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ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP

What are the pros and cons of having Italian dual citizenship?

For most international residents looking to stay in Italy for the long term, having dual citizenship is a bonus. But are there any drawbacks? Here's what the experts say.

Published: 24 May 2024 11:27 CEST
Updated: 26 May 2024 17:42 CEST
What are the pros and cons of having Italian dual citizenship?
Carlo Forte, Sardinia. Having dual nationality can open up a world of opportunities for Italy's international residents. Photo by Laura Lugaresi on Unsplash

Obtaining Italian citizenship and becoming a dual national is an attractive idea for many.

Not only does dual citizenship grant access to rights in Italy that residents don’t have, it also allows you to keep your rights in your home country (as long as your country allows dual citizenship.)

There are three main routes to obtaining Italian citizenship: naturalisation, ancestry, or marriage. The ancestry route, known as jure sanguinis or ‘right of blood’, is by far the most popular way to obtain Italian, or dual, citizenship.

READ ALSO: An expert guide to getting Italian citizenship via ancestry

The Local spoke to Elze Obrikyte, Senior Associate at Giambrone Law, and Jason LoPresti from Italian Dual Citizenship about the advantages and disadvantages to be aware of.

The benefits:

Freedom of movement

If you have Italian citizenship, this eases travel to not only Italy but to and within the Schengen zone for third-country nationals. You also benefit from freedom of movement rules allowing citizens to live and work in any of the 27 European Union member states. 

“Being an Italian citizen allows you to enjoy all the rights of European nationals without any particular restrictions,” says Obrikyte. 

“Italian immigration is rather strict, even if the new digital nomad visa will allow for more flexibility, but on the whole it is not easy for a third country national to transfer to Italy.”

“Getting dual citizenship eliminates this.”

Voting rights

Often living solely as a resident in Italy does not grant you access to vote in local and national elections. Obrikyte says this is ‘extremely important’ for dual nationals as they should have a say in what happens in their country. 

READ ALSO: Italy grants citizenship to more people than any other EU country

LoPresti adds that dual citizens do not have to be residing in Italy to vote in national elections. They can live elsewhere and vote via mail (circoscrizione estero).

Tax benefits

While foreigners who are not resident in Italy can buy property, dual citizens who are not resident in the country can purchase a house with lower taxation rates, provided they transfer residence within 18 months. They have the same rights in this case as people residing in Italy.

“It is a definite bonus when buying,” says Obrikyte. 

READ ALSO: Five surprising things to know about applying for Italian citizenship via ancestry

Such reductions include less in VAT (IVA) and registration tax for a first home purchase.

Italian citizens or foreign citizens resident in the country pay a two-percent registration tax and four percent VAT, which is lower than the rate paid by non-residents. Italian citizens do not have to be living in Italy upon purchase to be eligible for this rate.

Many people – US nationals in particular – are worried about double taxation if they obtain dual citizenship, but tax experts are clear that obtaining Italian citizenship in itself should not affect tax obligations in Italy and that tax treaties usually apply.

Employment opportunities

Having the right to live and work in Italy (or another EU member state) visa-free is a major advantage, the experts point out.

“Imagine you work for an international company in your home country and your ideal position opens up in Italy,” LoPresti says. “Of course the employer may favour someone who already has Italian citizenship as they won’t have to apply for a work visa.”

And should you want to apply for a job in the public sector in Italy, these are only open to Italian citizens.

“I think not only would this be advantageous in terms of work for the new Italian passport holder,” says Obrikyte, “but it would also be advantageous to them in a sense of belonging as they’d be part of working directly for the state.”

Italy, passport

Having Italian passport brings numerous advantages for third-country nationals. Photo by Cristian Sorto / Getty Images

Advantages for children

“One big thing which must not be forgotten is how having Italian citizenship may benefit future generations,” says LoPresti.

“Passing this along to your offspring and their offspring would be extremely beneficial.”

READ ALSO: Will my children get an Italian passport if born in Italy?

Unlike citizenship of some countries, such as the UK, Italian citizenship can be passed onto an unlimited number of generations – regardless of which country the future generations are born in.

The drawbacks

Renewing passports

“Renewing one passport is tricky enough,” says LoPresti. “Imagine having to renew two. Now that is a fair bit of work.”

Renewing an Italian passport is not known to be particularly quick or easy: Italy in 2024 introduced a priority line after waiting times for renewals rose to as much as ten months.

Time and effort

While applying for Italian citizenship by descent is the most popular option, it’s not always straightforward and waiting times are increasingly long.

“If you are deciding to go down the route of jus sanguinis, be prepared for the amount of documentation you will have to provide,” warns LoPresti. 

READ ALSO: Who is entitled to Italian citizenship by descent and how to apply for it

He adds it usually takes the longest to clear and carries the most requirements compared to other routes to Italian citizenship, particularly as documentation has to be from two countries rather than one.

High costs

Applications for Italian citizenship are not cheap, particularly if you need the help of a legal professional, which is very often the case.

“To do it properly with a lawyer may cost thousands,” says Obrikyte. 

For LoPresti, the amount depends on several factors: “The type of case an individual has, the package they are choosing, and the number of applicants (family members) they are adding to their application all amounts to the overall cost.

READ ALSO: Revealed: How much it really costs to get Italian citizenship via ancestry.

“The average cost to complete the services professionally is about $6,000-$13,000,” he adds.

“However, many people apply as a group with other family members in the bloodline so they can split and share the total costs, which can drastically reduce their cost per person.”

Either way, the experts agree that there are very few disadvantages to getting Italian dual citizenship. Despite the cost and time involved in applying, being an Italian citizen comes with numerous advantages, particularly if you want to live in Italy long-term.

Find more information in The Local’s Italian citizenship section.

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LIVING IN ITALY

‘They particularly like Americans’: What life in Naples is really like for foreigners

Naples is seen as one of the most dangerous cities in Italy. But beyond the stereotypes and the bad reputation, what is it actually like as a place to live today?

Published: 11 June 2024 14:00 CEST
Updated: 16 June 2024 08:21 CEST
‘They particularly like Americans’: What life in Naples is really like for foreigners

There are no two ways about it: Naples has gotten a pretty bad rap when it comes to its image on a national and global level. Media reports often focus on rubbish-strewn streets, high levels of pickpocketing, corruption, and mafia activity.

It consistently ranks among the ten Italian cities with the highest crime rates, and car insurance prices are the most costly in the country, largely due to theft and accidents.

At the same time, the city is beloved by tourists, not least for its vibrant culture, artwork and food.

So what is it actually like as a place to live? Should anyone thinking of relocating to Naples be concerned by the negative stereotypes and worrying statistics?

We asked international Naples residents in the Facebook group Living Abroad in Naples 2 what they really think about life in the city often nicknamed Partenope.

“People, ninety nine percent of the Neapolitans will give you the shirt off their back. They particularly like Americans, and they love kids,” Thomas Braden, originally from New Jersey, tells The Local.

He was on active duty with the US Navy and expected to be posted to Germany. However, there was a mix-up and he was offered a position in Naples instead.

READ MORE: Why are Trento and Bolzano rated the best places to live in Italy?

“We asked for the weekend to sort it out, drove down to Naples and visited a Navy friend who was living in Monte di Procida with a view of the sea, and well, we were sold,” he continues.

Bar the sight of the sea, what has kept Thomas here is the food, the low prices, the way of enjoying life, the history and the thrill of driving. 

“I love the driving, it’s a very liberating sport,” he says.

But as with any city, there are bad points too. 

“Crime is a concern, but nothing like it was ten years ago – if you weren’t here then, you can’t appreciate how much has been done by the mayors of Naples and Pozzuoli and others to clean up the crime. And the grime. Trash used to be a huge concern – the EU fixed that,” Thomas says. 

It was the grime and crime that struck him when he first came to Naples in 2009. Nowadays there is a marked difference as he mentions parts of downtown Naples that he “wouldn’t walk down at noon on a Sunday with an armed escort” now have spritz stands lined along some of the streets.

REVEALED: The Italian cities with the highest crime rates

When asked about whether the city deserves its reputation, he says: “Like New Jersey, Naples gets a well-loved, well-earned bad rap (that they also wear with some pride). But you get out of this city, exactly what you invest in your relationship with her. 

“What level of effort do you devote and open yourself to trying to understand her, and dare I say love her? Ugly feet and all.”

International resident Amy transferred from the US after getting a job offer. She had visited areas in Italy such as Udine before, but wanted to check out Naples before making the leap.

“Initially, the way people drive in Napoli was extremely frightening to me as well. Driving in Napoli is like being a Nascar driver, minus the helmet,” she says.

Flags and scarves decorating a street in the Spanish Quarter district of central Naples. Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP.

She recounts some bad experiences walking around the outskirts of the city, with men rolling down their windows and asking “How much?” and supposes this assumption of prostitution was made because she is African American.

“In my experience, the worst thing about Napoli is the few people who have immature minds and think negatively about Black people,” she says.

Other negatives are the road closures, the overpriced taxis and Google Maps not syncing correctly with the city, she adds.

However, despite the ignorance shown by a few, Amy says the best thing about Naples is the Neapolitan people.

“The thing about Neapolitans is that they either love you or hate you, there is no middle, and I admire that.

“I have made some amazing life-long friends here in Naples, ” she says, recalling when her car broke down and two soldiers crossed a busy road to help her out.

Other than on the outskirts, Amy says she feels safe walking around alone.

“I do not encourage visitors to the city to drive though,” she adds.

READ MORE: Which are the Italian cities with the best climate?

Katy Newton, originally from the East Riding of Yorkshire in the UK, came to Naples for a holiday and stayed for the romance. 

“The majority of people are friendly and I always found it incredible how people can just carry on daily life living between two huge volcanoes,” she says. 

“It reminds me of a lot of cities in the north of England, where there isn’t lots of money but people have their priorities right. Family and enjoying life with what you have.”

On the downside, the bad things in Katy’s opinion are that nothing works, no one stops for pedestrians, and there is a lot of piled-up rubbish. Nevertheless, she thinks the city’s danger is over-exaggerated.

“My cousin visited a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with the people, the way of life, the city.”

Still, after four years of living in Naples, Katy and her partner are moving away, but close by. 

“I love the vibe, the shops, food… but I just find the chaos exhausting and after a while for me I just feel a need for a more relaxing, quieter life.

“It’s an experience everyone should experience.”

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