IMPORTANT

• The child of a parent holding Italian citizenship at the time of the child’s birth might also be an Italian citizen. Further information can be found on here:  HERE. No appointment and no application for assessment of Italian citizenship on behalf of children under 18 is required.
• General queries on procedures or documents required cannot be addressed by phone or e-mail.

Holding Italian citizenship is essential for:

1. applying for a passport or an ID card
2. requesting AIRE registration
3. applying for a change of name or surname
4. voting for general elections and referenda (when admissable).

Italian citizenship rests on the principle of ius sanguinis (right of blood). However, a ruling of the Constitutional Court mandates that citizenship through an Italian mother is only passed on to her children born from January 1, 1948.

The subject is governed by Law no. 91 of February 5, 1992, in which, unlike the previous law, the relevance of personal will for acquiring and losing citizenship is now acknowledged. It also allows dual or multiple citizenships, in keeping with international agreements.

The general principles of Italian citizenship are:

1. Transmission by descent (ius sanguinis).
2. Acquisition by birth on Italian territory (iure soli, marginal cases only).
3. Multiple citizenships.
4. Expression of will for citizenship acquisition and loss.

Applications by descent attract a fee of €600.

Fees are NOT refundable, regardless of application’s outcome.

LEGAL PROVISIONS

• Law No. 555 of 13^thJune  1912
• Strasbourg Convention of 6^thMay 1963
• Law No. 123 of 21^st April , 1983
• Law No. 91 of 5^th February  1992
• Presidential Decree of 12^th October  1993, No. 572
• Presidential Decree of 18^thApril 1994, No. 362
• Legislative Decrees No. 5, 6, and 7 of 19th January 2017 (registration)
• Decree-Law No. 113 of October 4^th 2018, converted by Law No. 132 of 1^stDecember  2018 (deadlines by descent)
• Decree-Law No. 130 of  21^st October 2020, converted by Law No. 173 of 18^thDecember 2020 (deadlines by marriage)
• Decree-Law No. 36 of 28 March 2025 decreto legge n. 36, 28/03/2025

More details from https://www.esteri.it/it/servizi-consolari-e-visti/italiani-all-estero/cittadinanza.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Residence in the consular district: the spouse/partner of a civil union holding Italian citizenship must be AIRE-registered with the Consulate of Italy in Manchester and reside at the applicant’s same address. Alternatively, documentation must be provided to justify a separate address (e.g., work, children’s schooling, medical treatment, etc.).
2. Duration of marriage/civil union: applications may be lodged only after three years of marriage/civil union if the spouse is an Italian citizen by descent. In case of naturalization occurred after marriage, the three years are counted from the date of the spouse’s naturalization. If there are children born to or adopted by both spouses, the term is reduced to one and a half years.
3. Registration: if the marriage/civil union took place abroad, the corresponding certificate must first be registered at the relevant local Council in Italy.
4. Marriage/civil union until the day a citizenship decree is released: no dissolution, annulment, judicial separation or divorce from the spouse or partner must have been registered meantime.
5. No convictions by Italian judicial authorities for offenses punishable by imprisonment exceeding three years.
6. No convictions by foreign judicial authorities for offences not of a political nature, punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year.
7. No convictions for crimes against the State.
8. No impediments to National Security.
9. Knowledge of the Italian language (at least level B1 level of CEFR, Common European Framework of Reference).

REGISTRATION, LODGEMENT AND ACCESS

Applications can only be lodged online after registering on the ALI website: https://portaleserviziapp.dlci.interno.it/.

To register, you must enter your name, surname, date, and place of birth exactly as indicated on your birth certificate, under penalty of rejection. Any discrepancies (like those arising from name or surname changes) between details in a birth certificate and details in other documents submitted will require corroborating evidence. For example, regarding a change of name and/or surname, we would require an apostillized and translated deed poll, or annotations on a birth certificate, or on a marriage/civil union certificate issued abroad, apostillized/legalized and translated, or an official declaration of correct personal details issued by the Consulate of the applicant’s country of citizenship on Italian territory, legalized by Italy’s Prefettura).

The e-mail address provided during registration cannot be modified! It is thus essential to use an address that will remain constant over time. All communications will only be sent to that e-mail address, which should be monitored regularly. Failure to read a message in time, like the one informing of a consular appointment to take your oath of allegiance (to be sworn within 6 months from the serving date of the citizenship decree) will result in forfeiture of the benefit, and cannot be rectified.

All communications will take place only through the ALI website, not via e-mail or other methods.

Applicants need to specify if they have minor children, including from previous relationships.

In the DECLARATION OF RESIDENCE section of the AE form (Residences in Italy and/or in the home country and/or in another country other than the one of current residence), applicants must enter all the addresses where they lived for at least 6 months starting from age 14, all in chronological order and except the current home address, which must be entered in the section APPLICANT’S RESIDENCE DETAILS.

For problems accessing your ALI account, please contact the Ministry of the Interior’s HELP DESK.

DOCUMENTS TO BE UPLOADED

1. Birth certificate or equivalent: in original, issued from the Authorities of the country of birth, ideally within the previous six months, complete with all personal details (including parentage), apostillized/legalized and professionally translated into Italian. Regarding British birth certificates, applicants must produce a recent version (dated in the last six months) from the relevant Registry Office, apostillized by the Legalisation Office, and translated into Italian. Only apostílles related to the signature of the civil registrar will be accepted. If an applicant has changed their surname as a result of marriage/civil union, they must lodge their application using the exact personal details as recorded on their birth certificate, NOT those on their passport (in case of discrepancies, British women may a) attach a deed poll, apostillized and professionally translated, registered with the High Court, or, preferably, b) contact the relevant Registry Office and request an annotation on their birth certificate regarding the change of personal details and thus produce an amended certificate.
2. Original Police/criminal record certificate, issued in their country of origin and from each of the additional countries of residence from age 14 (except for Italy), or those they hold citizenship of, issued within the six months prior to the application date, apostillized/legalized and translated into Italian.
3. Photo ID: plain copy of a valid passport (pages with personal data, photograph, dates of issue and expiry). Applicants who also lived in Italy need to add a copy of their carta d’identità (CIC/CIE).
4. Valid British residence card (for non-British applicants only)
5. Proof of address (see other documents in AIRE).
6. Certified copy of your full act of marriage/civil union, to be obtained from Italy’s Council where the event took place or the foreign certificate was registered, dated within 6 months prior to application date. It may be uploaded under ‘generic document’ and must be surrendered at the Consulate in original. IMPORTANT: A ‘marriage certificate’ will NOT be accepted (to that effect, EU applicants may use self-certification as per DPR 445/2000).
7. Receipt of a €250 transfer, made in ALI (PagoPa) in the preceding 12 months to ‘Ministero dell’Interno D.L.C.I Cittadinanza – Poste Italiane S.p.A., Piazzale del Viminale 00184 Roma – IBAN: IT54D0760103200000000809020 – Reason: Citizenship by marriage, art. 5 of Law 91/1992, APPLICANT’S NAME AND SURNAME – BIC/SWIFT code of Poste Italiane: BPPIITRRXXX (for international transfers) – BIC/SWIFT code: PIBPITRA (for EUROGIRO circuit operations). Receipts are only valid if the beneficiary details are included.
8. Certificate attesting knowledge of the Italian language (at least level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference) or a qualification issued by a State or a private educational institution recognized by Italy’s Ministry of Education and Merit or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. IMPORTANT: CLIQ certification entities (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità), including in cooperation with local Italian Cultural Institutes, are exclusively: the University for Foreigners of Perugia, the University for Foreigners of Siena, the Dante Alighieri Society, the University Roma Tre, and the University for Foreigners of Reggio Calabria. The only certifying entity in the UK is La Dante in Cambridge. No other types of certificates will be accepted.

A certification of the Italian language knowledge is not required from:

1. Foreigners (including those residing abroad) who have signed the integration agreement referred to in Article 4 bis of Legislative Decree No. 286/1998 Immigration Consolidated Text;
2. Holders of a permesso di soggiorno named ‘SOGGIORNANTE DI LUNGO PERIODO-UE’ (see Article 9 of the same consolidated text).

IMPORTANT

1. This Consulate offers no translation services and cannot assist with lodging an application or booking an appointment.
2. Registry and police certificates issued in countries other than Italy or the UK must be submitted in original version and legalized by the relevant Authorities or by Italy’s Embassy or Consulate in that country. Their Italian translations need to be certified true to the original by Italy’s Embassy or Consulate in that country.
3. Applications submitted with incomplete or incorrect documentation can be in no way integrated and are thus rejected. In such cases, applicants must submit a new application, with documents correct and complete, again attaching all the elements required for their specific case.
4. E-mails requesting an update or assistance in case of e-mail address changed or no longer accessible will be addressed only when the first element in the subject line is the application code (eg.: K10/C/XXXXXXXX).

DECREE, NOTIFICATION, OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

Once the application has been approved, Italy’s Ministry of the Interior will issue a citizenship decree, which is notified to the applicant through ALI, with an e-mail sent to the same address used upon registration. That message will indicate the date and the time scheduled for the oath of allegiance at the Consulate, where the applicant will need to surrender the following original documents:

1. Certified copy of full marriage certificate, issued in Italy by the relevant Council;
2. British police certificate (ACRO), apostillized and professionally translated into Italian.

Said documents must be dated after the decree’s serving date.

In taking their oath of allegiance to the Republic of Italy and its laws, applicants are to pronounce:

“GIURO DI ESSERE FEDELE ALLA REPUBBLICA E DI OSSERVARE LA COSTITUZIONE E LE LEGGI DELLO STATO“.

Italian citizenship becomes effective from the following day. All registrations with Italy’s local Council will be carried out accordingly.

This section has been updated to reflect the changes in legislation caused by the Decree-Law n. 36 del 28/03/2025 . The applications presented until 27/03/2025 will be processed according to the legislation that was applicable at the time of submission.

UNDER 18

The minor child of an Italian citizen is automatically Italian from birth if (decreto legge n. 36, 28/03/2025)  :

-one of the parents is an Italian citizen born in Italy

-one of the parents is an Italian citizen born abroad but has lived continuously in Italy for at least 2 years

-one of the parents is an Italian citizen born abroad but one of the grandparents is an Italian citizen born in Italy

-the child does not hold any other citizenship

If one of these circumstances apply, the Italian parent can directly request birth registration Italy for his/hers children birth under 18 following the information on HERE .

OVER 18

Foreign citizens with Italian ancestry can apply for the recognition of Italian citizenship if the last Italian citizen to be born in Italy in their family is their parent or their grandparent.

REQUIREMENTS

The assessment process is often complex and can by no means be performed by e-mail or by phone. Based on their personal circumstances, each applicant needs to decide whether or not they are eligible for Italian citizenship and hence apply for an assessment.

Applications must be submitted as per applicant’s place of residence: residents abroad must address the relevant Embassy or Consulate of Italy, while residents of Italy must refer to the local Council.

Before applying, it is worth considering that:

1. The decree-Law n. 36, 28/03/2025 limits the transmission of citizenship to 2 generations, meaning that the “progenitor” (the last Italian ascendant to be born in Italy) can only be a parent or a grandparent of the applicant.
2. Italian citizenship is acquired by birth through paternal line with no generational limit; through maternal line it is only acquired by those born starting from 01/01/1948;
3. If the Italian progenitor born in Italy or any intermediate ascendant naturalized in the country of migration before the birth of their child, or while the child was a minor, a descending applicant is no longer entitled to Italian citizenship (unless: a) said progenitor had reacquired Italian citizenship, again while the child in question was still a minor, or b) said child had reacquired Italian citizenship within one year of becoming of age);
4. If even one of the applicant’s predecessors relinquished their Italian citizenship, a descending applicant cannot claim Italian citizenship.

TIMING AND COSTS

Applications attract a fee (art. 7b), to be paid in GBP cash or by British debit card, only at the Consulate and upon surrendering all the original documents.

Fees are NOT refundable, regardless of the application’s outcome.

Processing time for all applications correct and complete is 24-36 months from lodgement date.

Applications resulting incorrect or incomplete are returned to the applicant’s address.

GETTING READY FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

For each predecessor, applicants need to collect all related documents and certificates and organize them in a separate, clear plastic folder: one folder for the documents of the applicant, a second folder for documents of the applicant’s parent, a third folder for those of the applicant’s grandparents and so on, back to the original progenitor (the last ancestor born in Italy, who can only be a parent or grandparent of the applicant).

At the appointment, applicants must surrender all their original documents, apostillized/legalized and professionally translated into Italian, ensuring that there are no discrepancies of any kind (e.g., names, surnames, places, dates, etc.), together with a self-addressed envelope, prepaid up to 100 grams. All documents requested have no expiration date and cannot be returned.

After lodging, all applications are fully scrutinized. All applications resulting incorrect and/or incomplete are returned to sender, with instructions on how to perfect the documents and return all of them by post within 3 months from the day stamped on the communication, again with a self-addressed envelope, prepaid up to 100 grams. The fee paid at the counter will still be valid, provided that a full and correct application is returned to the Consulate by the deadline assigned, failing which, applicants will be notified of their application having been rejected. If they so wish, applicants may lodge a fresh application, which would then attract renewed payment of the 600 euro-equivalent fee.

Residents of this consular district whose family members already lodged an application for citizenship assessment with us are allowed to submit a plain copy of the documents pertaining to their common ancestors, but must provide the originals of any additional documents required for their own assessment. The same applies to joint applications (siblings or parent and children, provided they reside in our consular district): for documents concerning common ascendants only one set of originals is required, while plain copies may be submitted for additional sets.

This Consulate is not in a position to assist in locating records or documents: applicants need to locate and collect documents pertaining to their case by addressing family members, local Councils in Italy and local entities in those countries where their ancestors had lived.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

Only through Prenot@MI, a booking system managed from Italy’s MFA. This Consulate is not enabled to book appointments on behalf of any users.

At 5pm each calendar day, the system generates new slots to be booked on a first come-first served basis.  It is advisable to log on a few minutes before and refresh the page (F5).

Each appointment is personal: one person, one service. Each applicant will receive an e-mail to which they must reply to confirm their attendance. All non-confirmed bookings are automatically deleted.

IMPORTANT! The Prenot@mi is completely free. All users are strongly advised to be suspicious of anyone offering short notice appointments in return for payment and not to make any such payments.

ALL DOCUMENTS LISTED ABOVE NEED TO BE PROVIDED IN ORIGINAL VERSION ONLY.

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IMPORTANT

• Certificates issued in countries other than Italy must be submitted in original version, apostillized by the relevant Authorities or, depending on the specific country, legalized by Italy’s Embassy or Consulate in that country. Their Italian translations need to be certified true to the original by Italy’s Embassy or Consulate in that country, not by the translator.
• In case of multiple certificates issued in different countries (e.g., birth in Argentina and marriage in the UK), a professional translation may be carried out by the same translator or by applicants themselves.
• Apostílles are only valid if applied on original documents, not on translations or photocopies.