Understanding Dual Citizenship Between Italy and the USA
Both Italy and the United States permit dual citizenship, making it possible for eligible individuals to hold both passports simultaneously. Since 1992, Italy has officially recognized dual citizenship with the United States, meaning Americans can acquire Italian citizenship without renouncing their U.S. nationality.
U.S. federal law does not require citizens to choose one citizenship over another. While dual citizenship is not formally recognized, there is no legislation prohibiting it.
For Americans of Italian descent, Italian citizenship represents more than just a second passport. It opens the door to living, working, and studying anywhere in the European Union, access to world-class healthcare systems, and the ability to pass citizenship to future generations.
Citizenship by Descent: Jure Sanguinis
The most common path for Americans to obtain Italian citizenship is through jure sanguinis, which translates to "by law of the bloodline." This principle allows individuals to claim Italian citizenship if they can demonstrate an unbroken chain of Italian citizenship through their ancestry.
How Jure Sanguinis Works
To qualify for Italian citizenship by descent, you must prove that your Italian ancestor was an Italian citizen at the time of each descendant's birth. The key requirement is establishing an unbroken chain of citizenship transmission from your Italian ancestor to you.
Historically, Italian citizenship law placed no generational limit on claims through the paternal line. However, a significant legislative change occurred in May 2025 with Law 74/2025 (also referenced as Decree-Law 36/2025), commonly known as the Tajani Decree.
Under this new law, only applicants with parents or grandparents born in Italy can acquire citizenship by descent. Those with Italian-born ancestors who are great-grandparents or beyond are no longer eligible under the standard administrative process. This marks a fundamental shift from the previous system that allowed claims through unlimited generations.
There are important exceptions to this new restriction. Applications submitted or consular appointments booked before March 27, 2025, generally follow the old unlimited-generation rules. Additionally, children of parents who received citizenship recognition before March 27, 2025 have until May 31, 2026 to register their own claims under the prior framework.
The 1948 Rule and Maternal Line Claims
One of the most significant barriers for Americans claiming Italian citizenship through maternal ancestry is the 1948 rule. Before January 1, 1948, Italian Law No. 555 of 1912 generally allowed citizenship to be passed only through the father's line.
Mothers could transmit citizenship only in exceptional cases, such as when the father was unknown, stateless, or the child failed to acquire the father's foreign nationality.
In 1983, the Italian Constitutional Court ruled that this provision was unconstitutional due to unequal treatment of men and women. The Court determined that the law should be read as allowing a child to acquire Italian citizenship from either an Italian father or an Italian mother.
In 2009, the Italian Court of Cassation retrospectively extended this equality principle to cover cases where claimants were born to an Italian mother before 1948.
For practical purposes, this means applicants claiming citizenship through a female ancestor in their direct line who gave birth before January 1, 1948, must pursue their claim through the Italian court system rather than through administrative channels at consulates. These are known as 1948 cases.
Required Documents for Jure Sanguinis
The documentation requirements for citizenship by descent are extensive and must be meticulously prepared. You will need to obtain and properly authenticate the following documents for each person in your ancestral line:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Death certificates (if applicable)
- Naturalization records (to prove your Italian ancestor did not naturalize before their child's birth)
- Divorce decrees (if applicable)
All U.S.-issued documents must be apostilled by the appropriate state authority to be recognized in Italy. Documents in English must be translated into Italian by a certified translator.
Application Process and Timeline
There are two primary routes for submitting a jure sanguinis application. You can apply through your local Italian consulate in the United States, or directly in Italy at a municipal office.
The consular route typically requires scheduling an appointment through the Prenot@mi online system. As of January 1, 2025, the application fee for Italian citizenship recognition by descent increased to EUR 1K per application.
Processing times through consulates can range from 2 to 5 years or longer, depending on the consulate's backlog.
Alternatively, many applicants choose to apply directly in Italy by establishing temporary residency in a comune. This route generally moves faster, often completing within several months to a year.
