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Birth

A minor born abroad to Italian parents is considered an Italian citizen without the requirement of a “declaration of intent” only if at least one of the following conditions is met (However, it will be necessary to ask the Consulate for the transcription of the birth certificate from the competent Italian Comune):

  1. At the time of birth, the minor can exclusively acquire Italian citizenship, meaning they cannot hold or acquire any other citizenship, such as through ius sanguinis, ius soli, citizenship by option, etc. 
  2. At the time of the minor’s birth, a first or second-degree ancestor (parents/grandparents) holds (or held, at the time of their death) exclusively Italian citizenship.
  3. The Italian parent has resided in Italy for at least 2 continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth of the child.

If none of the conditions listed from 1 to 3 apply, the minor born abroad to Italian parents may still acquire Italian citizenship with a declaration of intent from the parents. In this regard, please read the information at the following link: Acquisition of Citizenship by “benefit of law” (minor children born abroad) – Consolato Generale d’Italia di Montreal

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HOW TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR A TRANSCRIPT OF A BIRTH CERTIFICATE TO THE CONSULATE?

If you fall into one of the above categories (1 to 3), you will need to gather all the documentation listed below, under letters A, B, or C, and send it to the Consulate.

The request to the Consulate must be submitted by mail (or courier service); an in-person appointment is not necessary.

The documentation (listed below, under letters A, B, or C), correctly and completely filled out, must be sent by mail or courier to the attention of the “Civil Status” section at the following address:

Consolato Generale d’Italia a Montreal
Sezione Stato Civile
3489 Rue Drummond
Montreal, QC
H3G 1X6

Please note: if the application can be processed as it is correct and complete, the original documents will not be returned.

Please also note that if the marriage of the child’s parents, celebrated abroad, has not yet been transcribed in Italy, it must be done before the birth of the children is transcribed (see Marriage / Civil union – Consolato Generale d’Italia di Montreal).

 

Click on the item of interest for information on the documentation to be sent to the Consulate.

A) Minor child born abroad to a parent who is exclusively an Italian citizen

This is one of the cases of “automatic” transmission of citizenship. The applicant for the transcription of the birth certificate must prove that they possess Italian citizenship exclusively.

Documents to be sent to the Consulate:

  1. Application for registration duly completed;
  2. Original birth certificate duly apostilled by the Canadian authorities (since birth certificates vary from province to province, please refer to the list below for the exact wording of the document in the local language). For information on apostilling documents issued in the province of Quebec, please refer to the Quebec Ministry of Justice (Ministère de la Justice du Québec). To have an apostille affixed to documents issued by the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Autonomous Territory of Nunavut, please refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Global Affairs Canada;
  3. Copy of the Canadian PR Card or Canadian visa/work permit of the parent who only has Italian citizenship;
  4. Documentation relating to any other foreign country in which you have lived since birth. For example: certificate of non-citizenship; certificate of renunciation of foreign citizenship; certificate of non-registration on the electoral roll (if applicable under the laws of the country). Certificates issued by foreign authorities must be legalized or apostilled and translated. For information on legalization or apostille procedures, please consult the website of the Italian Consulate or Embassy in the country concerned.
  5. Full birth certificate of the Italian parent issued by the Italian municipality of birth;
  6. Photocopy of the applicant’s passport (with photo and signature);
  7. Photocopy of the minor’s passport (if available);
  8. Photocopy of the passport or birth certificate of the non-Italian parent (where applicable).
B) Minor child, born abroad, with a grandparent who is exclusively Italian or was exclusively Italian at the time of death

This is one of the cases of “automatic” transmission of citizenship. The applicant for the transcription of the birth certificate must prove that the ascendant (grandparent) possesses, or possessed at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship.

Documents to be sent to the Consulate:

  1. Application for registration duly completed;;
  2. Original birth certificate duly apostilled by the Canadian authorities (since birth certificates vary from province to province, please refer to the list below for the exact wording of the document in the local language). For information on apostilling documents issued in the province of Quebec, please refer to the Quebec Ministry of Justice (Ministère de la Justice du Québec). To have an apostille affixed to documents issued by the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Autonomous Territory of Nunavut, please refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Global Affairs Canada;
  3. Copy of the Canadian PR Card or Canadian visa/work permit of the grandparent who only has Italian citizenship. If these are not available, with reference to the failure to acquire Canadian citizenship, it will be necessary to submit a “Search of Citizenship” with a negative result.
  4. Documentation relating to any other foreign country in which the grandfather/grandmother has lived since birth. For example: certificate of non-citizenship; certificate of renunciation of foreign citizenship; certificate of non-registration on the electoral roll (if applicable under the country’s legislation). Certificates issued by foreign authorities must be legalized or apostilled and translated. For information on legalization or apostille procedures, please consult the website of the Italian Consulate or Embassy in the country concerned.
  5. Full birth certificate of the parent, issued by the Italian municipality of birth;
  6. Full birth certificate of the grandfather, issued by the Italian municipality of birth;
  7. Photocopy of the applicant’s passport (with photo and signature).
  8. Photocopy of grandfather/grandmother’s passport;
  9. Photocopy of the minor’s passport, if available;
  10. Photocopy of the Passport or Birth Certificate of the non-Italian parent (where applicable).
C) A minor child, born abroad to a parent who is an Italian citizen (or adopted by an Italian citizen) by birth or by having subsequently acquired Italian citizenship, who has been resident in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth of the child or the date of adoption.

This is one of the cases of “automatic” transmission of citizenship and refers to parents who are Italian from birth, including those who have been recognized by descent, or who have acquired Italian citizenship, for example by naturalization.
The applicant for the registration of the child’s birth certificate must prove that he or she has been resident in Italy, for at least two continuous years, after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the birth or date of adoption of the child.

Documents to be sent to the Consulate:

  1. Application for registration duly completed;
  2. Original birth certificate duly apostilled by the Canadian authorities (since birth certificates vary from province to province, please refer to the list below for the exact wording of the document in the local language). For information on apostilling documents issued in the province of Quebec, please refer to the Quebec Ministry of Justice (Ministère de la Justice du Québec). To have an apostille affixed to documents issued by the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Autonomous Territory of Nunavut, please refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Global Affairs Canada;
  3. Historical certificate of residence of the Italian parent, to prove residence in Italy for two continuous years before the birth of the minor (to be requested from the competent Italian Municipality).
  4. Certificate of citizenship of the Italian parent with the specification of the place, date and method of acquisition of Italian citizenship, issued by the relevant Italian municipality.
  5. Photocopy of the applicant’s passport (with photo and signature).
  6. Photocopy of the minor’s passport, if available;
  7. Photocopy of the Birth Certificate of the non-Italian parent (where applicable).
D) A minor child, born abroad, who can only and exclusively obtain Italian citizenship

A child born in Canada, except in exceptional circumstances, is usually Canadian by birth. Therefore, the case referred to in point (D) is difficult to apply. In any case, if the newborn cannot (for reasons that must be ascertained) have any other citizenship recognized than Italian citizenship, the request for transcription of the birth certificate can be treated as “automatic transmission”. For more information on this specific case, contact montreal.cittadinanza@esteri.it  

For each province of this consular district, the exact wording of the act of birth and the respective issuing body are shown below:

For civil status documents produced by other Canadian provinces or other countries, it is necessary to contact the competent consular offices for the territory.

For further information: montreal.cittadinanza@esteri.it