Italy
Italian citizenship requirements, record by record
Say which ancestor is Italian and how many people in the line have died: the tool counts the US records, apostilles and translations.
How many records does an Italian file need?
US records to order
5 records
| Births, marriages, deaths | 2, 2, 1 |
| Apostilles from the state | 5 apostilles |
| Documents to translate into Italian | 6 documents |
| US side at California rates | $526 |
Plus the ancestor's birth extract from the Italian comune, which needs neither apostille nor translation.
The requirements for Italian citizenship by descent come in two layers. The first is the line itself. Since the 2025 reform, a person born abroad who holds US citizenship qualifies only through a parent or grandparent who holds, or held at death, Italian citizenship alone, or through an Italian parent who lived two years in a row in Italy before the birth; files lodged by March 27, 2025 keep the old rules (art. 3-bis). The second layer is proof. The consulate wants the Italian ancestor's birth extract from the comune, then a long-form certified birth record for each person down to you, marriage records and death records, each US record carrying an apostille from the issuing state and an Italian translation. It also wants proof of the ancestor's status in the United States: a naturalization record if they naturalized, or a USCIS certificate that no record exists if they never did. No language test, oath or residence in Italy is required for recognition itself.
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.
Rules read and verdicts built by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How verdicts are built
Condition one: an ancestor the 2025 law still accepts
Start with the line before ordering any record. The main Italy page sets out the four situations; the short version is that a great-grandparent no longer works unless a case was filed in time, and that a parent or grandparent works only if they never took another citizenship, or if your Italian parent lived in Italy for two years before your birth. Running the family tree checker first saves the cost of a full file that cannot succeed.
Condition two: a complete chain of records
| Record | For whom | US formalities |
|---|---|---|
| Birth extract (estratto) | The Italian ancestor | Issued by the comune, within 6 months, no apostille |
| Long-form birth certificate | Each person born in the US, you included | Apostille from the state, Italian translation |
| Marriage certificate | The ancestor and each person below | Apostille, translation; divorce decrees too |
| Death certificate | Each deceased person in the line | Apostille, translation |
| Naturalization or non-existence proof | The ancestor | NARA certified copy (no apostille) or USCIS letter (apostille) |
The New York list is precise about naturalization proof. A certified copy of the declaration of intention, petition and oath from the National Archives needs neither apostille nor translation. Copies from a county court need an apostille. USCIS and National Archives no-record letters need an apostille too. A USCIS genealogy copy is a photocopy, not a certified copy, and some consulates accept it only for the naturalization certificate itself.
Names, dates and small errors
A Giuseppe who became Joseph, a birth year that shifts by one on a census, a mother's maiden name spelled two ways: consulates look for one person across all records. Minor variations are often accepted when other data match; larger ones need a court amendment in the issuing state before you file. Check every record against the next one in the chain before paying for apostilles, since an apostille certifies a signature and not the content.
Forms and proof of address
Applicants fill in the application form that matches their line, sign it before a notary and, at New York, apostille it, all within six months of the appointment. Add a passport copy and proof that you live in the consulate's district, such as a driver's license or a utility bill. The fee is charged per adult applicant, so two adult siblings pay it twice.
What it adds up to
For a grandparent line with one deceased person, expect six or seven US records, as many apostilles and translations, plus the ancestor's naturalization proof. The cost calculator prices each item with California's official fees by default, and the checklist for all countries shows how Italy compares with Ireland or Poland, which ask for fewer formalities. Once the file is ready, the application page explains where to file in 2026 and after the 2029 change.