Reacquisition of Italian citizenship for those individuals who were born in Italy (or in a foreign country but were de facto Italian citizens) and who naturalized in a foreign country before August 16^th 1992. If you fall in this category you can indeed reacquire Italian citizenship.

The reacquisition of Italian citizenship is, in essence, the ability for individuals who were born in Italy and automatically lost their Italian citizenship when they naturalized before August 16^th 1992 to regain their Italian citizenship by establishing their residency in Italy.

But how do you go about requesting Italian citizenship?

As a general rule, if you renounced your Italian citizenship because you naturalized prior to August 16th 1992, you can visit the consulate in the jurisdiction where you reside, submit a number of documents and sign a declaration stating that you intend to reacquire Italian citizenship by establishing residency in Italy within one year from the date of declaration. It is important to note that while the documents need to be processed by an Italian Consulate, the declaration can also be rendered at the Italian municipality (comune) where you intend to establish your residency. Please note that this can be done at any municipality in Italy.

The documents required might vary according to the specific consulate you apply to, but as a general rule the following are required:

• Your birth certificate;
• A copy of your Italian passport (if available);
• Your certificate of naturalization (to prove that you renounced Italian citizenship prior to August 16^th 1992);
• Your marriage certificate and divorce decree if these events occurred prior to your naturalization;
• Your U.S. passport or valid ID;
• A utility bill or driver’s license (as proof that you fall under the consulate’s jurisdiction);
• Proof of payment of €250.00.

The certified copies of foreign documents need to be translated and apostilled.

SPECIAL NOTE: there is no language requirement in order to reacquire Italian citizenship by Jure Sanguis.

When you arrive in Italy you will need to have a place where you can establish legal residency. You will need to provide the municipality with proof that you can legally use the property where you intend to establish your residency (e.g. lease agreement or property deed) and the local police will verify that you are living in that property within 45 days from your residency application. Once your residency status has been verified you will need to provide the municipality with all of your documents, including the declaration that stated that you intended to reacquire Italian citizenship. The municipality will then process your application, which normally takes a few months but may vary depending on the municipality to which you apply. Once you are granted Italian citizenship you can apply for a passport. If the process takes longer than 90 days you will be granted a residency permit which is valid for the entire duration of the citizenship reacquisition process (called “permesso di soggiorno in attesa di cittadinananza”).

It is important to note that the Italian law also includes a different way of re-gaining Italian citizenship for those who lost it because they naturalized in a foreign country before 1992. Individuals who renounced their Italian citizenship can get it back automatically after a full year of uninterrupted residency in Italy.