Make sure that you have a verifiable Italian citizen in your paternal or maternal line. If this is found in your paternal line, there is no limit to the number of generations you must trace backwards. If this is found in your maternal line, you must have been born after Jan. 1, 1948. If you are a woman born before this date, you can only obtain citizenship from your father and subsequently can only transfer yours to your descendants born after this date.
Be sure that the ancestor you are referencing remained an Italian citizen up until the birth of their immediate descendant directly related to you. In other words, if it is your father, he must have been an Italian citizen at least up until the time of your birth, or if it is your grandfather, he must have been an Italian citizen at least up until the time of your father's birth.
Confirm that nobody in the line you are tracing ever renounced their right to Italian citizenship, including yourself.
Apply for Italian citizenship at your nearest Italian embassy or consulate by filling out the necessary forms and providing the necessary documentation (birth certificates, naturalization certificates). The processing of your application can take anywhere between two weeks and one year.
If you are granted citizenship, you may submit your passport application to the nearest embassy or consulate. The processing of a new Italian passport for Italian citizens can take anywhere between one to six weeks.
