Studio Settebello - Articles #Missing DocumentsStudio Settebello - Articles #Missing Documentshttps://www.studiosettebello.com/articles/tag/missing-documentsThu, 20 Aug 2026 17:24:31 +0200http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[What Documents Do You Actually Need for Italian Citizenship by Descent?]]>https://www.studiosettebello.com/articles/post/what-documents-do-you-actually-need-for-italian-citizenship-by-descentConfused about Italian citizenship document requirements? Learn why there's no one-size-fits-all list and download the free Ultimate Document Tracker & Checklist to help you get started.]]>

Why There Is No "One-Size-Fits-All"

One of the most frequently searched questions on google from the jure sanguinis community is: what documents do I need to apply for Italian citizenship by descent?


And here’s the answer nobody wants: it depends.


Unfortunately, as much as you may dislike that answer, it’s the truth. Anyone who tries to simplify it or tell you otherwise is lying to you. There is no one-size-fits-all in jure sanguinis cases. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t DIY some of your document collection. 


The trick to understanding what documents you need to collect is attention to detail and experience. You may not have the same level of experience that we have after years of assisting with applications through consulates all over the world, and courts and comuni all over Italy- but don’t let that stop you from getting started!


First thing first- do you qualify? Why waste all the time, money, headache and heartache of building your application portfolio if you don’t even qualify? If you know that you don’t currently qualify, but you’re prepared to make the investment in the hope that the rules will change, that’s fine, too. The point is- don’t walk blindly down this path without knowing where you stand. For a quick overview, take our Italian citizenship by descent eligibility quiz or book a free introductory call to learn more about our Genealogy & Eligibility services.

Next, build a family tree. It’s important to understand your ancestral line so that you can avoid ordering unnecessary documents. You may have more than one Italian ancestor who can serve as the anchor for your application, but you may not know which line is best for your application until after the genealogy research. And sometimes you won't know which line is best until after you start collecting documents. The key here is to pick the most direct line, with the fewest discrepancies, that conform with the strictest interpretation of the laws. That being said, these factors don’t always perfectly align. Sometimes, the best you can do is two out of three.


The basic documents required are birth, marriage, and death certificates for everyone in the direct line. The direct line refers to your parent and grandparent with Italian heritage, not their spouses. You will also need the naturalization or non-naturalization record of your last Italian born ancestor. Check out our article What is Naturalization?: And Why Is It Important?for more information on how to figure out if your ancestor naturalized and how to collect naturalization (or non-naturalization) records for your Italian citizenship application.               

Where things start to get hairy is in the details.

For example:

Was your grandfather married to someone else before your grandmother? You may need to collect his divorce certificate, or his first wife’s death certificate if her passing ended the marriage. But this is only true if your grandfather is in your direct line- if your grandmother is your last born Italian ancestor, these extra documents are unnecessary!


Are you applying judicially through an Italian court? You likely won’t need the death certificates, unless there is a name discrepancy- such as anglicization like Paolo > Paul- that can be explained on the death certificate with an AKA (also known as). But be careful that the death certificate doesn’t have any additional discrepancies that could cause more problems than it resolves!


Are you applying at a consulate? Which one? Because some consulates require the birth certificates for the spouses of your in-line ancestors, but usually a photocopy will suffice- no Apostille or translation needed! Check your consulate's website for exact information.


Does the surname of your last Italian born ancestor change multiple times across vital records or over the generations? Resolving this issue may require a Court Ordered Declaratory Judgement- sometimes referred to as OATS (One And The Same).


Preparing your documents for a successful application is a lot of hard work. To help you get started, we’ve created a free tool. Download The Ultimate Document Tracker & Checklist here and book a free introductory call to learn more about how we can help you.

Book a Free Introductory Call
]]>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:54:09 +0200<![CDATA[In the Absence of Evidence]]>https://www.studiosettebello.com/articles/post/in-the-absence-of-evidence-how-to-deal-with-missing-recordsDon’t let a missing document derail your Italian citizenship dreams. Explore how to creatively verify your ancestry when the paper trail goes cold.]]>

How to Deal with Missing Records

What do you mean, my grandparents weren’t married?!


        Does this sound familiar? Maybe it was your parents. Or maybe you’re missing a vital record because of a fire or an earthquake. It could even be that the document never existed in the first place. Don’t freak out just yet- there are several ways around a missing document.

        If you’ve read my article The Truth in the Cashbox, you’ll know that you can’t always trust what your family tells you. In their defense, lies aren’t always intentional. Many of us in the Italian diaspora have heard similar stories like ‘your great grandmother was the illegitimate child of a nobleman!’, or even simply, ‘your grandfather was born in the US, not Italy!’. In my lineage, both of these stories appeared (in some cases for more than one ancestor). But it was the lie that my grandparents were married that led to my next major road bump- what do you do when the document you need doesn’t exist?

       Without my grandparents' marriage certificate, I needed to find another way to prove my father’s paternity. The line I used to apply for citizenship back in 2024 was Me < My Father < My Grandfather < My Great Grandfather. Although my grandfather was listed on my father’s birth certificate, it cannot be relied on as sufficient proof. If you have a similar issue and need to prove paternity for someone in your line, the easiest way to do so is to have an official document drawn up where the father acknowledges the next in line as their child. The obvious issue here, as it was in my case, is when the family members in question are no longer living.

        The next route I explored was church records. In many cases, a sacramental certificate issued by a church in place of a marriage certificate, or a baptismal certificate in place of a birth certificate is an acceptable form of documentation. Unfortunately, there was no church record of my grandparents’ marriage because they never married, not in the eyes of the government or god. However, if I was able to locate my father’s baptism certificate, and it just happened to include my grandfather’s signature, it would have been the perfect example of proof of paternity. Although I successfully located and received a copy of my father’s baptism certificate with my grandfather listed as my father’s father, it did not bear his signature. I had the document notarized and Apostilled, just in case.

Another reliable option is a Last Will and Testament where the parent either claimed paternity for their child or bequeathed property or belongings to them as their heir. This was my best chance at finding an alternative to my grandparents’ marriage certificate. In my childhood, I visited my grandfather’s house many times. After his passing, I remember the discord between my divorced parents and my grandmother, who all felt entitled to a fair share. But my father was the only one listed on the deed. This was the key. 

My grandpa Sal in front of his house.

First, I searched for my grandfather’s will in the local county where his house was, then in the county where he lived prior, both to no avail. After diving into a rabbit hole of research, I discovered that the deed to the house was considered public and could be requested through the local county. If the Will didn’t exist, there would still be evidence in the transference of the deed from my grandfather to my father. Alas, the high from my ingenious discovery was short lived. My grandfather had purchased the land long before there was even a proper street name, let alone an address. I used google maps and my memory to try to decipher the correct address, all the while cross referencing the county’s website. I was exhausted, so I put the matter to rest, and figured I would pick back up on it in the morning.

The next morning, when trying to log back into the website for the county clerk’s office I was met with an alert- the website was indefinitely offline due to a hacker! Just my luck! I was so close! I waited a few weeks, but the itch to get my hands on the lynchpin document was too great. I wrote out a detailed letter explaining what I was looking for, a few possible addresses, a copy of my photo ID, and a cashier’s check for the payment. Two weeks later, I had the deed in my hands. Shaking, I tore through it until I finally found the line that specifically stated my grandfather transferred the deed to his son, my father! 

As I write this recollection, I understand just how fortunate I am that I was able to locate this document- which was later waived away and dismissed by the comune worker as unnecessary. You can read all about my application in Italy in my article Piano, Piano. After my sister and I completed this process for ourselves, I became passionate about helping others achieve their goals of being recognized as an Italian citizen. Just as no two people are the same, neither are any two family lines, nor the issues or solutions for their applications. If you’re having trouble locating or replacing a missing record, book a free introductory call to find out how we can help.

On the left, my grandparents holding my newborn father; on the right is the house my grandpa built still in its early stages.
Book a Free Intro Call
]]>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 16:36:05 +0200<![CDATA[A Seemingly Insurmountable Task]]>https://www.studiosettebello.com/articles/post/a-seemingly-insurmountable-task-how-I-made-the-move-from-the-US-to-ItalyMoving to Italy felt like an impossible dream that no one believed in. Discover the real story of how I left the rat race behind and chose to pursue dual citizenship.]]>

How I Made the Move From the US to Italy

When I decided to move to Italy, I knew I couldn’t tell anyone about my plans. The guilt of hiding such a momentous dream evaporated when I finally shared my secret- no one believed me. Not my colleagues, not my neighbors, not my family, or friends. It wasn’t my dream of moving abroad that they doubted- rather, they never thought that I’d actually do it. Some smiled politely, others laughed out loud. My boss flat out refused to hire my replacement even after I’d put in my notice. To them, my dream was a joke.

Outwardly, I continued going through the motions of my old life, as if it were just a movie playing in the background to appease my ADHD, meanwhile I worked tirelessly towards what felt like an insurmountable goal.

In retrospect, making the decision felt  like flipping a switch. I went to bed one night and when I woke up the next morning it was decided. In reality, I had been dreaming of living in Europe since I was in high school. As each year of my adulthood passed by, I witnessed the probability of my dream coming true grow smaller and smaller. It was in 2022, when everyone was trying to pretend that COVID was over, and I was the brokest I’d ever been in my adult life, that I heard about Italian citizenship by descent. 

Although I’d heard about jure sanguinis before, more than a decade earlier from a co-worker, I thought my Italian ancestry was too far back for me to qualify. At the time, I was too overwhelmed as a full time student and employee to do any research. Back then I still had hope that I’d find a great job that would sponsor my move to Europe, I never even contemplated dual citizenship. Maybe it was a Tik-Tok video or a Facebook post, I don’t remember now, but in August of 2022 I realized that my sister and I just might be eligible and I dove in. 

The timing was perfect, though in the moment it didn’t feel that way. After COVID my career was gone. I was an under-employed, jaded millennial, disillusioned with US politics and the mirage of the American Dream. I was burnt out from the perpetual rat race and I didn’t want to worry anymore about my lack of health insurance snowballing me into bankruptcy. Don’t get me wrong, Europe has its share of problems too- especially Italy. It wasn’t so much a “grass is greener” situation as it was a “I’ve got nothing left to lose, why not throw caution to the wind?” It never feels like the right time to go for your dreams. I had already spent too much time playing the game according to everyone else’s rules. I figured if I was going to continue to be miserable, it might as well be because I tried and failed to do things my own way.

            It was terrifying. It still is sometimes. Sometimes I’m awestruck by the beautiful wonder of the ancient buildings in my town and the view of the Mediterranean Sea from my balcony- I pinch myself in disbelief.

This is my real life and I feel so lucky! 

            Other times I lament the loss of being able to jump in my car, swing by the dispensary, and grab a pint of Haagen-Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream on my way back home. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Making this move wasn’t about transplanting my old life onto a new backdrop, and if that is your mindset you’ll certainly fail. It was about challenging what my life could be if I embraced the change, shifted my perspective, and tried something different.


Moving abroad is an enormous feat, but not impossible. It was a series of well organized, measurable tasks. The process demanded patience and flexibility. Things going wrong, or even just differently from my expectations was the norm- so much so that when things went according to plan it made me suspicious. People ask me all the time “how did you do it?” My answer is that I chose it. Not once, not twice, I chose it every day. Every time I was challenged, every time it felt too hard, every time I just wanted to give up or would rather just not exist- I chose it. And I still do. I think that’s true about every hard thing we can do: the real trick isn’t knowing the exact series of steps, or all the potential pitfalls and pain points, it helps, but nothing will make your dreams come true if you are not actively choosing them every single time.


For more details about my genealogy research, preparing my documents for jure sanguinis, and my application in Italy check out my other articles: The Truth in The Cashbox;In The Absence of Evidence; and Piano, Piano.

And for an in depth guide on how to prepare yourself to make a successful move abroad, check out our Pre-Arrival Workbook.


Book a Free Introductory Call
]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:28:57 +0200