ATTENTION! This procedure is intended for adult applicants who wish to obtain Italian citizenship jure sanguinis; for the registration of minors, please consult the dedicated section of the Civil Registry Office: Register a birth – Minors.
Under the new Law No. 91 of 1992, anyone born abroad to an Italian citizen parent is not automatically an Italian citizen; they are considered a citizen only if at least one of the following conditions applies:
a) the Italian citizen parent has resided in Italy for at least 2 consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the date of the child’s birth.
Residence in Italy prior to acquiring Italian citizenship, as well as the residence in Italy of the foreign parent, is not relevant
Click here to view the required documentation
b) a parent or grandparent holds – or held at the time of their death – exclusively Italian citizenship.
Self-declarations regarding the non-possession of other citizenships are not accepted.
Click here to view the required documentation
Procedure
The application for recognition of citizenship by descent must be submitted at the applicant’s place of residence. On the day of the appointment, the applicant must submit all original documents, duly legalized and translated into Italian.
The Office reserves the right to request further evidence and supporting documentation after evaluating the case. The original documents submitted will not be returned and do not expire, regardless of the date indicated by the issuing authorities.
Residents within this consular jurisdiction whose family members have already obtained recognition of citizenship at this Consulate General are invited to contact the Citizenship Office (consolare.johannesburg@esteri.it) one month before their appointment, specifying their personal details and those of the family member(s) already recognized as Italian. In such cases, applicants may submit photocopies of all originals already in our possession but must provide the originals of all other documents required for the reconstruction.
HOW TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Appointments can only be booked through the Prenot@Mi system.
Please note that each appointment is individual; therefore, every applicant must book their own appointment.
Ten days before the appointment, the applicant will receive an email requesting confirmation of the appointment. Failure to confirm will result in the automatic cancellation of the appointment by the system.
The Consulate General of Italy in Johannesburg reminds all users that the Prenot@Mi booking system is entirely free of charge.
We urge all users to beware of anyone claiming to be able to secure appointments more quickly in exchange for payment, and we strongly recommend not paying for any such service.
The Consulate General completely and unequivocally disassociates itself from any website, agency, or individual that may have carried out, or may still be carrying out, such activities, and reserves the right to take the necessary action in the appropriate venues.
PAYMENT
Applications for citizenship jure sanguinis are subject to a fee of 600 euros (at the exchange rate available in the Consular Fees schedule). Payment must be made in South African Rand by debit card on the day of the appointment.
Please note that the payment is independent of the outcome of the application and is non-refundable.