Eligibility quiz
Were you adopted by someone who was an Italian citizen at the time?
Benefits
Benefits for your childBenefits for your child
Italian passport and ID
Italian citizens can get an Italian passport and an electronic identity card.
Live in Italy for life
Italian citizens can enter, live in and return to Italy without a visa or residence permit.
Study in Italy
Italian citizens can study in Italy on the same terms as other Italian citizens.
Work in Italy
Italian citizens can work or run a business in Italy without a work permit.
Get help abroad
Italian consulates provide documents and registration services to Italian citizens abroad.
They can also help citizens in difficulty where possible, including with emergencies, legal and health problems, and limited financial help.
Vote in elections
Italian citizens can vote in elections and referendums if they meet the age and voting-register rules.
Citizens living abroad who are registered with AIRE can vote in the overseas constituency for parliamentary elections and national referendums.
Use public healthcare
Italian citizens living in Italy can use the National Health Service through their local health authority.
Care includes family doctors, children's care, medicines, specialists, hospital care and emergency care.
Get family support
Italian citizens may qualify for payments for children, depending on residence, work and tax or social-security conditions.
The amount depends on family circumstances and income.
Maternity benefits depend on the kind of work and other conditions.
How to apply
Applying in Italy: Italian adoptionApplying in Italy: Italian adoption
Find your town hall
Your adoptive parent should find the civil records office at the town hall where your family lives.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “comune di your city ufficio stato civile cittadinanza per adozione”
Get the adoption order
Your adoptive parent should obtain the final adoption order from the court that issued it.
Find the courtSearches DuckDuckGo for “How can I get a final adoption order from an Italian court for cittadinanza per adozione?”
Gather your documents
Your adoptive parent should prepare the required documents for the town hall.
See required documentsHand in the order
Your adoptive parent should give the adoption order and required documents to the civil records office at your town hall. Your parent can ask the office how to hand them in.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an adoption order for cittadinanza per adozione at the town hall in your city, Italy?”
Wait for citizenship confirmation
Your adoptive parent should wait for the town hall to record the adoption and update your birth record. Once your citizenship is recorded, your parent can apply for an Italian passport for you.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “How is citizenship recorded at an Italian town hall after cittadinanza per adozione?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Adoption documents
Get a copy of your final adoption decision from the office or court that issued it. If your adoption took place outside Italy, also provide the Italian youth court's order recognising it and directing its registration.
Birth certificates *
Get your full birth certificate from the office that registered your birth. If a new birth certificate was issued after your adoption and your office asks for it, include that too.
* Only if your office asks for them.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Registration when living abroad
Italian citizens moving abroad for more than 12 months must register with AIRE, Italy's register of citizens living abroad.
Short stays, seasonal work and some other cases are exempt.
Registration matters for consular services, documents and voting from abroad.
Citizenship can be lost
You can lose citizenship for serving a foreign state or holding foreign public office after Italy orders you to stop, or for certain acts during war.
It can also be lost if your adoption is revoked because of your conduct and you have or gain another citizenship.
You can give it up if you have another citizenship and live or move abroad, or in certain cases if you gained it as a child through a parent.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
🇮🇹 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐙𝐀 𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 🇮🇹
Italian Facebook group for people interested in Italian citizenship
Join on FacebookCittadinanza Italiana 🇮🇹 Informazioni e suggerimenti.
Italian Facebook group for people interested in Italian citizenship
Join on FacebookCittadinanza Italiana Per Stranieri
Italian Facebook group for people interested in Italian citizenship
Join on FacebookConsultation
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