Italian citizens’ children, even if born abroad and possibly holding another nationality, are Italian citizens.
Their birth shall therefore be registered in Italy.
With a view to requesting registration of a birth, the compatriot may apply to the competent diplomatic or consular Representation, with the following documents:
- birth certificate (in original or certified true copy) issued by the Civil Status Office of the foreign country, duly legalised and translated (see section Translation and Legalisation of documents) (v. sezione Traduzione e Legalizzazione dei documenti);
- declaration in lieu of affidavit proving the Italian citizenship of at least one of the parents (if not entered into the consular register).
Alternatively, the compatriot may submit the deed, duly legalised and translated, directly to the Italian Municipality to which he / she belongs (see Article 12, § 11, Presidential Decree No. 396/2000).
Deeds issued by countries that have adhered to the Vienna Convention of September 8, 1976, which provides for the issuance of a multilingual form, are exempt from legalisation and translation. These countries are the following: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. It should be noted that the aforementioned Vienna Convention cannot currently be applied to Greece, which, although being a signatory country, has not yet ratified it.