Italian Citizenship by Ancestor in a Nutshell

Posted by Ainsley Aiken on July 12th, 2018

Nationality law or law of citizenship is the law adopted by every country which proclaims the fundamental rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the manner in which that citizenship of the individual is obtained as well as how that citizenship may be seized by the government. Jus soli (law of the soil) and jure/jus sanguinis (law by the ancestors) are the two types of citizenships. Every individual acquires anyone citizenship among these, and it is contingent upon the government of that particular country.

Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Pakistan, Jamaica, North America, most of South America and few other countries grant unrestricted jus soli kind of citizenship to their citizens whereas countries such as Italy, Germany, Armenia, India, Iran, Ireland and others grant citizenship by the latter method, i.e., jure sanguinis.

Speaking of the Italian law of citizenship, since the nation has adopted jure sanguinis nature, this law gives the power to the Italian descents to file a petition with Italian government for Italian citizenship. As Italian citizenship is passed down through the ancestral lineage (bloodline), it is possible for Italian citizens to be born in some other country and still be considered an Italian.

However, the ancestors and parents of the individual who wishes to apply for the Italian citizenship need to meet specific criteria as said below

1. Father: the individual is eligible for Italian citizenship if the father was of Italian descent at the time of his birth.
2. Mother: if the mother was an Italian at the time of the individual’s birth (born after Jan 01, 1948), citizenship could be acquired.
3. Maternal/Paternal grandfather: if the individual’s maternal or paternal grandfather was an Italian citizen at the time of the mother’s or father’s birth (after Jan 01, 1948) respectively, Italian citizenship by ancestor could be claimed.
4. Maternal/Paternal Great-grandfather: if the individual’s maternal or paternal great-grandfather was an Italian at the time of birth of the maternal or paternal grandfather, he is eligible for claiming Italian citizenship.

Studio Legale Stornelli is there for every person who has issues related to Italy. It is a specialized law firm with attorneys of exceptional experience and success, helping international clients in acquiring Italiancitizenship. Due to their extensive familiarity, clients can obtain Italian citizenship by descent at ease with the professional guidance of Studio Legale attorneys. Clients can start their new journey as a recognized Italian with the valuable assistance of Studio Legale Stornelli.