Italy
Italy beckons to those with ancestral ties as a place to rediscover your roots and reconnect with a cultural heritage that may still shape your family traditions today. For the estimated 17 million Americans with Italian ancestry, citizenship offers the opportunity to transform a family narrative into a tangible connection—where grandparents' stories about sun-drenched olive groves or coastal fishing villages become places you can call home.
Beyond heritage, Italy presents compelling practical advantages. The property market offers remarkable value compared to major U.S. cities, with historic homes in emerging regions like Puglia and Sicily appreciating by 5-10% annually while remaining accessible at €1,500-2,500 per square meter. Tax incentives specifically target new residents, with programs offering significant reductions for pensioners (7% flat tax in southern regions) and remote workers (70% income tax exemption). Meanwhile, Italy's central Mediterranean position provides an ideal European home base with incomparable lifestyle benefits—where daily life naturally balances productivity with pleasure in a way many Americans spend years trying to achieve.
Pathways to Italian Citizenship
By Descent
One of the following family members must hold Italian citizenship for you to qualify:
Parent
Grandparent
Special Cases:
Maternal ancestry: If your Italian ancestor is a woman and her child (your parent, grandparent, etc.) was born before January 1, 1948, different rules apply. While traditional citizenship applications through female ancestors with children born before 1948 were previously restricted, legal pathways now exist through the Italian court system. Second Pass has Italian legal partners who are experts in this process.
Naturalized ancestors: If your Italian ancestor naturalized in another country before their child turned 21, you may not be eligible through that line. However, if they naturalized after their child reached the age of 21, the citizenship line remains intact.
Marriage to an Italian citizen: You can apply for citizenship after two years of legal residence in Italy or three years of marriage if residing abroad.
Disqualifications:
If your Italian ancestor explicitly renounced their citizenship or naturalized in another country before their child turned 21
Serious criminal offenses or security concerns
If you cannot document the unbroken line of descent with official records
Golden Visa
For those without Italian ancestry, the Investor Visa program offers a pathway to residency and eventual citizenship through investment. To qualify, you must make one of these investments:
€2 million in Italian government bonds
€500,000 in an Italian innovative startup
€1 million in an Italian company
€1 million donation to a project of public interest in culture, education, immigration management, scientific research, or heritage preservation
The program grants an initial two-year residence permit, renewable for three-year periods. After ten years of continuous residency, you become eligible to apply for citizenship, subject to language proficiency and integration requirements.
Life as an Italian National
As an Italian citizen, you'll experience the "campanilismo" mindset—a hyper-local identity where residents connect first with their town, then region, and finally as Italians. The 20 distinct regions preserve their own culinary traditions, dialects, and cultural identities—from Sicily's Arab-influenced architecture to Alto Adige's Austrian-inspired villages. Milan operates with a business-focused efficiency, where punctuality is respected and work days typically follow structured hours, while Naples embraces a more relaxed rhythm where impromptu social gatherings are common.
Housing reveals Italy's regional contrasts: €4,500/m² in central Milan versus €1,200/m² in Bari's historic center, while €70,000 can purchase a village home in areas like Abruzzo or Basilicata through restoration programs. In hill towns like Orvieto and coastal gems like Polignano a Mare, €150,000 secures apartments that would cost millions in Rome or Florence.
Italy's two-tier healthcare system pairs the comprehensive public Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (€380 annual contribution for middle-income residents) with affordable private options (€60-80 specialist visits). Prescription medications cost a fraction of American prices, with antibiotics priced at €3-5 and chronic condition medications capped under national pricing controls.
The "passeggiata" evening stroll transforms every town's main street into a social hub around 6pm, while American-Italian communities have established English-language theater groups, book clubs, and business networks in Bologna, Verona, and Lecce. Italy's high-speed Frecciarossa trains connect major cities at 300 km/h, while regional lines reach remote medieval villages, allowing car-free living with weekly markets in local piazzas.
Italy's tax incentives for new residents include the "flat tax" regime (€100,000 annually regardless of worldwide income) and the "impatriate" program offering 70% tax exemptions for professionals relocating their work to Italy. Retirees benefit from a 7% flat tax rate in southern regions, while historic building renovation receives a 110% "superbonus" tax credit.
Benefits of Italian Citizenship
Italian citizenship offers significant advantages that enhance your global mobility and quality of life. Italy fully permits dual citizenship, allowing you to maintain your American nationality while embracing your Italian heritage.
Key benefits include:
The Italian passport ranks among the world's strongest, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 180 countries
Comprehensive healthcare coverage through Italy's highly-rated public healthcare system
Access to Italy's renowned educational institutions at local tuition rates
Right to work anywhere in Italy without employment authorization
Ability to own property without restrictions that apply to non-EU foreign buyers
Access to Italy's extensive consular network providing support during international travel
Italian citizenship also offers potential tax advantages, particularly for new residents who may qualify for special tax regimes designed to attract foreign talent and investment. These programs can provide significant reductions in income tax for qualifying individuals.
Benefits of EU Citizenship
Because Italy is part of the European Union (EU), you're granted access to a wide array of benefits across all 27 EU member countries in Europe:
Freedom to live, work, study, and retire anywhere within the EU without visa requirements
Access to healthcare coverage across the European Union through the EHIC system
Ability to vote and stand as a candidate in European Parliament and municipal elections
Streamlined business operations across the EU single market
Consular protection from any EU member state while traveling internationally
Access tuition rates for EU citizens at universities in any country
Next Steps
If you believe you may qualify for Italian citizenship by descent, here's how to begin your journey:
Take the Second Pass eligibility quiz to receive a personalized assessment of your citizenship options based on your family history.
Start tracing your Italian ancestry through resources like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, or by contacting the comune (municipality) in Italy where your ancestor was born.
Gather initial documentation including birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates for you and your Italian ancestors. Italian documents will need to be requested from the appropriate comune in Italy.
Create a family tree focusing on your Italian lineage, noting birth locations and dates to establish your unbroken connection to Italy.