The Many Perks of Having US-Italy Dual Citizenship and How to Get One

The many perks of being an Italian citizen has prompted Americans to think about taking up a dual US-Italian dual citizenship. But it is not easy to do so. If you are thinking of applying for dual citizenship then you must be prepared to invest a lot of time and effort into the process of applying for dual citizenship which is how you can get an EU passport as well.

Both countries have a provision for dual citizenships but the process to acquire citizenship can be long and arduous. Things can be simpler if certain things are kept in mind. Here all you need to know about how to get dual citizenship in Italy.

How to Apply for Us-Italy Dual Citizenship and Get an EU Passport?

You can claim citizenship based on two criteria. If you claim citizenship because you were born on Italian territory then it is known as jus soli. If you are claiming citizenship because you are related by blood to an Italian citizen then it is known as jus sanguinis.

If jus sanguinis is how you are getting an EU passport then you have to produce the birth, marriage and death certificates of the Italian people you are related to along with the same certificates belonging to you and your parents. If your Italian ancestor through whom you are claiming your US-Italy dual citizenship was naturalized in the US then you have to produce those records of naturalization as well. But this has a few caveats which are:

1. You must be a descendant of someone who was alive in Italy after March 17, 1861
2. The ancestor must not have naturalized in another country before June 14, 1912.
3. The ancestor must not have naturalized before the birth of the person interested in claiming an Italian citizenship.
4. If the Italian ancestor through whom you are claiming Italian citizenship is a woman then you can claim citizenship only through her father’s line.
5. If someone in your family has renounced Italian citizenship then you are not eligible for citizenship.

Once you have a relative who ticks all these boxes then you can claim your citizenship by collecting a couple of documents and applying. There are agencies to help you with this. All of the documents that you have collected must be translated by professionals and taken to the Department of State where the documents will be verified for validation. The process of applying for citizenship can begin after this. It may take upto 1-3 years but this is how you can get an EU passport. The entire process of trying to get an EU passport can set you back a couple of thousand grand. The cost can go even higher if you are employing help from lawyers. But the many advantages of having an EU passport makes the cost worth it.

The Benefits of Having A Dual Citizenship

1. If you have a US-Italy dual citizenship you will be getting an EU passport which makes you eligible to live and work in any country within the European Union.
2. You can also opt to study at any public university in Italy which will be much cheaper than most colleges in the US.
3. Italy has a universal healthcare plan that covers medical expenses for all its citizens at little or almost no cost.

These perks are enough to prompt many to try to get a dual citizenship but all of them may not be successful. If your papers are in order then things are a lot easier and stress-free for the applicant.

To learn more about these aspects from a financial perspective, check this article about how to get dual citizenship in Italy.

To Conclude

The question of how to get an EU passport may be bothering many people but being organised, keeping your papers in order can make the whole process easier not just for you but also for the officials involved in the process. So, if you are dreaming of getting the coveted EU passport then you should begin the process as soon as possible.