Are you an Italian citizen residing abroad? Then, in addition to enjoying the benefits that come with Italian citizenship, you may wonder if there are any responsibilities for an Italian citizen living outside of Italy.

One of the main requirements is to update the Italian government of any relevant vital events in your life, like births, marriages, divorces, or deaths. This article will outline the process to register your vital records in Italy and any other steps required of you after having obtained Italian citizenship.

Registering in A.I.R.E

Whether you are an Italian citizen by birth or you have just acquired Italian citizenship by descent or by marriage, it is required that all Italian citizens residing abroad are registered with A.I.R.E. (Registry of Italian Citizens Residing Abroad). A.I.R.E. is a database that holds the personal information of Italian citizens living abroad, ensuring they have access to services they are entitled to as Italian citizens. It is a requirement for any Italian citizen who is planning to live outside of Italy for more than 12 months or for those who acquired Italian citizenship by descent at a foreign consulate and whose place of residence is not Italy. Through registering with A.I.R.E., your vital records will be registered in the Italian municipality where you last resided or where your Italian ancestor, through whom you claimed citizenship, was born.

Citizenship via an Italian Consulate

If you acquired Italian citizenship by applying at your local Italian consulate, at the time your application was filed, the consulate sends your vital records to the municipality in Italy that holds your Italian ancestor’s birth certificate. If you applied with minor children under the age of 18 and submitted their certified birth certificates with your application, the municipality will also register their records, recognizing them as Italian citizens. In addition, the consulate will automatically file your personal details with A.I.R.E, allowing you to apply for an Italian passport at the consulate. Therefore, in this case, no further action will be required from you in regards to registration of vital records, until you need to update the Italian government of vital events in the future.

Citizenship via a local court in Italy

If you were granted citizenship via a 1948 court case through an Italian court, the attorney representing you will register your vital records. First, they will be required to wait 60 days from the judge’s decision, at which time they can request a copy of the final judgement with an official seal, indicating the ruling is no longer subject to appeal. This document will be sent to the municipality where your ancestor was born along with your vital records. If you reside abroad, this municipality will register the final judgement along with your vital records, while also registering you with A.I.R.E. At this time, you will be able to apply for an Italian passport at your local Italian consulate abroad.

Citizenship via a municipality in Italy

If you applied in Italy and was granted Italian citizenship in the municipality where you established residence, your vital records will be automatically registered in that municipality where you applied. Your records will not be sent to the municipality where your Italian ancestor was born. You will then be able to apply for an Italian passport in this municipality at the local police headquarters. If you move back to your home country, you will need to register with A.I.R.E. at the Italian consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside.

Registering vital records

After having registered in A.I.R.E, all future life events must be registered in Italy, such as marriages, births of children, adoptions, name changes, divorces, and deaths. The procedure to register the records will vary depending on the consulate, so it’s important to check the consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside for specific instructions. In general, there will be a registration form pertaining to the record, i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate, and required supporting documents to be submitted. Records should be in “long-form” format and be legalized with an apostille and translated into Italian. Once you submit the form and supporting documents to the consulate, they will send the request to the Italian municipality where you are registered in A.I.R.E.

It’s important to register your child’s birth in Italy before they turn 18 years old, to ensure they are recognized as Italian citizens. However, vital records must be registered chronologically, meaning that the parent’s marriage certificate must be registered first before the child’s birth. If you are registering multiple records simultaneously, the request for registering all these records can be done at the same time. If the child’s parents are not married, an Acknowledgement of Paternity, legalized and translated into Italian, will be required. If registering an adoption, along with the child’s birth certificate, it will be required to submit the adoption decree, apostilled and translated into Italian.

When registering a marriage certificate, it is imperative that your personal data including first, middle, and last name, date and place of birth, are exactly the same as they appear on your birth certificate, as well as ensuring the information pertaining to the date and place where the marriage took place are accurate. Marriage certificates must be in the “long-form” format. If the certificate does not show complete personal data, you may also submit a certified copy of a marriage license or marriage application. In addition, any previous marriages not already registered in Italy will also need to be registered along with the current one, with applicable divorce documentation.

Registering a divorce in Italy requires the submission of the divorce decree along with the certificate of no appeal, sometimes known as the letter of no appeal, certificate of disposition, or clerk certificate.

To register a relative’s death certificate, it is required to submit a certified copy of the death record along with a copy of their birth certificate. An Italian citizen’s death certificate must be registered in Italy in the comune of their last known residence. This applies even for an Italian citizen that naturalized in the United States. This is important for the processing of legal documents pertaining to the deceased’s assets, succession law, bank accounts, pension, etc.

Conclusion

Becoming an Italian citizen is an exciting and rewarding process that comes with many benefits. However, it’s important to remember that one of the responsibilities of all Italian citizens is to update the Italian government of all vital events in their lives. This article outlined the steps required to take after being granted Italian citizenship and the process to registering vital records in Italy.

If you would like information about obtaining Italian citizenship or the application process, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or visit www.italiancitizenshipassistance.com.