With the Italian Citizenship Act n.91/1992, entered into force on 16th August 1992, the Italian law permits an individual to be a citizen of several countries, then the right to have dual or multiple citizenships. Therefore, if it is not prohibited by the laws of other counties or by internationally agreed rules, the Italian law states the possibility to have dual citizenship (e.g. both Italy and the United States allow dual citizenship).

However, there are many countries that do not allow dual citizenship for their citizens, and consequently these countries establish the immediate loss of citizenship for their citizens who acquire the citizenship of another country.
The laws on dual citizenship vary from country to country and may also depend on international agreements between countries.

In some countries, the citizenship is lost in the event that the person becomes a citizen of another country by naturalization, while the citizenship is not lost if the person becomes a citizen of another country by marriage.
Others countries recognize dual citizenship, but provide limitations to the exercise of certain rights such as to vote or to apply for elections.
More, there are countries that admit the possibility to obtain special permission for dual citizenship.

So, it is not always possible to acquire Italian citizenship maintaining the previous one, due to the laws of the country of origin: in these cases, the applicant must make a choice.

In dual citizenship files, it is necessary to consider individual cases and to consult official sources to avoid unpleasant mistakes. ItalianPapers has the knowledge and the expertise to give you the best advice, feel free to contact us.

Avv. Paola Caputi
ItalianPapers