Italian citizenship is based upon the principle of “jure sanguinis”. (blood right, according to ancient Latin). This means that a child born to an Italian mother or father also has the right to claim Italian citizenship, regardless of where the child was born.

If you are married or in a civil union with an Italian citizen you may already meet compulsory requirements to apply for Italian citizenship, or you will probably meet them in the near future.

If you have been legally resident in Italy, and you are still resident, you may be eligible for citizenship through residency and apply for Italian citizenship through naturalization.

Italians who voluntarily acquired another citizenship, by naturalisation or by marriage, before 16 August 1992 automatically lost their Italian citizenship. However, they can be eligible to regain it.