How to register a birth

For a detailed guide on the registration of the birth of a child of an Italian citizen, click here

 

The new article 3 bis of Law 91/92 limits existing procedures for the transmission of citizenship and entails new requirements for the recognition of Italian citizenship and the transcription of deeds in Italy. The new provisions do NOT apply to minors who were born in Italy to Italian parents.

CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH OF A MINOR

Effective from March 27, 2025 A minor born abroad who is the child of an Italian citizen is recognized as an Italian citizen by birth if, in addition to meeting the requirements established by the previous law, ALSO one of the following conditions is met:

Conditions for Citizenship by Birth:

A. Child of an Italian citizen who held ONLY Italian citizenship at the time of the child’s birth.

B. The child of an Italian citizen holding more than one citizenship, who has been resident in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth of the minor.

C. The grandchild of Italian citizen who held only Italian citizenship at the grandchild’s birth or at the time of his or her own death (if it occurred before the grandchild’s birth), and the minor’s parent retained Italian citizenship at that time.

D. If the minor does not fall into any of the above categories but does not possess another citizenship. In this case, documentation proving the minor is only eligible for Italian citizenship must be submitted to the Vital Statistics office by email miami@esteri.it

IMPORTANT: In order to register the birth of the minor, all prior civil status events (e.g. marriage, divorce) must be already registered. Please refer to the transcribing marriage deed, transcribing divorce sections on our website

 

Required Documents:

To be sent EXCLUSIVELY by mail to the address of the Consulate General of Italy in Miami (4000 Ponce del Leon, STE590-Coral Gables 33146- Attn. Vital Statistics office)

1. Birth Registration Application Form, to be downloaded from this site, completed, dated and signed.
2. Original birth certificate with Apostille (or legalization for countries not party to the Hague Apostille Convention). U.S. certificates should always be in the extended format (so-called Long Form or Extended Form showing exact place of birth, date or age and place of birth of parents), according to the manner in which such certificates are issued in individual states.
3. Full italian translation of the birth certificate, complete, true to the original, using day/month/year format. Appropriately legalized if the birth occurred outside the U.S.
4. Copies of valid passports of both parents (only the page with the photo, data and signature) and of the minor’s foreign passport, if possessed.
5. Extract of the birth certificate of the Italian parent and grandparent (in case C) complete with annotations, issued by the municipality of Birth or AIRE registration in Italy.
6. Self-declaration pursuant to Presidential Decree 445/2000 showing the countries of residence of the parent and grandparent (in case C) prior to the birth of the child/grandchild accompanied by ID of the declarant.
7. Documentation proving the non-naturalization of the parent and/or grandparent at the birth of the child/grandchild in the foreign countries of residence.

   Please note: sworn affidavits will not be accepted. Only documentation issued by official sources, duly legalized and translated, will be considered valid. By way of example, to demonstrate possession of only Italian citizenship, the following may be submitted: negative citizenship certificates, statements of renunciation of foreign citizenship, or a valid Green Card.

8. Proof of within the Consular jurisdiction (driver’s license, rental agreement,etc)
9. For case B: Historical residence certificate of the Italian parent to be obtained from the municipality (Comune) of citizenship.

PLEASE NOTE: The regulatory changes introduced allow for the recognition of Italian citizenship by birth (jure sanguinis) to a minor born abroad who is the child of an Italian citizen, EXCLUSIVELY if he or she falls into one of the above categories.

CITIZENSHIP BY BENEFIT OF LAW FOR MINORS (for those in the categories presented above)

Minors born abroad to an Italian parent who does not automatically transmit citizenship may acquire Italian citizenship. However, the minor who benefits from it will not be a citizen by birth (jure sanguinis). According to Article 15 of Law 91/1992, the child acquires citizenship not from birth, but from the day on which legal conditions are fulfilled.

 IMPORTANT: In order to register the birth of the minor, all prior civil status events (e.g. marriage, divorce) must be already registered. Please refer to the transcribing marriage deed, transcribing divorce sections on our website

 

CASE 1

Effective on March 27, 2025, the foreign-born child whose parent is:

• Italian by birth (jure sanguinis)

thus excludes cases of citizenship by naturalization ( art. 9 law 91/1992), benefit of law (art. 4 law 91/92 or art. 10 law 555/1912) reacquisition (articles 13 or 17 law 91/92) juiris communicatione (art. 14 law 91/92)

• in possession of other citizenships as well
• AIRE member and resident of this consular district

may be recognized as Italian BY BENEFIT OF LAW within declaration of will made by parents within one year of birth.

CASE 2

Individuals still minors as of May 24, 2025 that is:

• child of Italian citizen recognized as Italian by birth by March 27, 2025

Or

• child of citizen who has applied on the Prenot@ami portal with an appointment already scheduled as of March 27, 2025

may apply for recognition by benefit of law by submitting documentation to the consulate by May 31, 2026.

Please note: In both cases, the two parents must sign in person at the Consulate a declaration of intent to acquire the child’s citizenship in the presence of the Consular Officer delegated of the exercise of the functions of Vital Statistics.

In case 2 only, if the minor as of May 24, 2025 has since come of age, the presence of the parents is not necessary.

DO NOT SEND BIRTH TRANSCRIPT DOCUMENTATION BY MAIL.

PLEASE NOTE: It is necessary to schedule an appointment to present the documents in person at the Consulate. To do so, please email Statocivile.miami@esteri.it with the subject line “Birth Benefit of Law (Nascita Beneficio di Legge).” We will then schedule your appointment for the earliest available date.

DOCUMENTS TO BRING TO THE APPOINTMENT:

The required ORIGINAL documentation to be handed during the appointment will be:

• Receipt of payment of the 250 euro fee to be paid into the account of the Ministry of the Interior for each applicant;

Beneficiary Account Name: Ministry of the Interior D.L.C.C.I. – Citizenship

 Bank: Poste Italiane SPA / Banco Posta

 Bank address: Viale Europa 175, Rome, Italy

 Reason for payment: applicant’s first and last name: Acquisition of Citizenship following declaration ex art 9bis L91/92 (+ APPLICANT’S NAME AND SURNAME)

IBAN code: IT54D0760103200000000809020

 BIC/Swift Code: BPPIITRRXXX

 For transactions in Eurogiro: PIBPITRA

• Original birth certificate of the child with Apostille (or legalization, for countries not party to the Hague Apostille Convention). U.S. certificates should always be in the extended format (so-called Long Form or Extended Form showing exact place of birth, date or age and place of birth of parents), according to the manner in which such certificates are issued in individual states.
• Full Italian translation of the certificate, complete, true to the original, with dates given in day/month/year format. Appropriately legalized if the birth occurred outside the U.S.
• Certificate of the child’s foreign citizenship (passport or naturalization)
• Copy of parents’ valid passports (only the page with the photo, data and signature).
• Documentation proving that one of the parents is an Italian citizen by birth (for example: confirmation of citizenship recognition jure sanguinis sent to the parent by the Consulate/Embassy/Municipality, or a full copy of the birth certificate).
• Proof of residence in the consular jurisdiction (e.g.: driver’s license, rental agreement…)
• For case 2 in case recognition has not yet taken place: copy of the appointment confirmation email for citizenship recognition received from the Prenot@mi portal or from the institutional email address of the Consular Office responsible for the application.

 

EASY GUIDE TO REGISTERING THE BIRTH OF AN ITALIAN CITIZEN’S CHILD

 

GENERAL RULES:

• If the parents were married abroad but the marriage was not transcribed in Italy, it is also necessary to submit the necessary documentation to carry out the transcription of the marriage in Italy. In fact, civil status events should be transcribed in the chronological order in which they occurred.
• If the parents were married in Italy please attach a signed self-declaration with date and place of marriage.
• If unmarried at the child’s birth, , the following documents should be added to the documentation:
•  Recognition of paternity legalized with Apostille and complete Italian translation conforming to the original.

Acknowledgment of Paternity is known in the US as “Acknowledgment of Paternity” or also as “Certificate of Parentage.” It is usually completed and signed at the hospital facility by the unmarried parents and is then registered along with the birth at the local registrar’s office. It is then available at the same offices where birth certificates are collected.