Last week Fortune.com wrote about the increasing demand for Golden Visas in countries such as Portugal, Greece, or Malta where if you purchase a home, you may be entitled to a second passport or a path to citizenship. But if the overall cost ranges between a quarter to a half-a million-dollars (or more) depending on the program and the country, who can really afford it? Yes, the super wealthy. 

It is undeniable that the rising number of applicants and subsequent backlog of pending applications, combined with the delays caused by the Pandemic are the reasons why appointments for Italian Citizenship by Descent are quite difficult to find. 

Italian Consulates should not be blamed, in fact several steps have been taken in the last 12 months to manage this growing demand:

If you are starting your journey to Italian citizenship (or you have already successfully applied) and you are planning to have children, naming your child after you may not be such a great idea. Let's see why. 

There are three key questions that are on every applicant’s mind who is applying for Italian dual citizenship: 

1.    Do I qualify for Italian citizenship by descent?

2.    If so, how much does this process cost? 

3.    How long before I receive my Italian citizenship?

One of the first questions that comes to mind when determining the qualification requirements for Italian citizenship is whether the Italian-born Ancestor was a minor when he or she left Italy. 

Children who were born in Italy and migrated to the U.S. with their parents most likely became American citizens at the same time their father did before they turned 21 years old. NOTE:  Until 1975, the age of majority in Italy was 21.