​After Brexit,  becoming confident in the use of English will be essential.

​What happened in the UK after Brexit?
The United Kingdom officially left the European Union in January 2020, but a post-Brexit transition period has kept most existing arrangements in place. Once this expires on December 31, EU rules will cease to apply to the UK.
We’ll see the impact on people, focusing on residency, travel and exchanges between the UK and the continent.

What will living in Italy mean for many British starting from 2021?
On the  website www.Gov.Uk you can read the full guide about the changes.

What will happen for British drivers in Italy with Brexit?  Surely Brexit will not stop British people from driving in Italy, but it will throw some extra obstacles in their path.

Many questions and doubts... Should you swap your British license? And do you need to re-register your car?
Citizens’rights group British in Italy explains what drivers need to consider before the UK leaves the EU.

The British embassy and the UK government websites advise everyone to swap their UK Driving licences for an Italian one. While the UK is a member of the EU, that is generally a fairly straightforward process.

So yes, if you can, you should do it, before B-Day (now set for the 31st January 2021).

What should you do? 
You can exchange your existing British license for an Italian if there are the below conditions:
 
·        The licence is still valid;
·        You are legally resident.
 
But there is a snag!
 
Now that the Withdrawal Agreement has been passed in parliament, any British resident in Italy (and the  EU) will have by the end of the transition period, until December 31 2020, to exchange their British licence for an Italian or other EU country license.

 Many British would-be residents will not have managed to get through the various bureaucratic hurdles before Brexit day or its extension – for a variety of reasons, such as not being able to obtain the appointment with the local comune in time.
But The Italian government has assured British in Italy that so long as they can prove that they were resident on or before Brexit day or its extension, their applications for residence should be approved and back-dated.

There is, however, no similar leeway for applications to switch driving licences. So when you go to request the change, you will have to show proof of residence – usually a carta d’identità. And if that is after Brexit Day, it seems likely that it will be too late!
 
So what could happen?
 
For those who drive a UK registered car here, there is another snag. You now need to apply to re-register it in Italy within 60 days of your arrival! So which ‘arrival’ do you claim for that one? And while it is being re-registered, you might try to find a friend with a spare car, because yours will be off the road for however long it takes.

If you can persuade your friend to lend you theirs for a while, it’s probably cheaper than re-registering a UK car. Wait  for the next rottamazione or scrappage scheme (a more or less five-yearly event when the Italian car industry needs a little help), see if you can hand over the redundant UK-registered vehicle and get a massive discount on the brand-new Italian one.
 
Need any sworn translations to re-register your car? I'm here to help!

CITIZENSHIP
The Italian citizenship bestows the status of Italian citizen, so that people may be entitled with the rights and the duties of the Italian Government.
Currently, Italian citizenship is governed by law n. 91 of 5th February 1992 that, unlike the previous law, gives importance to individual’s voluntary will in acquiring or losing citizenships and allows multiple citizenships concurrently, as long as there is no impediment by international agreements.
This law on citizenship is addressed to:
- Italians who lost their citizenship and want to reacquire it;
- descendants of Italian citizens who want their citizenship to be recognized;
- foreigners who want to acquire Italian citizenship.
For further information refer to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

​WAYS TO OTBAIN THE ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP
1. AUTOMATIC ACQUISITION
      
BY BIRTH/DESCENT (‘iure sanguinis’)
The child of Italian citizens (father or mother) is Italian. The citizenship is transmitted from the parent to the child with no limit to then number of generations one goes back to, unless one of the ancestors has never renounced his/her citizenship.
Italian citizenship can be bestowed through maternal line only to children born after 1st January 1948.
Moreover, the minor child who lives together with his/her parent, is bestowed the Italian citizenship when the parent acquires or reacquires Italian citizenship.
Today, the law in force allows multiple citizenships, unlike the previous law.
Recognition of citizenship. If the descent from an Italian parent or ancestor is not registered in the Italian Civil Registry, it is necessary to ascertain it, and to confirm that all the ancestors maintained and transmitted their Italian citizenship. The competent authority who may ascertain the citizenship is within the jurisdiction of residence: residents in the Republic of Ireland may contact this Embassy; while those who reside in Italy may contact the Registrar of the municipality of residence.

BY BIRTH IN THE ITALIAN NATIONAL TERRITORY (‘iure soli’)
People who may acquire Italian citizenship are:
- people whose parents are unknown, stateless or that do not transmit their citizenship to their child in accordance with their national legislation;
- children of unknown parents who are found abandoned in the Italian territory and it is impossible to determine his/her citizenship.

FOLLOWING THE PATERNITY/MATERNITY RECOGNITION OR LEGAL RECOGNITION
The child who is recognized or legally recognized when he/she is still a minor is an Italian citizen. If the child being recognized is over 18 years of age, he/she must opt to be a citizen no later than one year after the date of such deed. Furthermore, it is necessary to send the required documents  together with the statement of recognition. 

BY ADOPTION
The foreign minor adopted by Italian citizens through an order of the Italian Authority, may acquire Italian citizenship, that is to say in case of adoption pronounced abroad and endorsed in Italy by means of an order (issued by the Juvenile Court) requesting that it be registered in the Civil Registry. If the adoptee is over 18 years of age, he/she may acquire Italian citizenship by naturalization, provided he/she has lawfully resided for 5 years in Italy after the date of adoption (see paragraph 3. NATURALIZATION).
2. ACQUISITION UPON REQUEST
FOREIGN DESCENDANTS OF ITALIAN NATIONALS UP TO THE SECOND DEGREE OR WHO WERE BORN IN ITALY
The foreign or stateless descendant of Italian citizens by birth (up to the second degree) may acquire the citizenship after he/she has submitted a declaration of intent.
These are the following requirements which may be requested:
- military duty service in the Italian Armed Forces;
- having been employed in the public sector by the Italian Government, also abroad;
- lawful and uninterrupted residence in Italy for 2 years before becoming 18 years of age.
The required documents must be included in the declaration.
The foreigner who was born in the Italian territory (he/she may also not descend from Italian citizens) may acquire Italian citizenship upon request, if he/she has lawfully and uninterruptedly resided in Italy since birth until he/she becomes of age (18).

BY MARRIAGE TO AN ITALIAN CITIZEN
Applications for Italian citizenship by virtue of marriage (art.5 law  5.2.1992, n.91, can ONLY BE SUBMITTED ONLINE by applicants legally registered as resident in IRELAND, whose Italian spouse is registered with AIRE in this Consular area through a dedicated web portal managed by Ministero dell’Interno

https://cittadinanza.dlci.interno.it

It is necessary to register on the website, fill an application form and upload the relevant documentation, as per the list available in this Consulate website.
HOW TO PAY THE CITIZENSHIP FEE:
Ecco i dati per il pagamento tramite IBAN del contributo di 250 € per la richiesta di Cittadinanza all'estero:
- Beneficiario: "Ministero dell'Interno D.L.C.I. " Cittadinanza - Via Cavour 6 - 00184 Roma- ITALY - Nome della banca: Poste Italiane, - Indirizzo della banca: 175 Viale Europa - Roma, - CAUSALE: contributo cittadinanza (specificare tra (a) matrimonio (b) riacquisizione (c) rinuncia) + cognome e nome del richiedente, - IBAN: IT54D0760103200000000809020,- BIC/SWIFT Code: BPPIITRRXXX.


Please note: the website is in Italian. This Consulate cannot provide assistance or translations.

The applicant’s details FAMILY NAME – NAME  - DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH need to be consistent with the details on the birth certificate. In case of a mistake you need to cancel the registration, after logging in by using the function “Cancella la registrazione dal portale” and register again.

To apply please use “funzione 1 – Gestione domanda” and select the modello AE.

The application must be completed in all its parts. The different pages of the documents must be clearly visible in a multiple pages single pdf file
The foreign spouse of an Italian citizen may acquire Italian citizenship upon request by matching the following requirements:
a) In Italy: 2 years of lawful residence (residence permit and registration in the ‘Anagrafe’, Registry of Italian citizens) after the wedding; abroad: 3 years of residence after the wedding. These requirements may be reduced to half of the time requested, if the couple has natural or adopted children;
b) the matrimonial tie must be maintained and must be valid until the decree is endorsed;
c) absence of criminal records that imply a punishment not inferior to 3 years of prison or of criminal records pronounced by the foreign Authority with a punishment not inferior to one year for non-political crimes;
d) absence of criminal records for the crimes enlisted in the second book, title I, chapters I, II and III of the Italian penal code section titled: ‘Delitti contro la personalità dello Stato’, (Crimes against the Government);
e) absence of threats to the safety of the Republic.

The final decision is implemented with a decree of the Italian Ministry of the Interior.
Attention! With effect from 4th December 2018, law no. 132, in order to be recognised as an Italian citizen, according to articles 5 (Italian citizenship by virtue of being married to an italian citizen) and 9 (in case of employment by the Italian Government, in Italy or abroad, for at least 5 years) of law no. 91/92, the applicant must possess an adequate knowledge of the Italian language (B1 level and above of CEFR - Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
The knowledge of the Italian language has to be certified:
either with a certificate or diploma issued by an Italian state school or recognized private school (scuola pubblica o paritaria);
or with a certificate of Italian as a foreign language issued by an approved institute.
Currently these istitutions, belonging to the CLIQ system (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità), are:
· Siena University for foreigners;
· Perugia University for foreigners;
· University of Roma Tre;
· Dante Alighieri Society.
The level of the knowledge of the italian language has to be not less than B1.
Please click on the following link Italian Language Courses Abroad for the list of institutes that can issue the requested certificate.
The length of the application process, according to articles 5 and 9 of law 91/92, has been increased to 48 months from the date of application.

​3. NATURALIZATION
The main requirement is the lawful residence in Italy for:
- 3 years for descendants by birth of former Italian citizens up to the second degree and for the foreigners born in the Italian territory;
- 4 years for the citizens of a member State of the EU;
- 5 years for foreigners over 18 years of age adopted by Italian citizens, for stateless and refugees;
- 7 years for people who were in foster care with an Italian citizen before law 184/1983 was endorsed;
- 10 years for non EU citizens. Foreigners who have been employed by the Italian Government for 5 years, also abroad, do not have to reside in Italy to acquire Italian citizenship.
The request must be addressed to the President of the Republic and lodged at the Prefettura of the Province of residence.

- DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Starting from 16th August 1992, Italian nationals may acquire another citizenship without losing the Italian citizenship, unless they formally renounce it, as long as there is no impediment by international agreements.
Given that Italy did not sign the Convention of Strasbourg of 1963, Italian citizens who are naturalized in the States who signed the Convention will not lose the Italian citizenship, from 4th June 2010 on.

​- LOSS OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP
The Italian citizen can lose his/her citizenship automatically, that is to say, through formal renunciation.
Those who automatically lose Italian citizenship are:
• Italian citizens who willingly enrol in the army of a foreign State or accept to work for a foreign Government even though it is forbidden by the Italian Government;
• Italian citizens who, during a conflict with a foreign State, have performed military duty service or have been employed by the government of the foe and therefore, have acquired the citizenship of the adversary;
• adopted children responsible for the cancellation of their adoption, unless they hold or acquire another citizenship.
Those who lose their citizenship by formal renunciation are:
• adopted children over 18 years of age whose parent’s are responsible for the cancellation of their adoption, provided that they hold or reacquire another citizenship;
• Italian citizens who hold, acquire or reacquire another citizenship, if they reside or move abroad;
• a person over 18 years of age who acquired Italian citizenship when they were still minor, after one of their parents had acquired or reacquired Italian citizenship, if the minor had already another citizenship.
The statement declaring the renunciation is submitted to the Registrar of the municipality where the applicant resides. If applicants reside in the Republic of Ireland, the statement must be lodged at this Embassy. The statement must be submitted together with the required documents .
If one or both parents lose Italian citizenship or reacquire a foreign citizenship, minor children DO NOT lose Italian citizenship.
Women who married foreign citizens after 1st January 1948, who automatically acquired the foreign citizenship, HAVE NOT lost their Italian citizenship. In order to maintain the marginal notes at the borders of the Civil Status acts, it is necessary that the applicant women (or they descendants) notify the competent authorities (municipalities or Consular Offices) that they wish to maintain Italian citizenship.
Starting from 1st January 1948, women do not lose their Italian citizenship, not even if their Italian husband acquires a foreign citizenship by naturalization.

• REACQUISITION OF ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP
An Italian citizen who has lost his citizenship may reacquire it:
Automatically, 1 year after he/she moved to Italy, unless he/she renounces the citizenship within one year.
Upon request:
• if he/she is performs military duty service in the Italian Armed Forces;
• if he/she is or has been working as a public employee for the Italian Government, also abroad;
• if he/she moves his/her residence from abroad to Italy one year after the lodging of the declaration to reacquire Italian citizenship at the Italian Consular Authority;
• if he/she has been residing in Italy for 2 years and has left/quit public employment or the military duty service performed even if forbidden by the Italian Government.
Women who married foreigners before 1st January 1948 that automatically acquired the citizenship of their husband by marriage, may reacquire Italian citizenship, even if they reside abroad, by submitting a statement.
The statement of reacquisition of Italian citizenship is submitted to the Registrar of the municipality where the applicant resides. If he/she resides in the Republic of Ireland, the statement must be lodged at this Embassy, together with the required documents
​
• FEES
Starting from 5th October 2018, a fee of 250 Euros has been introduced for the elections statements of vote, and for acceptance, reacquisition and renunciation of Italian citizenship.

Are you thinking about applying for Italian citizenship within South Africa? It can be an amazing way to connect with your heritage, that of your family, or to broaden your horizons and unlock valuable opportunities for you and your future generations. However, you will need the right paperwork to accompany your citizenship application, and those will vary depending on the type of application that you're submitting. There are three possible options when looking to become an Italian citizen – descent (jure sanguinis), marriage, and naturalization. Each of these paths has its own set of requirements and conditions that you must meet in order to qualify.
Not sure what that means? In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to know about applying for Italian Citizenship in South Africa.
First Things FirstThe process of obtaining Italian dual citizenship by descent in South Africa is a very detailed, and will likely have hurdles that you may need to overcome. The first step is an in depth review of your ancestry to identify if you qualify and what path is the most efficient and successful. If you qualify under a normal circumstance case, you will be required to apply at the Italian consulate that has jurisdiction over your legal residence. If you do not qualify under a normal circumstance, you may qualify under what is called a special circumstance. The most common special circumstance being a 1948 case. This is due to the fact that before January 1, 1948 women were not allowed to pass down their Italian citizenship. With that said, it is still possible to get Italian citizenship, through a 1948 Case as this law has since been successfully challenged. 1948 cases are now very common and we do them regularly.
If you're uncertain that you qualify for Italian citizenship through ancestry, and you live in South Africa, call us at 213-277-8705. We'd love to set up a free consultation with you and begin the background research necessary to determine whether you qualify for dual citizenship. Our consultation and background research are free, and you're under no obligation to move forward should you choose not to.
For most people with unbroken ancestral ties to Italy (direct ties), it’s most likely that you’ll experience few problems applying for Italian citizenship by descent within South Africa. It’s our job to walk you through the entire process, ensuring that you have all the documentation necessary to move forward quickly and easily.
Of course, there are still things that you’ll need to know about applying for Italian citizenship in South Africa. We’ll take a close look at those below.
Italian Dual Citizenship from South AfricaApplying for Italian dual citizenship in South Africa is most often done through what's called jure sanguinis, which is an Italian law that allows those of Italian ancestry to claim dual citizenship. The phrase means 'by descent' and implies that you have a direct ancestor, such as a parent, grandparent, or great grandparent, who was Italian. Usually, this is the simplest way to claim Italian dual citizenship. You'll find quite a few benefits to having an Italian passport, such as the following:

• You can live in any EU nation
• You can work in an EU nation
• You can freely travel throughout the EU
• You can use the health system in Italy
• You can use Italy’s education system

How Do You Prove That You Qualify for Italian Dual Citizenship?The biggest challenge is proving that you qualify for Italian dual citizenship to enjoy the benefits that we just explored. You need documentation, and the Italian consulate will most likely be of little help. They have no responsibility to you here, nor are they allowed to assist any individual seeking to establish a claim to ancestral ties. So, what does that mean? Simply put, you are responsible for gathering all the information necessary to back up your claim. Some of the documents you’ll be required to provide include:

• Death certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Birth certificates

You will need those three documents for every person in your lineage between you and your Italian ancestor. Also, you will also need other supporting documentation to give your claim legitimacy.
Those applying for Italian citizenship in South Africa through marriage have a more direct route. In some cases, you may not even need to involve your ancestor. However, you will still need several specific documents to prove that you have a right to Italian citizenship by marriage in South Africa. There is also a three-year window that you'll have to pass from the date of marriage to the point of claiming Italian dual citizenship by marriage in South Africa. If you have children under the age of 18 with your Italian spouse, you only need to wait a year and a half to apply for citizenship, however.
While the application process for dual citizenship through marriage is simpler than proving ancestral ties, there’s still a lot of documentation needed. As a spouse of an Italian citizen, you will also be required to obtain a B1 Certification and pass an Italian language exam. Our goal is to simplify the exhausting process of applying for Italian citizenship in South Africa, and our experience and knowledge allow us to fast-track your application.

Steps to Follow

You’ll need to follow the steps below to claim your Italian Dual Citizenship from South Africa

1. Unless you’re applying for citizenship by marriage, you’ll need to identify your Italian ancestor (born in Italy).
2. Gather the documentation necessary to support your claim that they were born in Italy, and that you are their descendent.
3. Apostille and then have your documents translated into Italian.
4. Make an appointment with the Italian consulate to review your case.
5. Attend the interview, present your documentation, and plead your case to the consulate staff.

Both the South African government and the Italian consulate will be involved in the process. Your documents must be translated accurately, and the Italian consulate must approve the translator.
The Application Process for Dual Italian Citizenship in South AfricaBe aware that it can take up to 24 months to get an appointment at the Italian consulate. You must apply as soon as you can to avoid lengthy wait times. You'll also need to make sure you have all the documentation to support your claim, and that you're prepared for the interview. Once you apply, it usually takes about a month to be approved, and then you will be issued an Italian passport.

talian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis)
 

GENERAL INFORMATION
An individual born to Italian parents is Italian, regardless of place of birth. An individual born in Italy to non-Italian parents, however, is not Italian.
Women have been allowed to transfer citizenship to their offspring only beginning January 1, 1948. Consequently, prior to this date. an individual could be Italian only if born an Italian father. From January 1, 1948, either parent can transmit Italian citizenship.
The minor child of an Italian citizen is automatically Italian, as soon as his birth is registered in Italy. No procedure for recognition of citizenship needs apply in these cases. Please consult the page on Vital Records > Registration of Birth.
There are no generational limits to the transfer of citizenship by virtue of blood relation, however, generational skipping is not possible (i.e. the grandfather must transfer citizenship to the father, so that the father can transfer it to his son). More specifically, someone who is born in Canada is Italian if the parents were Italian at the time of his birth and he/she has not acquired any other citizenship before August 16, 1992 (see Loss of Citizenship), or has not formally renounced Italian citizenship.
Please be informed that applications for recognition of Italian citizenship by birth are accepted by mail. Applications submitted in person will not be accepted.
The application to be recognized as an Italian citizen can be accepted if:
- the applicant's Italian ancestor, born in Italy, did not naturalize Canadian (British subject prior to January 1st, 1947)
- the applicant's Italian ancestor, born in Italy, did not acquire Canadian or other citizenship (thus losing the Italian one) before the applicant’s birth, or the birth abroad of the first generation of Italian offspring.
Please note that Canadian citizenship exists as such since January 1st 1947, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada may not have earlier emigration records. Enquiries regarding such particular cases should be directed to Library and Archives Canada. If your Italian ancestor went to a country other than Canada, it is necessary to present the naturalization record also from that country. For more information see the website of the competent Italian Consulate/Embassy. A list of all Italian Consulate/Embassies abroad is available here.
Although Italian citizenship is transferred automatically, it must be formally recognized through registration in Italy. A parent who acquires Italian citizenship automatically transfers it to their child if the latter is under 18 and living in the same residence.
Fees
Please be informed that Law n. 89 dated June 23, 2014 has introduced, beginning July 8, 2014, a fee of Euro 300 for each application for recognition of Italian citizenship presented by applicants 18 years and older. The payment is required in Canadian dollars at the time of application, in cash or money order/bank draft, and is irrespective of the outcome of the application. For current fees in Canadian dollars, please visit the "Forms" page of this website.

Forms
Application for recognition of Italian citizenship

Consolato Generale d’Italia – Sydney ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP General Information Agg: 15/03/16 Italian citizenship can be acquired: 1. by birth (from a parent who is/was an Italian citizen at the time of birth) – see point 1 2. through marriage to an Italian citizen – see point 2 3. by re-acquisition (for former Italian citizens only) – see point 3 1. DETERMINING CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT Italian citizenship can be acquired by descent at the time of one’s birth, as long as one parent was an Italian citizen at the time. Due to previous laws in force before the formation of the Italian Republic women can only transmit citizenship to children born after 1 January 1948. Prior to this date, only fathers could transmit the Italian citizenship. Any claim for Italian citizenship must be supported by documentary evidence. Once the relevant documents have been produced to this Consulate General, they will be forwarded to the competent Italian Municipality for registration. Therefore a waiting period between 2 and 8 weeks should be expected. Once the procedure has been concluded, applicants will be notified via email from one of our staff members. As of 8 July 2014, according to the Italian law (art. 5-bis of the D.L. 24.04.2014, n. 66, and the act n. 89 of 25.06.2014) every application for the recognition of Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) is subject to a non-refundable administrative fee (irrespective of the outcome) of 300 EUR, payable only in cash in Australian dollars. This fee only applies to adults applicants (18+) and must be paid on the day of lodging. 2. ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP THROUGH MARRIAGE Case 1: Foreign women who married an Italian citizen prior to 27 April 1983, automatically acquired Italian citizenship on the date of marriage. An original copy of the woman’s birth certificate is required (please note an original copy of the marriage certificate may be required). Please refer to the “How To – Certificate Registration” leaflet for further information. Case 2: Spouses of Italian citizens residing abroad can apply for Italian citizenship after 3 years of marriage (or 1.5 years if they have children (Further details may be found in the “How To – Naturalization Through Marriage” leaflet). 3. REACQUIRING CITIZENSHIP Re-acquisition is automatic after one year of legal residence in Italy, or it can happen in a shorter time frame if one decides to reside in Italy for this purpose for a few weeks. Once in Italy, one must register as a resident in an Italian Municipality of choice and submit the citizenship request to the Mayor of that Municipality (Comune). Further details may be found in the “How To – Reacquisition of Italian Citizenship” leaflet Important Note Under Italian law, children who were naturalized Australian citizens along with their parents prior to 16 August 1992, would lose Italian citizenship at the time. Please note that before 8 March 1975 adulthood in Italy was reached at the age of 21; after this date, it changed to 18. After 16 August 1992, Italian citizens who acquire another citizenship, do not lose their Italian citizenship. Consolato Generale d’Italia – Sydney ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT Step by Step Guide Agg: 15/03/16 PRE-REQUISITES The General Consulate of Italy in Sydney is competent for processing citizenship applications for NSW residents ONLY (Please note: The cities of Queanbeyan and Cooma are under the jurisdiction of the Embassy of Italy in Canberra). A proof of residence is required upon submitting the application. STEP 1: ONLINE BOOKING Visit our website http://www.conssydney.esteri.it and follow the instructions to book an appointment for citizenship. One appointment only must be booked all members of the same family, living at the same address. However, one “main applicant” must be chosen for the time of booking. STEP 2: WHAT TO BRING AT THE CONSULATE  Documentary evidence of citizenship of the main applicant’s parent/ancestor (old Italian Passport, Italian certificates, and any other documentation providing proof of the parent/ancestor Italian Citizenship).  If the parent/ancestor is/was not Australian, original and copy of the Australian visa if issued after 16 August 1992 or Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (from the Australian Department of Immigration).  Simple copies of all birth/marriage/death/change of name/divorce certificates of all applicants, starting from the ancestor.  Simple copies of all applicants ID (driver license, passport).  Completed citizenship form (see next page)  Fees of 300 EUR, payable only Australian dollars for applicants (18+) and must be paid on the day of lodging - CASH ONLY Please Note: If you don’t have all the required documents on the day of your appointment, please do attend our offices anyway to allow us to assist you with the application process. For any question or other enquiry on Italian citizenship applications please write to info.sydney@esteri.it quoting CITIZENSHIP ENQUIRY in the subject of the email. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ AL CONSOLATO GENERALE D’ITALIA IN SYDNEY Informativa ai sensi dell’art. 13 del D.L. 196/03: i dati sotto riportati sono prescritti dalle disposizioni vigenti ai fini del procedimento per il quale sono richiesti e verranno utilizzati esclusivamente per tale scopo. Oggetto: Istanza di riconoscimento di cittadinanza italiana. Il/La sottoscritto/a, _____________________________ nato/a il _________________ a _______________________________________________ telefono ____________________________ e-mail _______________________________________________________________________________ CHIEDE il riconoscimento della cittadinanza italiana iure sanguinis con conseguente trascrizione nei registri di stato civile del Comune competente degli atti allegati relativi a me medesimo/a e, a tale fine, sotto la propria responsabilità e consapevole di quanto disposto dall’art. 76 del D.P.R. 28/12/2000, n.445 e dall’art. 495 del C.P. in caso di dichiarazioni mendaci, in quanto :  Figlio/a di _________________________________________ nato/a il___________________ a ________________________________ cittadino/a italiano/a al momento della mia nascita  nipote di ___________________________________________ nato/a il ___________________ a ______________________________ cittadino/a italiano/a al momento della nascita di mio padre/ mia madre  pronipote di _________________________________________ nato il ____________________ a ____________________________ cittadino italiano al momento della nascita di mio nonno (eventuali altri antenati da cui si eredita la cittadinanza sono riportati nel foglio seguente, da me redatto) DICHIARA che né i suoi ascendenti in linea retta, né il sottoscritto hanno mai rinunciato alla cittadinanza italiana ai sensi dell’art. 7 della legge 13 giugno 1912, n. 555 e dell’art. 11 della legge 5 febbraio 1992, n. 91 per il periodo di residenza all’estero successivo al 16 agosto 1992. A tale scopo allega la documentazione relativa a tale riconoscimento. In fede, Sydney, ______________________________________ (firma del richiedente) Consolato Generale d’Italia – Sydney CITIZENSHIP Check List Agg: 15/03/16 IMPORTANT  Please note this is considered a temporary list. We reserve the right to request any further documentation we shall deem necessary to complete the application.  Documents will not be returned, therefore we strongly recommend that you obtain new copies from the relevant offices if needed. Pre-Requisites Documentation providing proof of parent or ancestor’s Italian citizenship (1) (*). Documents Grand Father Grand Mother Father Mother You Minor children Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (2) (*) Certificate of Australian Naturalization (*) Birth Certificate (3) Marriage Certificate (3) Divorce Decree Certificate (3) Document of Identity + Photocopy Other Documents (1) Accepted documents: Italian ID, Italian Passport or Certificate of citizenship issued in Italy. (2) Issued by the Australian Department of Immigration. (3) Refer to our “Certificate Registration How-To” for legalization (Apostille) and translation. (*) Original and photocopy CONSULAR FILE NUMBER ____________ DATE____________________ APPLICANT NAME _________________________________________ CONSULAR OFFICER _________________________________________  Needed  Not Needed 

​ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP The following FAQs reflect the most common cases in Australia. Each individual case, even if based on general rules and principles could differ according to an individual's personal situation. There are sometimes, exceptions and particular rules that are not considered in this section. Please contact the nearest Italian consular office to obtain more detailed information about your individual case. Q: How do I know if I am eligible for Italian citizenship? A: Italian citizenship is based on the principle of "iures sanguinis" (blood right) by virtue of which a baby born from an Italian father or mother (depending on the year of birth of the child) is an Italian citizen. Q: My father was born in Italy and moved to Australia before I was born. He also became Australian citizen. Am I still eligible for Italian citizenship? A: Cases like yours are not always black and white, as there could be a possibility that you are eligible and another that you are not. If your parent became an Australian citizen as an adult or, as a child included in his parents' naturalization, then you would not be eligible because you were born from a parent who was no longer an Italian citizen at the time of your birth. However, if your father was still an Italian citizen at the time of his marriage to your mother but not at the time of your birth, then, depending on the date of your parents' marriage, you may still be eligible. Q: My grandparents moved to Australia many years ago. My father was born in Australia. Am I eligible for Italian citizenship? A: Citizenship may be passed on from generation to generation without limitation - but there can be no generation gap. To be eligible for Italian citizenship you must prove that your father born to an Italian citizen, i.e., that your grandfather had not acquired Australian citizenship before the birth of your father. If you are looking at your grandmother as the holder of citizenship at the time of your father's birth, you have to take into consideration that women can only bequeath Italian citizenship to children born from the 1st of January 1948 (the birth of the Italian Constitution). Prior to this date, Italian citizenship was passed on only by the father. Q: I was born in Italy and I moved to Australia with my parents when I was a child. My father became an Australian citizen while I was under age. Am I still an Italian citizen? A: If your father became an Australian citizen and did not include you in his naturalization certificate, and nor did your mother, then, unless you have become an Australian citizen in your own right, there is a good chance that you are still an Italian citizen. Q: I married an Italian gentleman. Am I eligible for Italian Citizenship? A: If your marriage was celebrated before the 27th April 1983, then you have acquired Italian citizenship automatically at the date of marriage. If you were married after the said date, then you are not eligible for citizenship automatically, but would have to request to become an Italian citizen by naturalization on the basis of marriage. Request for citizenship may be lodged only after 3 years of marriage if you reside overseas or 6 months of marriage if you reside in Italy. Q: I have lost my Italian citizenship because I obtained Australian citizenship before the 16th of August 1992. How can I regain Italian citizenship? A: If you became an Australian citizen before 16/08/1992, even if you were included in your parents’ naturalization certificate, you automatically lost your Italian citizenship. Current Italian citizenship laws (entered into force on the 16th of August 1992) allow dual citizenship. You can reacquire Italian citizenship by residing in Italy for one year You must obtain an Italian visa for elective residence before departing for Italy. By signing a declaration in which you state your intention to reside in Italy for this purpose, and then registering as a resident, within 1 year of the date of the declaration, at the Italian municipality of your choice. This declaration may be signed at the competent Consulate before departing for Italy or directly at the chosen Municipality (Comune) in Italy. Documentation required for the declaration: - Australian passport; - Australian citizenship certificate; - Birth certificate. If the applicant has children (under 18 years of age) that will reside with him/her during the whole stay in Italy, they will also acquire Italian citizenship. Q: I am a dual citizen, Italian and Australian. Does the possession of the Italian ciizenship affect my situation as an Australian citizen? A: The possession of Italian citizenship by descendant does not affect your position as an Australian citizen. Since the Australian Citizenship Act was changed in April 2002, Australian citizens are allowed to hold dual citizenship even by naturalization. 

I know, I know. It's a long, time-consuming, nerve-wrecking process.
But getting your Italian citizenship is so worth it.
Let's see the main benefits of becoming an Italian citizen together:

1) full right to healthcare
2) possibility to work and live freely in any other EU member State (as from 2021, British people will no longer be considered European citizens)
3) you keep your passport and nationality

Sounds good! Can I apply then?
If you want to know if you're eligible, check out this posts.

Basically, you need to prove that you have an Italian ancestor and that no one, in the lin up to you, renounced their Italian citizenship (more info here, here and here).

Another option is applying for Italian citizenship through marriage: you must have been living in Italy for 2 years. If ou have children, it's 1 year. See here for a longer blog post on precisely this topic.

The last option is naturalization.
This is for people who have lived in Italy continuously for at least 3 to 10 years, depending on several factors. If you're a EU national, for example, it's 4 years. If you're not, it's 10.

Of course, in all these cases you'll need your documents to be translated and certified in court. If you need help with this, just reach out!