If you’re considering having your Italian citizenship by descent recognized then you probably already know that it won’t happen overnight. Aside from gathering documents and paperwork, there’s also the Italian citizenship application processing time. For people who dream of living in Italy as soon as possible, it can be wise to research how to fast-track the process.
You can hire a professional such as Italian Citizenship Assistance, thereby eliminating the groundwork for you. Whether hiring a professional or applying on your own, another way to get your Italian citizenship by descent recognized faster is by applying in Italy. Rather than waiting months or even years to get an appointment in the US or wherever you have established residency, you may not need to wait by applying in Italy. Depending on which of the about 8,000 comune (city halls) you are working with, you may be able to send an email or even just show up with your documents.
Of course, it’s still going to take time to get your Italian citizenship recognized in Italy. These tips from the experts at Italian Citizenship Assistance are worth keeping in mind, however, if you want to try to get it done faster.
Understand Italian citizenship application steps
Before you get started on having your Italian citizenship recognized, a clear understanding of the process in Italy can help you see the big picture to keep your focus. Firstly, you’ll need to gather all of your documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates and death certificates that have all been translated into Italian if not already in Italian. Secondly, you’ll arrive in Italy (US citizens will enter on a tourist visa, which grants the right to stay for three months) and get a dichiarazione di presenza to announce your arrival and codice fiscale to be registered in the tax system. Thirdly, you'll need to establish residency by either buying a property or signing a lease on a rental (you may want to do this as part of step one, depending on whether buying or renting). You can pick any town for your residency but you’ll want to select the place where you plan on submitting your Italian citizenship by descent application and waiting for it to be approved. Fourthly, you can formally apply to have your citizenship recognized at the citizenship office by submitting all of your citizenship application documents attached to your case. As you’ll likely need to extend your stay beyond the three-month tourist visa (if you’re a US citizen) as you wait for a response, the fifth step will be to apply for a residence permit as a foreigner waiting for citizenship (permesso di soggiorno in attesa di cittadinanza). With that permit, you'll have the legal right to stay in Italy until step six when you’ll receive a notification that your citizenship is formally granted and you can then apply for an Italian passport.
While the steps are clear, some are more likely to lead to hiccups than others and there are a few areas to note to keep the process moving along.
Pick your Italian home wisely
While you can apply to have your citizenship recognized at the comune where your ancestor’s documents are from, by law, you don’t have to. The experts at Italian Citizenship Assistance recommend avoiding the big cities with high demand for citizenship and immigration requests such as Rome, Florence and Milan. Moreover, the bigger the city, the more likely you’ll need to wait for an appointment or visit multiple offices to submit your paperwork. However, on the flip side, smaller towns may not be as familiar with the citizenship process, so you’ll want to do your homework before deciding where to go by visiting the town in advance or writing an email to get a sense of processing times.
Establish residency in Italy
The one factor that does matter when picking where you’ll apply to have your Italian citizenship recognized is that you need to establish residency there. The experts also advise considering this factor carefully. Most offices that will process your citizenship request will require a lease agreement, a letter of hospitality, or a deed indicating you own a property. Because a hotel or temporary apartment won’t satisfy the residency requirement, you’ll likely need to secure your housing while in Italy rather than trying to do it from abroad.
Learn the Italian language
While speaking Italian isn’t a requirement to have your Italian citizenship by descent recognized, it can be helpful. If submitting your application in a smaller town or going through the process on your own, chances are you’ll need Italian to get by (either with an interpreter or your language skills) as citizenship offices aren’t required to communicate in English. Of course, if hiring a professional, they’ll take care of interpreting for you, and that can also expedite your case.
While the process of acquiring Italian citizenship by descent will take time, by following the path in Italy, you could have your Italian passport sooner.
If you are interested in determining your eligibility to apply for Italian citizenship by descent, the team at ICA will offer a completely free preliminary assessment of your case, with no obligation attached. For more information about ICA, visit the organization’s website or contact info@italiancitizenshipassistance.com.
