Anyone got Italian dual citizenship?

[smooch]

I'm trying to apply for Italian citizenship through descent from my father, to give me options for working in the EU post-Brexit. I'm finding the Italian Consulate website BAFFLING. I think you need to book an appointment, but the phone line for this is always busy and the online slots are always unavailable. I'd love to know if anyone has successfully managed to do this? My father never registered my birth at the consulate - wish he had! - but he is registered himself and is an Italian citizen. Any advice much appreciated.

Maybe try the forum I linked to ? There's a lot of experience there.

The good news is that as your fathers child, you are an Italian citizen. It really is that simple. It's just a case of having the paperwork.

If the UK consulate is a washout, you'll have to go back to basics, and deal with your fathers commune, which is basically the local town hall, and is usually much better done in person ...

Thanks DGRossetti, looks like I'll have to go to the comune in Italy and do the long, drawn out way. I may be in luck and know someone who works there (or until recently anyway) as I have some Italian friends from my dad's village and I'm still in contact with the family there too. If I have to go to Italy to sort some things out too, I'm sure I'll manage .

I queried the passports and their lack of records and they replied very promptly saying that basically, if the Italian citizen hasn't kept them updated with personal details and addresses, they're removed from the online database. I guess it's not surprising - especially given the length of time.

I'll investigate the forum too.
Thanks for all your help.

I queried the passports and their lack of records and they replied very promptly saying that basically, if the Italian citizen hasn't kept them updated with personal details and addresses, they're removed from the online database. I guess it's not surprising - especially given the length of time.

A good pointer to keep your own details up to date, when you're recognised as a citizen. It'll also ensure you receive polling cards for elections, which is fun . You'll have to get used to reading Italian !

Ha ha, indeed! I'll have to brush up on my Italian and then get the kids to learn it.

I wonder how many other people have been caught out like me?...'Sorry, you haven't heard from me in around 30 years but can I have citizenship and a passport please?' Then we're surprised they can't find records...

This year I went to my local commune in Italy to request information on obtaining a passport. I am registered as AIRE there so thought it would be a straight forward process, which what I wasn't told last year when I had inquired. This year, however, they basically said that there is such a backlog of applicants, and In a round about way blaming the influx of refugees, that we wouldn't stand a chance. They told us to contact the Italian consulate in London. So instead, I asked for a Carta D'identita, cost 6euros, done there and then and allows me to travel within Europe freely. So could that be a better option? Less hassle. But you do need to be registered at your local commune already.

I am at a loss, I am having trouble getting an with appointment in London for jure sanguinus. Does anyone know how to get one or a workaround? My mum is living in Italy, I could go an stay with her and get residency and then obtain a carta d'identita, its not quite as good as citizenship, but citizenship seems impossible, I was not registered in London, even though my mum was AIRE there when she lived in London, but she lives in Italy now.

Surely if you are resident in Italy you are no longer resident in the UK? I don't think you can have dual residency.

I offer no solutions but I can link to this from the Corriere della Sera by way of explanation

Londra: il consolato nel caos

ha caos, agreed.

yes, agreed about residency, I only said it to re-start thrread and because I saw advice about that online, wanted opinions, we are all in the same boat, as if you find it impossible to do citadinazza Londra, then Italy might be easier.

I would like an example of someone that has done it in London - someone is getting those appointments as they disappeat in a flash - unless it is rigged and nobody does..........

the main reason (apart from brexit etc which is separate issue and yes it would be good to be dual) is that I would like a passport soon, My parents are wanting me to be joint on their accounts, to help them pay expenses and they are finding it all too much and only trust me, as they are getting frail etc, they do not want power of attorney etc. No point, tried arguing. (If you know Italians parents you know what I mean!), plus poer of attorney needs Italian ID anyway apparently. The bank wants codice fiscale, but also Italian ID for me or they will not add me as joint. I think I need carta d'identita or passport.

You can get a codice fiscale in Italy by visiting your local (provincial) agenzia delle entrate - some websites claim to give it to you too but, when I tried that, it wasn't quite the same as the one from the AE. You can also use a carta d'identita in order to be added to a bank account. Until the consulate sorts out its appointment system, I'm not going to try to get a passport, my carta d'identita states my Italian citizenship and that's enough if I need to prove it anywhere.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to claim Italian citizenship through a grandparent? My maternal grandmother was Italian, presumably my mum could claim dual citizenship if she wanted to, but does it go any further back than that?

I think it has to be from a parent with the further complication that your mother has to have been born after some date in the 1940s in order to pass her citizenship onto you. If you go to the Italian consulate website, there are explanations about the various ways people can take nationality.

I think it is for Italian mother , the child ordinarily must have been born on or after 1 January 1948

Hi Mrs2Cats,

I am a certified Italian translator registered with the Italian Consulate in London and Dublin. I think this link might be useful: conslondra.esteri.it/consolato_londra/en/i_servizi/per_i_cittadini/cittadinanza/cittadinanzadiscendenzauk.html
Unfortunately I don't have any direct contact with consular officers, but I daily carry out translations for clients who need to register births/marriages/divorces entries at the Consulate.
Best of luck with your application and if you need any Italian-English translations, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Best,
Elena Ferrara

I had a story pop up on my FB a few days ago ...

www.corriere.it/esteri/18_giugno_15/londra-consolato-caos-l-odissea-passaporti-cittadini-italiani-ma-presto-svolta-4329bc14-7077-11e8-8f08-e72858c58491.shtml

350,000 Italians in the UK - second only to Polish (don't hear that mentioned very often, do you ) and the busiest consulate in the world (surprised it eclipses the US ones ?)

Anyway, they're promising to tackle the backlog and improve the system.

incidentally, the picture in the article is not the Consulate ...

Quite a few posts since I last posted! I'll have to keep watching this post.

I've parked the whole thing for the time being.

Interesting post about going to the comune and asking for an ID card.

amblondra.esteri.it/ambasciata_londra/it/ambasciata/ufficio-stampa/news/2018/09/brexit-and-the-rights-of-eu-citizens.html

I'm getting my Italian father's birth certificate apostilled/notorised in preparation for any appointment I might get, but the consulate website states 'original documents will not be returned'. What's that all about? There's no way I'm letting them keep original documents.

Not made any easier by the fact that my Dad wasn't born in Italy! We'll see how it goes...

I suspect you need to get official copies of the birth certificates (yours and his) from whichever authority holds them - in the UK, it costs a few pounds per copy certificate, these are what I used when I applied for Italian citizenship for my children last year. They are official certificates and can be used for this purpose. What the consulate does not want when it says copies is photocopies, photos, scans etc. The certificates are not returned and, if you have not supplied the correct information or made some small mistake on the form, the entire application will be binned unless you supply a stamped addressed envelope. Good luck.

Thank you that's helpful to know. Won't be easy to get an original copy from Ethiopia! My dad was born in what was then Abyssinia. Presumably they won't take anything other than a new version of the original as you say?

In that case it might be worth speaking to someone at the Registry Office (Stato Civile) at the consulate. It is open for phone calls only on Tuesdays between 15.00 and 16.30 and I did manage to get through to them the first afternoon I called but it did take 77 attempts . They were helpful when I spoke to them though so if you are able to take a Tuesday afternoon off and can keep redialling, it is worth the effort.

Hi, just reading through all the comments. I'm a Uk national I ahve mine and my fathers birth certificate. I was never registered in Italy, and by the sounds it's an absolute minefield, as some posts were in 2017, maybe someone can tell me what to do next aside from calling the consular office and never getting an answer.

Many Thanks

Hallo again.

Seems Italian government has really upped the game when it comes to e-citizenship (rather puts the UKs efforts into the "dabbling" category).

If my Italian is up to it, from the end of this month, you can only deal with the consulate via the portal for which you will need a "SPID" which is an ID login which has been verified by a nominated service provider.

More details here:

nullaostalavoro.dlci.interno.it/Ministero/Index2

note that to get a SPID you will need a tax code

secure.jotformpro.com/form/40504918647964

for which you will need proof of residence in the UK, plus your Italian ID.

Current timings are 16 weeks to receive a tax code.

If you have an old consular login, it'll stop working next week (again, if I've read right).

Bona fortuna !

Mamma mia.
Does this mean my old log in won't work next week?...i'm expecting a phone call in Feb (to book an appointment)

I almost think I should just book myself an easy jet flight to Italy and hang out there till I've got a new passport or at least a carta d'identita.