A future life in Italy? (part 1)
The long road to Italian citizenship by descent.
In this email, I will share our process for obtaining Italian dual citizenship via descent. Below, you will find the following:
Why I have interest and why I am sharing this process.
The bloodline that qualifies us, which does not, and why.
Some of the rules and deal-breakers one may find right away (hopefully).
Gaining information - the long road.
The experts (who we are working with) vs DIY.
Our next steps.
Foreseeable obstacles.
Additional resources along with other Substacks on this topic.
Who hasn’t dreamt of selling everything and moving to the hillsides of Tuscany?
Ever since watching movies like Under the Tuscan Sun and Stealing Beauty, reading the book Eat, Pray, Love, and spending time in Italy, I started romanticizing the idea of finding my way across the ocean and beginning a life of romance, cypress trees, and wine-filled dinner parties behind my Italian country farmhouse.
The daydream may have changed slightly - swap out the wine for great food and careless romance for a strong marriage, but the sentiment still lives on.
Which also has one of my all-time favorite soundtracks:
This summer, I started looking into Italian citizenship via descent. Sadly, I am not Italian, but I married one. Along with the spectacular food and the constant flare for drama, Joe’s Italian bloodline may also qualify him (us) for dual citizenship.
Maybe.
Joe’s paternal side is 100% Italian, meaning he has multiple family lines that can be researched to determine this qualification.
My FIL’s maternal grandmother (I will refer to this as the M-LINE)
My FIL’s maternal grandfather (I will refer to this as the M-LINE)
My FIL’s paternal grandmother (I will refer to this as the G-LINE)
My FIL’s paternal grandfather (I will refer to this as the G-LINE)
The first thing to know, and the most promising, is that there are no generational cut-offs. You can go as far back as you can trace the family bloodline. So even if the grandparents were born in the US, the Italian great-grandparent’s citizenship can be used, and so on. However, there are rules and instant deal-breakers.
These deal-breakers should be investigated first to save time and prevent unnecessary heartbreak if the bloodline doesn’t qualify. But, like all things Italian, it isn’t always straightforward, and the rules change and/or can be different depending on where you apply. But I love a good scavenger hunt.
A few notes before I start sharing this experience.
I am not an expert.
I love the research process and hate gatekeeping, so I will share what I know.
My interest has nothing to do with any political landscape. Many of these conversations are framed by political views, but this one is not.
My story may not end with dual citizenship, and if I learn we don’t qualify or can’t obtain the correct paperwork, I will share that, too.
I will not share actual family names, records, etc.
I aim to make this information as helpful as possible for anyone considering this process.
GAINING INFORMATION: