NEW! - FAQ's/Frequently Asked Questions - CLICK HERE for answers to frequently asked questions regarding Italian Citizenship
NOTICE:
All official information, documentation, and procedures regarding Italian citizenship is posted on the webpage of this Italian Consulate (www.conssanfrancisco.esteri.it), on the website of the Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (www.esteri.it), or will be communicated directly to applicants via email from this citizenship department.
Any information or instructions posted in online forums or groups (Facebook, Google, Yelp, etc) or from non-official sources (word of mouth, emails from third parties, etc) is NOT endorsed by the Consulate General or the Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and should not be used for official purposes.
1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
This Consulate General accepts applications for Italian citizenship by descent from applicants who are legal permanent residents in this consular jurisdiction (click here to view a list of US states and their corresponding Italian Consulates).
As such, to apply for Italian citizenship by descent through this Consulate General in San Francisco you must either be:
- a United States citizen residing in this consular jursidiction
OR - a foreign citizen with a VALID GREEN CARD/PERMANENT RESIDENT CARD residing in this consular jursidiction
Applicants who have a VISA issued by the United States authorities are not considered permanent residents of the United States and therefore cannot apply through this Consulate General in San Francisco. US visa holders must submit their application for Italian citizenship by descent to the competent Italian Authority in their country of legal permanent residence.
A family member of mine already applied for Italian citzienship by descent. Do I need to re-submit any overlapping documentation that was already submitted with their application?
- If your family member's application was submitted to this Consulate General IN SAN FRANCISCO: you do NOT need to re-submit any overlapping documentation that was already submitted with that family member's application. However, you will still be required to submit any and all required documentation specified on our website for yourself and any ascendents that is not already on file at this office.
- If your family member's application was submitted at another Consulate: Paperwork submitted to other Consular offices CANNOT be utilized by this office in San Francisco. As such, if your family member did not apply for citizenship throught the Consulate in San Francisco you must submit all required documentation specified on our website to this office.
2. CATEGORIES OF CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT
The following categories may help you find out which one applies to your case:
- Category 1 (direct descent): father born in Italy, Italian citizen at the moment of your birth and you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship.
- Category 2 (direct descent): mother born in Italy, Italian citizen at the moment of your birth - occurred after January 1st 1948 - and you never renounced your right to Italian citizenship.
- Category 3: father born in the United States or other Country (except Italy), your grandfather was Italian at the time of his birth and neither you nor your father ever renounced your right to the Italian Citizenship.
- Category 4: mother born in the United States or other Country (except Italy), your grandfather was Italian at the time of her birth and neither you, born after Jan. 1st 1948 nor your motehr ever renounced your right to the Italian Citizenship.
- Category 5: your direct paternal or maternal ancestors were born in the United States from Italian parents and they never renounced their right to Italian citizenship.
All documentation must be submitted in original and will be kept on file at the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco.
- Application forms:
- Form 1 - (to be filled out EXCLUSIVELY on a computer) - click here;
- Form 2- click here;
- Form 3- click here; - an individual form must be completed and signd by each living person in your Italian line of descent
- Form 4- click here; - an individual form must be completed for each deceased person in your Italian line of descent and must be signed by you (the applicant).
- Application fee (Money order or Cashier's Check) in $USD and made out to "Italian Consulate General - San Francisco" (Click here for current consular fees)
- Copy of passport and driver’s license;
- Birth certificate of the Italian ascendant born in Italy (to be issued by the Comune in Italy);
- Proof of residency (electricity or other utility bill);
- All original Vital Records certificates for the applicant AND his/her Italian ascendants - (Click here for vital record information and instructions)
- IMPORTANT: Please see the FAQs section regarding errors and discrepancies - click here
- Copy of the “DECLARATION OF INTENTION”/”PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION” issued by the National Archive (www.archives.gov) no translation is required;
- NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE: CLICK HERE for where to request the naturalization certificate (no translation is required)
- In case your Italian born ancestor never naturalized US citizen, please provide:
- ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF NONEXISTENCE OF RECORDS issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (www.uscis.gov) no translation is required;
- COPY OF THE CENSUS first available immediately after the birth in the US of the direct descent (www.census.gov) no translation is required
If a family member, residing in our jurisdiction, is interested in submitting an application for the recognition of the Italian citizenship in the future, the same ancestors’ original documentation will apply, but he/she must present his/her original certificates.
Residents of San Francisco jurisdiction, whose family members have obtained the recognition of the Italian citizenship at a different Consulate or Comune, must submit at this Office all original documentation from the Italian ancestor.
PLEASE NOTE
In the event that the documents submitted are not sufficient to determine citizenship eligibility, the citizenship office will request additional documents from the applicant.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
