PLEASE NOTE! This procedure can be followed only by adults applicants, for the registration of minor children please visit our Registry Office page: Registrare la nascita – Minorenni
Under the new version of Law No. 91/1992, modified by Law n. 74, 23/05/2025, a person born abroad to an Italian parent does not automatically acquire Italian citizenship.
Italian citizenship is granted only if at least one of the following conditions is met:
a) Continuous residence in Italy of the Italian parent
The Italian parent must have lived continuously in Italy for at least two years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the date of birth of the child.
Residences in Italy prior to the acquisition of Italian citizenship, as well as any residence in Italy of the non-Italian parent, are irrelevant.
Documents to submit at the appointment
b) Sole ownership of Italian citizenship by the ancestor
A parent or grandparent must own —or must have owned at the time of their death—only Italian citizenship as of the date of the applicant’s birth. Self-declarations stating the negative ownership of other citizenships are not accepted.
Documents to submit at the appointment
Procedure
Applications for citizenship by descent should be submitted at the consular office of the applicant’s country of permanent residence. On the day of the appointment, the applicant must submit all the documents in original, duly legalised by apostille and translated into Italian.
ATT: In order to be eligible to apply with this Consulate General, Non-British citizens must be in possession of a British residence permit or VISA with 3 years of validity left from the day of the appointment. Users in possession of other short-term VISAs will not be eligible to apply.
This office reserves the right to request additional evidence and supporting documentation at the appointment when assessing the case. The original documents requested have no expiration date and will not be returned.
Family members of Italian citizens already recognized via this office
Applicants, who are resident in this consular district and whose family members have already been recognised Italian by descent through this Consulate General, should contact the Citizenship office via email (cittadinanza.londra@esteri.it ) one month before their appointment, to provide personal data and details of the family members already recognised as Italian. New applicants who fall into this category can simply present photocopies of all the originals already in our possession, in addition to the other original documents required to assess their individual application.
How to Book an Appointment
Appointments must be booked exclusively through the Prenot@Mi system. New slots become available every Monday and Wednesday at 17:00 (local time).
- Each appointment is individual; each applicant must book their own slot.
- Ten days before the appointment, the applicant will receive an email requesting confirmation of the appointment. Failure to confirm so will result in automatic cancellation of the slot.
- This Consulate General reminds all users that the Prenot@Mi system is entirely free of charge. Beware of anyone claiming to secure earlier appointments in exchange for payment; such services should not be paid for. This Consulate General disclaims all responsibility for past or present operators engaging in such activity and reserves the right to take appropriate action.
Consular Fee
Applications for citizenship by descent are subject to a fee of 600 EURO (Consular fees – Consolato Generale d’Italia Londra).
The payment must be made in pounds exclusively by British debit card on the day of the appointment.
Please note that the payment is NON-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the application.