Before requesting certificates from your state or province, download and print the document checklist. (You must have Adobe Reader to open the checklist.) Go to the Qualifying page and select the category under which you qualify for Italian citizenship. Check off all the documents you will need, making special note of those requiring an apostille and translation into Italian. Since you've already requested the certificates you need from Italy, you must now begin gathering those from the vital statistics office of the state or province in which the birth, marriage or death took place. Do this immediately! You may end up having to wait several months. All certificates must be in certified copy - sometimes referred to as long form or full form - and not certification or abstract. Personal photocopies of original documents will not be accepted--neither will birth certificates reporting only the county of birth. You must request the vital statistics authority to state the city of birth.
If you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States, go to Links: Vital Records and Apostille Offices to be connected with the vital statistics office in your state or province. Many of these offices allow you to order certificates online.
Once you've requested all your certificates, there's a few things you can do while you wait. First, read through the FAQ page, which answers many common questions about the citizenship process. Second, contact the nearest Italian consulate or embassy.
If you live in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States, visit Links: Italian Embassies and Consulates for the websites of all Italian embassies and consulates in your country. If you live in any other country, visit the website of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs for a list of all Italian embassies and consulates in the world. A word of caution: Italian consulates can sometimes be difficult to connect with by phone or email. If you live within a reasonable distance, ICGS recommends going in person!
When one or more of your documents has arrived, proceed to the next step! |