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Citizenship

Citizenship Office
Email: cittadinanza.sanfrancisco@esteri.it

IMPORTANT NOTICE

We inform our users that – due to recent significant legislative changes, approved on March 28 and May 23, 2025, respectively by the Council of Ministers and the Parliament (DECRETO-LEGGE 28 marzo 2025, n. 36 – Normattiva and LEGGE 23 maggio 2025, n. 74 – Normattiva) – in light of the instructions received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, this Consulate General will prioritize the appointments for recognition of citizenship by descent already booked before 11.59 pm (Italian time) of March 27, 2025.

Therefore, the Consulate General has temporarily suspended the scheduling of new appointments, via the Prenot@mi portal, for the recognition of citizenship by descent.

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⚠️ ATTENTION: APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE REJECTED, AND A NEW APPOINTMENT, ALONG WITH A NEW PAYMENT, WILL BE REQUIRED.

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For general information on Italian citizenship and its different ways of acquisition, please consult the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

This Consulate General does not offer legal services for the preparation and application of documentation required for citizenship applications.

E-mail or telephone messages requesting appointments or processing status will not receive a reply.

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GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The current legislation on citizenship, Law no. 91 of 1992, as well as the previous Law no. 555 of 1912, is based on the principle of iure sanguinis, meaning the transmission of citizenship by descent from an Italian citizen.

Specifically, Article 1 of Law no. 91/1992 establishes that:
“An Italian citizen by birth is the child of a father or mother who is an Italian citizen.”

Law no. 91/1992 has, however, recently been amended by Decree-Law no. 36/2025, converted with amendments by Law no. 74/2025, which introduced (a) limitations to the automatic transmission of Italian citizenship. Based on these changes, recognition of citizenship now requires an effective connection with the national community.

(a) Limitations to the automatic transmission of citizenship for those born abroad

The new Article 3-bis, paragraph 1, of Law no. 91/1992 provides that “anyone born abroad, even prior to the entry into force of this Article, AND who holds another citizenship, is considered never to have acquired Italian citizenship.”

(a.1) Exceptions to these limitations

Nevertheless, Article 3-bis establishes exceptions that allow for the recognition of citizenship at birth, even for those born abroad and holding another citizenship, in the following cases:

  1. Citizenship is recognized on the basis of an application (administrative or judicial) submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Rome time) on March 27, 2025, or on the basis of an application submitted through an appointment confirmed to the applicant by the same date. ( 3-bis, paragraph 1, letters a, a-bis and b of Law no. 91/1992);
  2. The applicant’s parent or grandparent possesses, or at the time of death possessed, exclusively Italian citizenship. (Art. 3-bis, paragraph 1, letter c of Law no. 91/1992)
  3. A parent (including adoptive), who is an Italian citizen, resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth or adoption of the child. (Art. 3-bis, paragraph 1, letter d of Law no. 91/1992).

(b) Acquisition of citizenship by benefit of law

The amendments introduced by Decree-Law no. 36/2025, as converted by Law no. 74/2025, also introduced cases of acquisition of Italian citizenship by benefit of law, particularly for minors born abroad to Italian citizens by birth who do not automatically transmit citizenship (i.e., minors who do NOT meet the conditions under Art. 3-bis, see (a.1), for recognition of citizenship at birth).

Such minors may obtain citizenship in the following cases:

(b.1) Declaration of intent by parents within one year of birth or establishment of filiation (Art. 4, paragraph 1-bis, letter b of Law no. 91/1992)

A minor may acquire Italian citizenship if:

  • at least one parent is an Italian citizen by birth;
  • both parents submit a declaration of intent for the acquisition of citizenship within one year of the child’s birth or of the later date on which filiation, including adoption, by an Italian citizen is established.

(b.2) Declaration by May 31, 2026 (Art. 1, paragraph 1-ter, Decree-Law no. 36/2025, converted with amendments by Law no. 74/2025)

This provision applies to those who meet all the following requirements:

  • were minors on May 24, 2025 (entry into force of Law 74/2025);
  • are children of Italian citizens by birth, whose citizenship was recognized following an administrative or judicial application submitted by 11:59 p.m. on March 27, 2025 (or with an appointment confirmed by that date);
  • their parents submit a declaration of intent to acquire citizenship by May 31, 2026. If the minor reaches the age of 18 before this date, the declaration must be submitted personally by the individual concerned, no later than May 31, 2026.

📌 In cases of acquisition of Italian citizenship by benefit of law, citizenship is NOT acquired at birth, but from the day following the declaration made at the Consulate.

Reopening of the terms for the re-acquisition of Italian citizenship

Finally, please note that Article 17, paragraph 1, of Law no. 91/1992, as amended by Law no. 74/2025, has reopened the terms for the re-acquisition of Italian citizenship through a specific declaration.

This opportunity is reserved for:

  • persons born in Italy or who have resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years, and
    • who lost Italian citizenship before August 16, 1992, for one of the following reasons:
  • naturalization in a foreign country;
  • renunciation of Italian citizenship following the involuntary acquisition of foreign citizenship;
  • loss of citizenship by the cohabiting parent, in the case of minor children.

⚠️ Those who renounced or lost Italian citizenship on or after August 16, 1992, for any reason, cannot benefit from this opportunity.

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SUMMARY

According to Law no. 91/1992, as amended by Decree-Law no. 36/2025 and Law no. 74/2025, recognition or acquisition of Italian citizenship may occur through:

We strongly recommend carefully reading the various sections of this website and the relevant legislation governing Italian citizenship.

The competent authority for processing applications is determined by the applicant’s place of residence. For residents abroad, the competent authority is the diplomatic-consular office with jurisdiction.

The Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco is competent for residents in: Northern and Central California (excluding the following counties under the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles – click here: San Luis Obispo; Kern; San Bernardino; Santa Barbara; Ventura; Los Angeles; Riverside; San Diego; Imperial Valley; Orange); Alaska; Hawaii; Idaho; Montana; Oregon; Utah; Washington; American Samoa; Guam; Northern Mariana Islands; Johnston Atoll, Wake Island; Midway Atoll.

The processing of applications for the recognition of Italian citizenship submitted by adults is subject to a fee of €600, payable by money order made out to the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco. The amount must be paid in U.S. dollars, at the exchange rate of the current quarter. Please consult the Consular Fees Schedule for the updated amount.
This fee is due regardless of the outcome of the application.

Applications or declarations of election, acquisition, re-acquisition, renunciation, or granting of citizenship, with the exception of declarations of re-acquisition under Art. 17 of Law no. 91/1992 submitted at the Consulate, are subject to a fee of €250, pursuant to Art. 9-bis of Law no. 91 of February 5, 1992, payable to the Ministry of the Interior, according to the procedures indicated in the relevant sections of this website.

Declarations of intent for the re-acquisition of citizenship under Art. 17 of Law No. 91/1992 are subject to a fee of €250, payable by money order made out to the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco. The amount must be paid in U.S. dollars, at the exchange rate of the current quarter. Please consult the Consular Fees Schedule for the updated amount.

 

IMPORTANT: Information on the protection of individuals with reference to the processing of personal data for the purposes of recognition of Italian citizenship jure sanguinis or of its acquisition by naturalization (articles 5 and 7, as well as article 9, paragraph 1, letter c, and paragraph 2 of Law no. 91/1992) (General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, art. 13) – Click HERE