The three main avenues to apply for Italian citizenship are by descent, marriage, and naturalization. You might wonder if you can apply online, but the answer primarily depends on which of the above routes you take. In short, applications for marriage and naturalization can be mostly done online, while descent applications need to be handled in person.

However, this does not mean that much of the process for descent applications can’t be done online, nor that there is no in-person component for naturalization and marriage applications. In this article, we will clarify just how much of the process can be completed online for each path.

Gathering the documents and forms for Italian citizenship by descent

In order to apply for Italian citizenship by descent, you will need a number of vital records (birth, marriage, divorce, and death) to prove an unbroken line of citizenship passed down from your original Italian ancestor. For U.S. applicants, these documents can be obtained by mailing in a written request with the pertinent information to track down the record(s) as well as the fee in the form of a check or money order. You can also visit the office in person. While vital records then cannot be requested online, in many cases you can request naturalization records online by sending an email to the local National Archives and Records Administration office for the jurisdiction where your ancestor resided when he/she got naturalization. Every citizenship by descent application is unique, however, which makes it difficult to give general advice on collecting documents. This is why companies such as Italian Citizenship Assistance are helpful, as they can take care of the process for you, eliminating the need to mail in forms and visit offices in person.

If you are applying for citizenship by descent through an Italian consulate, there are also a few forms you will need to fill out to include with your other documents. These forms can all be downloaded from your local consulate’s website.

Making an appointment for Italian citizenship by descent

The actual appointment to apply for Italian citizenship by descent must be done in person, whether you are applying via your local consulate or at an Italian municipality. The one exception is if you are applying through the Italian Courts, as in the case of having a female ancestor who gave birth before January 1, 1948, or appealing the courts due to a longer-than-average wait time for a response to an application. In these cases, you can grant power of attorney to someone to represent you in court.

Scheduling an appointment at the consulate is done online. You can set up an account through Prenot@mi, and from there select an open date for your local consulate (or join a waiting list) and confirm the appointment with a one-time code. You will then attend your appointment in person for an interview and to have your documents checked and signature certified on the forms. There are some consulates that might accept mail-in applications, so always check the requirements of your local office.

If you are applying via an Italian municipality, you will first need to establish residency in Italy. Afterward, you will similarly need to present your application in person, either by a walk-in appointment at your municipality or scheduling one online. You will need to check with your municipality to confirm their procedure.

What is the SPID and how to get one

Obtaining a SPID, or Public Digital Identity System, is crucial for living in Italy and also indispensable when applying for citizenship by marriage and residency, both of which can be done majority online. It is necessary to access bureaucratic services across not only Italy, but even the EU. A number of service providers allow you to register with them. You’ll need an active email address, a password, and an Italian phone number, the latter of which might be used for two-factor authentication. You’ll also need an Italian identification document which, for non-Italian citizens, can only be an Italian driver’s license or a carta d’identità, an Italian ID you can obtain only after declaring residency in Italy.

Most importantly, your SPID credentials can be used to access the Ministero dell’Interno’s online portal to apply for citizenship by marriage and residency (more on those below).

If you’re applying for citizenship by marriage and don’t live in Italy, however, you can instead register with the Ministero dell’Interno instead of obtaining a SPID.

Applying for citizenship by marriage and residency online

Unlike citizenship by descent, applications by marriage and residency can both be completed online by submitting your information to the online portal linked above. Most of the documents, though, will need to be collected in person.

For citizenship by marriage, these documents include your marriage certificate, the birth certificate of the non-Italian spouse, criminal records from everywhere you’ve lived since the age of 14 (including State and Federal), residency history (if applying in Italy) or proof of residency (if applying outside of Italy), and a certified B1 level of Italian. Always check the requirements for your local consulate or Italian municipality. After submitting your documents, you will be asked to go to the consulate for an interview and to bring your original documents. If submitting via a municipality, you might be requested to come in person as well to your local prefettura, though many have recently eliminated such a requirement.

For citizenship by residency, you will need your birth certificate and criminal records. Again, check your local requirements. Similar to citizenship by marriage, after submitting your application online, you might be asked to present your original documents in person.

Conclusion

There is no simple answer when it comes to discussing applying for citizenship online. In all cases, there are online components, but even with citizenship by marriage and residency, in which the application itself can be submitted online, you might still have to present your documents in person. Certainly, with online portals and tools like SPID, retrieving and submitting documents are much easier now than they used to be. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact Italian Citizenship Assistance at [email protected].