Citizenship by descent · Italy
Italian citizenship by descent
If you have an Italian ancestor, your family may be entitled to Italian citizenship recognition and an EU passport. We have worked with families of Italian descent in Chile since 2018, with our own team in Italy.
Law 74/2025 changed the rules of citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis), and the right path now depends on the details of each case: who your ancestor is, how many generations separate you, and whether your family already has recognized citizens. That is why we always start with a free viability assessment.
Who qualifies?
After Law 74/2025, these are the profiles we review most often:
- Recognized Italian citizens who want to register their minor children at the consulate through the declaration provided by Law 74/2025.
- Children and grandchildren of people born in Italy, who still have a direct recognition path.
- People who formally started their process before March 27, 2025 and keep the previous rules for their case.
- Italian citizens who need to register their marriage or update their AIRE status for consular procedures.
Your case is not listed here? It is still worth reviewing: the law includes special situations and every family is different. We will tell you transparently whether your case is viable or not.
How we manage it
Step 01
We assess your case
We review your line of descent, the generations separating you from your Italian ancestor and your family's situation under Law 74/2025. We tell you clearly whether there is a path and which one.
Step 02
We build the file
We gather and review the birth, marriage and death certificates of your family line, manage apostilles and translations, and leave the file ready to submit.
Step 03
We file and stay with you
We guide you through booking the appointment and filing at the consulate, and follow up until the process ends. For minor registrations, you only attend the final appointment.
Timelines and key facts
- Registration of minor children
- Declaration before the consulate under Law 74/2025. The permanent rule sets a fixed, non-extendable deadline: the child must be declared within their first year of life. Preparing the file generally takes 6 to 8 weeks, so it is best to start as soon as the child is born.
- Where it is processed
- At the Italian Consulate in Santiago, without your children traveling to Italy. Judicial cases are filed in Italy through our local team.
- Dual citizenship
- Italy and Chile both allow dual citizenship: you do not give up your Chilean nationality.
Frequently asked questions
What changed with Law 74/2025?
Since March 28, 2025, recognition by descent is generally limited to children and grandchildren of people born in Italy, and a special path was created for recognized citizens to register their minor children through a consular declaration. Cases formally started before the cutoff keep the previous rules. The exact effect depends on each family, which is why we assess case by case.
I am already an Italian citizen. Can my minor children become citizens?
Yes. Law 74/2025 provides a consular declaration for minor children of Italian citizens to acquire citizenship. The permanent rule is strict: it must be filed within the child's first year of life, with no exceptions, so it is best to start as soon as the child is born. We prepare the entire file and you only attend the appointment.
How long does the process take?
It depends on the path. Preparing a minor registration file generally takes 6 to 8 weeks, plus the consulate's appointment availability. Other paths have different timelines. In the free assessment we give you a realistic estimate for your case.
Do I have to travel to Italy?
In the vast majority of cases, no. Minor registrations and consular procedures take place in Santiago. If your case requires filing in Italy, our local team handles it without you traveling.
What documents do I need?
As a baseline, the birth, marriage and death certificates connecting your family line to your Italian ancestor, apostilled and translated. After the assessment we give you a personalized checklist and can locate missing documents for you, in Chile or in Italy.
How much does it cost?
Every case is unique: the fee depends on the path, the number of applicants and the missing documents. After the free consultation we send you a clear, all-inclusive proposal with no surprises.
Did your child just get born and you're already an Italian citizen?
There is no margin: you must declare your child at the consulate within their first year of life. Answer a few questions and we will tell you how to start now. It takes 2 minutes and it is free.
Assess your case in 2 minutesPrefer to talk it through directly? Book your free consultation