More than 1.5 million Canadians1 can trace their roots to Italy. From cheerful greetings of “buongiorno!” in Vancouver’s Commercial Drive to espressos sipped in Toronto’s Little Italy, their influence is unmistakable. Canada was a preferred destination when people from Italy started emigrating in droves back in the early to mid-20th century. That’s why today, so many Canadian locals are eligible for Italian citizenship by descent.
At Remitly, we support people navigating life across borders. And being an Italian citizen opens up multiple doors, giving you the right to live and work anywhere within Europe. Whether you plan to work remotely in the European Union or just want to acknowledge your ancestry, this article will walk you through “jure sanguinis”—or right of blood. We’ll cover eligibility, documentation, the consulate process, and what timelines to expect.
What does “Italian citizenship by descent” mean?
Italy determines citizenship by “jure sanguinis” or “iure sanguinis”, the Latin word for “by right of blood”. This means having Italian ancestors may make you eligible to claim citizenship, even if you’ve never lived in or visited the country.
How jure sanguinis works
This principle of international law allows you to inherit Italian citizenship from your parents or grandparents, even if you were born abroad.
Of course, it’s not quite that simple in practice. Claiming that your great-great-great-grandfather was a Roman legionary won’t carry much weight with the Italian government, for example. You must have a provable, documented line of descent from an Italian citizen to demonstrate that you are entitled to claim nationality.
Citizenship by descent vs naturalization
By supporting inheritable citizenship, jure sanguinis is different from citizenship by naturalization, which requires you to live in Italy for at least 10 years. Besides residency, you also need to meet certain legal requirements to become a naturalized Italian citizen.
Who qualifies for Italian citizenship by descent in Canada?
In Italy, jure sanguinis only applies if you can show an uninterrupted line of ancestry back to the country. Let’s take a look at exactly how you can do that.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for Italian citizenship by descent as a Canadian, you must meet certain eligibility requirements:
- Have a first or second degree ancestor who was exclusively an Italian citizen at the time of your birth, or in the case of grandparents, your parent’s birth.
- Your Italian ancestor must not have voluntarily acquired another nationality before August 16, 1992. If they did, they automatically lost their Italian citizenship, which breaks the line of descent. But after 1992, acquiring citizenship in another country doesn’t affect your Italian citizenship.
- If your Italian ancestor was female, they must have given birth to you or your parent after January 1, 1948.
It’s also important to note that having an Italian grandparent doesn’t guarantee citizenship by descent. Ensure that Italian ancestry citizenship was passed on to your parent so that it can be passed on to you.
The 1948 Rule explained
Under the old Italian Citizenship Law of 1912 (Law no. 555), women couldn’t pass on citizenship to their children. But the Italian Constitution, which went into effect on January 1, 1948, changed everything. The new framework granted both men and women the right to transmit citizenship to their children, no matter where they were born.
These new regulations were adopted into the Italian constitution in 1983, but the changes didn’t apply to those born before 1948. Thus, this rule makes accurate documentation essential to trace your lineage back to your Italian ancestors.
How have the laws changed?
Until May 2025, you could claim Italian descent all the way back to an ancestor who was born any time after 1861. As long as all of their descendants never renounced Italian citizenship, it could be passed on to you. But the Italian government recently amended this rule so that now, you can only go back as far as your grandparents.
Eligibility checklist
With so many rules, keeping track of the requirements might be challenging. But this simple checklist will help you quickly determine whether you qualify for Italian ancestry citizenship:
| Factor | Y/N | Description |
| Line of descent |
|
You have an Italian ancestor who has successfully passed citizenship from parent to child in at least two generations. |
|
|
No ancestor in the chain renounced Italian citizenship before their child’s birth. | |
|
|
Your parent or grandparent never renounced Italian citizenship, making it possible for you to inherit it—even if you were born in Canada and automatically became a Canadian citizen at birth. | |
| Ancestry requirements |
|
You have a first-degree ancestor (parent) or second-degree ancestor (grandparent) who was an Italian citizen at the time of their child’s birth (your parent or you). |
|
|
Your Italian ancestor didn’t voluntarily acquire another nationality before August 16, 1992. | |
| Female ancestors |
|
If claiming citizenship through a female ancestor, she gave birth to her child on or after January 1, 1948. |
Essential documents you’ll need
After confirming your eligibility, the next step is gathering all the required documentation. Here’s what you’ll need in every category:
Ancestor documents
What documents should your parent or grandparent provide? Before making an application, ask them for the following:
- Birth certificate of your Italian ancestor, specifically the parent or grandparent born in Italy. You’ll need to contact the “comune” where they were born for this.
- A valid marriage certificate.
- A death certificate, if applicable.
- Identification documents, such as an Italian passport or national ID, to prove that your Italian ancestor never renounced their citizenship. You can also contact Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and request a search of citizenship records.
Descendant documents
As a descendant, you must supply immigration authorities with:
- Birth certificates for you, your parents, or your grandparents, if you’re claiming Italian citizenship through them.
- Marriage certificates for each generation.
- Divorce decrees, if applicable.
- Your passport or other government-issued photo ID.
Supporting evidence
Sometimes, you might be asked to provide additional supporting documentation for your application. This could include:
- Certified copies of Canadian immigration documents demonstrating your ancestors’ nationality.
- Apostilles or legalization to confirm the validity of your Italian citizenship documents.
- Translations into Italian by a certified translator. Your nearest consulate can provide you with a list of approved translators.
How to apply for Italian citizenship in Canada
Claiming Italian citizenship by descent in Canada is a fairly straightforward process. Just follow this simple five-step guide:
- Step 1: Find your consulate. The Italian Consulate in Canada maintains offices in Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver. It also has branches in Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax, Hamilton, and Windsor. The Italian embassy, meanwhile, is based in Ottawa.
- Step 2: Book an appointment through Prenot@mi. This is the only way to get an Italian Consulate appointment.
- Step 3: Fill out the Citizenship Recognition Application Form and sign it at the Consulate in front of the staff.
- Step 4: Submit your documents, supporting evidence, and the application form.
- Step 5: Pay the Consular fee of €600 EUR (about $970 CAD). However, this fee can only be paid in Canadian dollars, and you can find the current exchange rate here. The simplest way is to make your payment via a Canadian debit card and let your bank handle the exchange from European currency. Credit cards are not accepted.
Timelines to expect
Depending on the documents you need, it could take 6 to 18 months to get everything in place. Remember, you’ll need to request a birth certificate from the “comune” where your Italian ancestor was born, and translation can also take some time.
You might also need weeks or even months to book an appointment at the Italian Consulate. The consulates in Toronto and Montréal are especially busy, so it will probably take up to two years to complete local processes there. Smaller consulates may be a little faster, but wait times of 12 or 18 months are not uncommon.
The entire process of claiming your Italian citizenship by descent could take around three to five years. However, by Italian law, the Consulate must process your application in no more than 24 months. The process can be faster, especially if your documents are in order. But if officials have to contact you for additional information or documentation, it could slow things down.
Applying for Italian citizenship from within Italy might be quicker. Luckily, Canadian citizens can travel visa-free through most of Europe.
Related costs
Along with the $970 CAD application fee, budget for translations, postage, and search fees for birth and marriage certificates. These vary between jurisdictions but could be around $20–C$50 CAD for each certificate, and another $50–$100 CAD for legalizing documents.
A certified translator can cost around $40–$60 CAD per page, and if you need legal assistance, the fees could run into the thousands.
Benefits of Italian citizenship for Canadians
Getting Italian citizenship can be time-consuming, so it isn’t something to be taken lightly. At the same time, the benefits are quite extensive:
- Gain the right to live and work in Italy for as long as you want.
- Enjoy the right to live and work anywhere in the EU indefinitely.
- Access Italy’s healthcare, education, and social security systems, although you might need to establish Italian residency for this.
- Pass on your citizenship to your children and future generations.
- Establish a deeper connection to your heritage.
Both Italy and Canada allow dual citizenship, so you don’t need to renounce either. Also, neither country taxes non-resident citizens, and an established tax treaty makes double taxation between the two impossible.
Common challenges and how to overcome them
Missing documents
The main reason citizenship applications are turned down is the lack of supporting documents. This is especially true if you’re applying through a grandparent, as older documents can be harder to find.
To resolve this issue, contact parish churches in Italy if you can’t find the necessary civil records. Or, request alternative evidence, like census records and baptism certificates. Hire a genealogist if you hit a dead end.
Name discrepancies
Names aren’t always spelled consistently across different documents, which can raise a red flag for the authorities. Sometimes, Italian names were Anglicized in Canadian immigration records—for example, changing “Giovanni” to “John”.
Here are some quick fixes
- Request “one and the same” letters from local authorities to explain discrepancies in spelling and names.
- Highlight any discrepancies and provide evidence to prove that the documents are for the same person.
Proving continuous citizenship
One of the hardest things to prove is that your ancestor did not renounce Italian citizenship by gaining citizenship in Canada or elsewhere. Request a citizenship search from IRCC to confirm that your ancestor isn’t a Canadian citizen.
Alternatively, try to obtain an Italian passport or other national ID document to show your ancestor retained Italian citizenship.
Bureaucratic delays
Bureaucracy often moves slowly, both in Canada and in Italy. You may need to make multiple requests and send letters through certified mail to prove what you have submitted.
When dealing with Italian “comuni”, it’s really helpful if you or someone you know can speak Italian. Often, locals don’t like to do business through email, especially in smaller towns; a phone call is much harder to ignore.
Start your Italian citizenship journey today
Italian citizenship is an incredible thing to inherit. It gives you the right to live and work in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, as well as access to the entire European Union. Even if you’re not planning on making a move, it’s nice to have your heritage recognized by the country of your ancestors.
Look through our checklist and see if you’re eligible for Italian citizenship by descent. If so, it’s worth gathering the documents you need to prove your unbroken line of Italian citizenship from your parents or grandparents. It can be a long process, but the rewards are worth it.
FAQs
How long does the Italian citizenship by descent process take in Canada?
Italian law specifies that your application for Italian citizenship through descent must be processed within two years. However, just getting an appointment with the Consulate in Canada can take months, as can gathering the documents you need to support your application. Overall, you could be looking at a three- to five-year journey to claim your citizenship.
Can I apply for Italian citizenship if my ancestor naturalized as a Canadian citizen?
Yes, depending on when it happened. Your Italian ancestor needs to have been an Italian citizen at the time of their children’s birth to pass the citizenship on. So if your Italian grandparent became a Canadian citizen before your parent was born, they would not be eligible, and neither would you. Additionally, if your Italian parent or grandparent became a Canadian citizen after August 16, 1992, naturalization won’t affect their Italian citizenship or your right to inherit it.
Do I need to speak Italian to obtain citizenship by descent?
No, there is no language requirement to obtain Italian citizenship through descent.
What if some of my ancestor’s documents are missing or damaged?
Look for supporting documents. For example, if you can’t get a birth certificate, you may be able to get a marriage certificate or an emigration record from the Italian government confirming an ancestor’s name and date of birth. You could also contact parish churches to see if they still have your ancestor’s baptism records.
Can my children automatically get Italian citizenship if I obtain it?
No. If you become an Italian citizen while your kids live at home with you, they will also gain Italian citizenship, provided they have legally resided in Italy for at least two years or since birth. If you’re not living in Italy, your child must apply for Italian citizenship through you. However, your child’s parent or grandparent needs to have been born in Italy to make them eligible.