If you want to relocate to Italy as a citizen, you have different citizenship routes to explore. People with Italian roots are the luckiest because they can pick the citizenship by descent option. It is the easiest among all options and you have good chances of getting through. But you require a good understanding of the process and proper documentation to seal the deal. However, most applicants end up delaying or complicating the process just because of a lack of awareness. You can visit mbersanilaw.com to understand the nitty-gritty of Italian citizenship by descent. Even better, have an expert to guide you and help you to complete the process. We have a three-step guide to decode the process.

Start with an eligibility check

Before starting with the process, you need to determine your eligibility. It requires more than having an Italian parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent in your lineage. You need to validate that your ancestor was an Italian citizen after the formation and unification of the country in 1861. Further, they shouldn't have been naturalized as a foreign citizen before the birth of the child next in the lineage. Anyone born to a female ascendant who had a child before 1948 does not qualify through Jure Sanguinis. In that case, you will have to apply under the 1948 Rule.

Decide between court and consulate

The conventional Jure Sanguinis is an administrative process, which requires you to apply and submit your documents at an Italian consulate. The waiting time depends on the number of applications in process. You get an interview date at the end of the waiting period and access to citizenship if your papers are in place. Conversely, the 1948 Rule is a judicial process where you have to apply through court. You have to hire a lawyer to represent you and get a hearing date when a judge examines your case and documents. Both ways, you get citizenship through descent, but the process depends on the gender of your ancestor.

Gather the relevant documents

Whether you apply through the consulate or court, you will need relevant documents to validate your claim. Essentially, you will require proof to show your Italian bloodline, and it should come from the comune of your ancestor. The documents must validate important dates of births, deaths, marriages, and naturalization in the lineage. If any documents are issued outside Italy, you will have to get them certified translated in Italian, and legalized with an Apostille stamp. You are all set to go ahead with the process when you have valid documents.

Italian citizenship by descent is not as simple as it sounds. The first step is complex because everything boils down to your eligibility. The gender of your Italian ancestor is the key because it determines the roadmap ahead. It makes sense to have an Italian citizenship expert by your side to help you decide the right direction. They guide you and make sure you pick the right option so that you can close the process at the earliest and without complications.