What are the benefits of Italian citizenship?

There are many! It really depends on your life stage as to which will appeal to you most.

For young people, citizenship opens up so many opportunities to study, play sport, work and travel anywhere in the EU without restriction or the need for visas. As you grow, the ability to stay in the EU for longer than 90 days means you can take extended holidays. Purchasing property is simpler. In retirement, heath care costs are covered by the excellent national service.

Do I have to pay tax if I am a citizen of Italy?

The obligation to file a tax return in Italy is linked to residency, not citizenship. You are obliged to file if you spend more than 183 days in the country in any calendar year.

Australia and Italy have a treaty in place to avoid double taxation.

I have Italian ancestry. How do I know if I am eligible to become a citizen?

Italian citizenship is handed down from generation to generation, without limit. Although of course there are conditions!

The most common way the line is broken when citizenship is renounced prior to the birth of the next generation. Before 1992, dual citizenship was not allowed. Many pre- and post-war migrants from Italy to Australia became Australian citizens, therefore giving up their Italian citizenship.

When we check for eligibility, the primary thing we look for it is that there are official records showing that citizenship was not renounced before the birth of the next generation. We are also checking that there are no other reasons your claim would be disqualified.

Finally, we will recommend the pathway through which you are most likely to achieve success. In some cases, you are limited to applying via the Italian courts. Others can only go via the consulates or comunes in Italy.

What other things might impact the success of my application?

If you are eligible, the key challenge is proving your claim through your paperwork. The Italian authorities set a very high bar for what they expect. Finding key documents is essential, particularly those from your ancestors born in Italy. The quality of record keeping and accessibility varies dramatically from region to region across Italy.

Any discrepancies in your data must also be addressed prior to your submission being accepted.

How long does it take to have my claim to citizenship recognised?

This is an excellent question. One that unfortunately does not have a straightforward answer.

If you commence on the Full Service journey with us, we endeavour to have all of your documents collected, amended (where necessary), legalised and translated within six months. If your case is straightforward, this may happen more quickly. If you need many amendments, or if documents are challenging to find, this might take longer.

When you apply to the consulates in Australia, the longest path on the journey will most likely be waiting for your appointment. We work hard to pick up any cancelled appointments, but the wait times at busy locations in Australia can be around two years.

Once you have submitted your application and it has been accepted by the consulate, the wait time depends on the processing that happens between the Australian consular staff and the Italian authorities. Wait times can range from anything between a couple of months to a year or more.

Can I speed this up in any way?

There are a few ways which may be faster than applying via the consulates in Australia. The first is to move to Italy and submit your application here. This can be an excellent option if you dream of moving to Italy soon, and you have the flexibility to live here for at least one year.

Once you arrive in Italy, the time from submission to recognition can be anywhere between three to 12 months. Please submit an enquiry if you feel that this might be a potential pathway for you.

The other pathway to recognition is via the Italian courts. After collecting all documents, instead of waiting for an appointment at a consulate, a lawyer in Italy is engaged to file a case for you. An Italian judge will then decide if you should be granted citizenship. Judgements are taking one to two years at the moment.

This pathway is being used primarily by applicants living in the US and South American countries, who have consulate wait times of eight to ten years in some jurisdictions.