicts are built
Line by line
| Item | Official price | Who issues it |
|---|---|---|
| Certified birth record (California) | $31 | State or county vital records |
| Certified marriage record (California) | $19 | State or county vital records |
| Certified death record (California) | $26 | State or county vital records |
| State apostille (California) | $20 | Secretary of State |
| Federal apostille | $20 | State Department, Office of Authentications |
| Naturalization record, certified | $25 | National Archives |
| Certificate of non-existence | $280 online, $330 paper | USCIS |
How the calculator counts
For an ancestor who is your parent, grandparent or great-grandparent, the calculator counts one US birth record for each person born in the United States in the line, you included, one marriage record for the ancestor and each person below, and a death record for each deceased person. You can add records for divorces, name changes or corrections. Records from the old country, such as an Italian birth extract or an Irish civil birth certificate, are not counted: they are ordered abroad and priced there.
Apostilles are counted only for countries that ask for them on US records: Italy, Poland, France, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria for your own records. Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico do not ask for them on the pages read. For the others the calculator counts them and tells you to ask the consulate. The checklist shows each country's rule.
Translations
No official price exists: enter your translator's quote per document. Italy, Poland, France, Portugal, Greece, Hungary and the Czech Republic want translations of English records; Germany, Austria and Spain accept English in most cases; Ireland, the United Kingdom and Canada work in English. Some countries require a sworn translator from their own list, which costs more than a general translator.
The country fee
Fees are shown in the currency the country sets. Italy's is €600 per adult, charged in dollars at a rate fixed each quarter, $691 at New York until December 31, 2026 (fee table). Poland's consular fee is $118, the Czech declaration $46 at the October 2026 rate. Germany's declaration and naturalization for descendants of persecuted people are free.
Saving money without cutting corners
Check the line with the family tree checker before ordering anything, then order records in the order of the chain and compare each one with the next before paying for apostilles. The document checklist lists what each country wants, and the Italian requirements page details the most demanding file.