In 2017 I decided to apply for Italian citizenship for myself and for our children. I was able to do this because my husband was born in London but his parents are from Sicily, and therefore he’s both British and Italian. This means that our kids and I, all of us British and born in England, are, in theory entitled to Italian citizenship.
However, the process of actually obtaining Italian citizenship is very complicated, takes years, and is different for each of us. I’m applying for Italian citizenship through marriage, our daughter’s application is through birth and our son’s is through adoption. We submitted our applications in 2018 and 2019 and we’re still waiting for citizenship as I write this at the end of 2020. As it’s so convoluted, I decided to share our experience of the process here, in case it’s helpful to others going through the same thing*.
Italian flag, Cinque Terre, Italy. Copyright Gretta Schifano
Here are the posts which I’ve published so far about how to apply for Italian citizenship:
The one where I decide to apply for Italian citizenship
Why I decided to apply for Italian citizenship (spoiler alert – it was Brexit).
How to get original birth certificates, adoption orders and marriage certificates from the UK General Register Office.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 2
How to get an apostille for your birth certificates, adoption orders and marriage certificates from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Legalisation Office.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 3
When to update details on the online register of Italian citizens living abroad (known as AIRE).
How to legalise a UK Adoption Order and Adoption Certificate.
How to get UK marriage certificates, birth certificates, adoption orders and adoption certificates translated from English into Italian by an approved translator.
How to register a marriage with the Italian Consulate in London.
How to register a birth with the Italian Consulate in London.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 4
How to register an adoption with the Italian Consulate in London.
What it’s like to visit the Italian Consulate in London.
How the process for applying for Italian citizenship through birth is different once you’re over 18.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 5
How to book an appointment at the London Italian Consulate using the Prenota online system.
What it’s like to go to the Citizenship Office at the Italian Consulate in London to register your birth if you’re over 18.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 6
How to get confirmation from Italy that a marriage is registered at the local comune.
The introduction of the Italian language exam requirement for citizenship by marriage.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 7
How to prepare for the Italian language exam for Italian citizenship.
What it’s like to take the language exam for Italian citizenship.
How to apply for a UK Criminal Records Certificate (a ‘Police certificate for immigration purposes’) from the Criminal Records Office.
Applying for Italian citizenship – part 8
How to get a UK Criminal Records Certificate legalised and translated.
How to get a detailed receipt for the Italian citizenship application fee.
How to create a single PDF file for multiple documents.
How to create a PEC secure email address.
How to get an Italian tax code.
To be continued……
Over to you
Do let me know if you have any comments about these posts. Many people have been contacting me about what we’re doing, and it’s really interesting to hear about different experiences. Good luck to anyone else who’s going through the process!
For up to date requirements from the Italian authorities, go to the Italian Consulate website.
* Please be clear that I’m not a lawyer and I have no prior experience of any of this, so don’t rely on me if you’re making your own application!
Gretta
Your blog has been very helpful – thank-you again!
I have just had my documents for Citizenship by Marriage accepted at the Consulate. Thought it might be helpful to say where my experience has been different to yours. Note though, it only applies to the Marriage route.
1). I didn’t have to get a SPID. My ordinary email is ok, but make sure you keep the email you register with, changing email part way through would be impossible. (Note, the application website doesn’t tell you if there has been a communication from them, you just have to keep checking it).
2). I didn’t need to get an Italian Tax Code therefore (though I did)
3). To send off the application I had to enter the number of a “marca di bollo” on the last page. In theory you should get one of these on-line (cost €16) but even Italian friends couldn’t work out how to do this, and in the end a friend in Italy bought a paper one at a post office and sent it me by post. .
Thanks Alan, that’s very helpful.
Hi Gretta
You don’t mention anything about an “e-bollo”.
The last section of the online application for citzenship by marriage requires me to enter details of my payment of €16 via an “e-bollo”, clearly a sort of on-line official franking.
It’s not obvious even to an Italian friend of mine how to make this payment – if you had to do it, and if you remember how, it would be really useful to have details.
Thanks again for this very useful series of posts
Hi Alan, I didn’t have to do this sorry. It sounds like things may have changed since I was doing this!
Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, I will keep you posted. I’m getting the apostille stamps tomorrow. Regards Megan
Hi Greta, I’ve been on this path for several years now and the rules keep changing each time we go to the Italian Consulate (in Canberra). I think I have all the documents necessary but of course the web site is all in Italian. If I am correct, do I need to create an SPID account before I proceed any further? It is all very daunting isn’t it! Regards Megan Curlewis
Hi Megan, yes, it really is! I don’t know about SPID accounts, sorry. So maybe that’s something which has changed since we submitted our applications. Good luck with it all, and keep me posted!