Obtaining Italian Citizenship by Right of Descent

An estimated 17.8 million Americans are of Italian descent and many of them can claim Italian citizenship. There is no requirement to speak Italian. A step-by-step description of the process will be presented, and historical, cultural, and social aspects of Italian life will also be covered. The application process requires good planning and organization, careful scrutiny of multiple documents, securing any needed court-ordered amendments, and time to assemble the required certificates and translations.  Application can be made either in the US  or Italy, if you can live there for at least 3 – 5 months. (Note: this course will not cover the process of Italian citizenship by marriage or naturalization.) It is strongly recommended that, prior to enrolling, students complete the online questionnaire developed by the Consulate of Italy in Detroit to determine if they may be eligible for Italian citizenship by descent: https://consdetroit.esteri.it/consolato_detroit/it/i_servizi/per_i_cittadini/cittadinanza/eligibility-verification.html. 

Dan Possumato is a former Professor at the Army Management Staff College, Fort Belvoir, VA and is a retired Department of the Army Civilian. He possesses both US and Italian citizenship.