Are you looking into applying for Italian citizenship but can’t seem to find out how long the whole process will actually take? Well, getting Italian citizenship is no walk in the park. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster, influenced by many factors. Understanding the logic behind the application-to-citizenship timeline will help ease some of your anxiety about the whole process. Let’s dive into the details of this journey and shed some light on the waiting times and other factors that affect your citizenship application through consulates.
Factors Affecting the Timeline
Consulate of Jurisdiction
In most cases, the timeline will depend on your consulate of jurisdiction. If for example, you are applying in a consulate that has a short waiting time (a month to a couple of months), in the absolute best-case scenario you would be able to apply approximately a year and a half after you first started requesting documents.
This will again depend on the state where most of your and your ancestors’ documents come from. Document request processing times can vary from a month to 9 months depending on the state of origin.
Then for example, if you are applying at a consulate where the waiting time for an appointment is 3 years, even if ready a year early you would have to wait for the appointment.
Following the appointment, the consulate’s recognition times vary again. Most wait the full two years for the recognition, some a year and a half, and only one consulate recognizes the next day (at the moment of writing this article).
All of the above variables can change, depending on the Vital Records and Consulate’s workload or other external factors as was the global pandemic.
For instance, while the Philadelphia consulate might offer a waiting time of 2-3 weeks and there is no significant backlog of appointments, scheduling the actual appointments can prove highly difficult.
Due to the prenot@mi website crashing when all applicants try to book simultaneously, it often takes up to half an hour to access the appointment calendar, which also may already be fully booked when it finally loads for you. Because of this, it might take you months until you finally manage to book an appointment.
To make matters worse, consulates like Boston are booking for 2029.
However, do not get discouraged, because we have a fix for that!
In the past year, many have decided to file their cases in court due to the long waiting times at some consulates. Keep this option in mind while you’re gathering your documents.
Vital Records Processing Times
The processing times for vital records, including birth, marriage, or death certificates, vary widely. Depending on the state of origin, processing durations can range from 2 months to 9 months. Understanding where the majority of your vital records are from is crucial to estimate the timeline accurately.
USCIS Naturalization Records Requirements
Some consulates might have specific requirements regarding USCIS naturalization records. Recent changes in requirements might allow you to present either NARA (National Archives) copies or USCIS copies of naturalization, instead of both, affecting the timeline significantly. Understanding your consulate’s stipulations can streamline the process. While we would suggest always requesting USCIS documentation as well, if your consulate allows you to file the case with NARA documentation only, this means you don’t depend on USCIS’s outrageous processing times – 13 months.
Document Corrections
Consider the potential need for corrections in your documents. The duration for rectifying errors or obtaining amended documents varies by state, influencing the overall timeline. Depending on the state of origin, these durations can range from 2 months to 9 months.
Apostille Processing Times
An Apostille is a special certification validating the authenticity of your documents for international use. It authenticates the seals and signatures of officials on public documents such as birth, marriage, or death certificates.
The Apostille is issued by the authority of each state where the document was issued, usually the Secretary of State. Each of them has a different processing time that needs to be considered for the timeline. It ranges from 3 weeks to 4 months maximum.
Translation of Documents
Once apostilled, documents need translation. Although translations could begin earlier, waiting for apostilles is advisable to prevent discrepancies caused by additional seals or changes during the apostille process.
Consulate’s Processing Times
Each consulate has its processing timeline, generally capped at 2 years by law. However, some consulates may exceed this, while others might expedite the process, issuing confirmations within days.
It’s important to know how long your consulate takes to process applications, and the best way to stay on top of that is to join the numerous communities/groups of applicants on social media.
Calculate the Timeline
To estimate your timeline accurately – add up the duration of all the above-mentioned steps plus factor in some extra time for possible postal service delays, holidays, or unforeseen internal or external elements.
Post-Citizenship Steps
After getting your citizenship, there are still a few steps to take before getting your passport. The consulate will automatically register you, and you should be able to attend your passport appointment as soon as there are openings. But, always adhere to the consulate’s guidelines throughout this process.
Conclusion
While this guide gives you a ballpark figure on your timeline to Italian citizenship, life’s unpredictability can always throw a wrench in your plans.
Keeping up-to-date on your consulate’s processing times and joining online communities are your best bets in nailing your exact timeline. Patience and careful planning are a must on this ride.
To maximize your efforts and save time, we advise hiring citizenship experts who have successfully gone through this process hundreds of times.
Book a Free Discovery Call with our Senior Citizenship Specialist Jelena to get started on your journey!
