Discovering that claiming Italian Citizenship is possible through our grandparents, great-grandparents, and even great-great-grandparents comes as a surprise to most of us. After doing a little research, we may come across articles and blog posts discussing how “easy” it is to get Italian Citizenship by descent compared to other countries, especially in terms of generation restrictions (there are none!). 

But how easy is it really?

Do I need a lawyer to claim Italian Citizenship by descent? The short answer is: It depends

Claiming Italian citizenship jure sanguinis, or by bloodline, requires that you meet certain qualifications. Sometimes, meeting these qualifications is pretty straight-forward, while other times, circumstances call for a little extra help navigating the law, especially when the laws in question have changed over time. 

For many Italian-Americans, the opportunity to claim Italian citizenship through an ancestor is an amazing discovery. It opens the door to celebrating our heritage in ways we never imagined, from traveling with one of the world’s most powerful passports to living and working visa-free in, not only Italy, but any of the 27 nations that make up the European Union.

If your Italian Consulate here in the U.S. has fully reopened their “Prenot@mi” online booking system, the average timeline to get an appointment is approximately 2 years with a few exceptions such as DC with a wait time of about 6 months and SF with a wait time of 3 years+. 

Is that acceptable? The answer is “it depends."

Applicants should keep in mind that they really have three options when it comes to applying for Italian citizenship by descent: 

There have been a few changes in the Italian citizenship law concerning all applicants for Italian citizenship by descent going through the Italian Courts AND some applicants for Italian citizenship by marriage.