When I was applying to university in Italy from the U.S., I wished there was a practical how-to online. If you are wondering how to study abroad while still being a student of your home institution in the United States, this post is not for you. This post concerns all those who want to attend an Italian university for their whole academic career and receive a degree from Italy, not from the U.S.

To be continued…

When a person holds dual citizenship s/he has the right to vote, live and work freely in either country. For those who obtain Italian citizenship, this means that s/he will also be allowed to live and work freely in any other E.U. country. That in an of itself is a great advantage to have. The person holding two passports does not in any way give up or forfeit any of his/her rights from the country of birth to obtain new ones in the country of second citizenship. That is a complete misconception.

Literally, dual (or even multiple) citizenship is a status in which a person concurrently considered a citizen under the laws of more than one state. Dual (multiple) citizenship is possible because not all countries use the same laws concerning citizenship. These laws are not mutually exclusive and may vary from place to place. Places like the United States, Austria, St. Kitts and Nevits and Dominica even offer citizenship to those who make extensive financial investments.

As expected, there are many ways to obtain citizenship in any given country and individual countries follow their own rationales as far as bestowing citizenship is concerned. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the most common methods of becoming a national in a state (for our intents and purposes, the terms state and country are interchangeable).

Jus (or jure) sanguinis (Latin: right of the blood): Social policy in which citizenship is not determined by where you were born, but by to whom you were born. In other words, citizenship is bestowed automatically upon birth to those born to a country’s national or those who have an ancestor who is a national or citizen of a state.  States offering jus sanguinis rights to ethnic citizens include but are not limited to Greece, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Israel, Ireland, Spain, and Bulgaria but not France. Many countries provide immigration privileges, but not necessary full citizenship, to people with ethnic ties to their state. These are called leges sanguinis (singular: lex sanguinis) or “blood laws.”

Jus soli (Latin: right of the ground): Also called “birthright citizenship.” Through jus soli, people born in a territory of the related state become citizens of that state. Many developing countries pass citizenship on through this policy. Most notably the United States offers citizenship via jus soli. In other words, those born in the U.S. (save for rare exceptions) are citizens of that country. Other countries which offer citizenship via jus soli include but are not limited to: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela etc.

Jus matrimonii: In jus matrimonii a person obtains citizenship via marriage of a country’s national. Certain countries place different criteria upon which obtaining citizenship via jus matrimonii is contingent. For example, many countries require a minimum period of residence in the country whose citizenship you would like to obtain.

Post to be continued…

What is an apostille?

An apostille, in the bureaucratic sense of the word, is a type of exemplary note for another document. Since the 1961 Hague Convention, apostilles have been used to legalize documents for use in other countries. Documents that have been signed by a notary public (or  take the formal certification from a specific city or state) may be affixed with an apostille and are then ready for international use in all of the countries which signed the Hague Convention.

Sometimes getting an apostille is a complex (but not difficult) process. When I had to get my documents from New York City, I had to visit three offices. The first for the actual certificates, the second for the certification of the notary in that specific borough and then the apostille office. In most U.S. states, a person obtains an original copy of a record and then forwards it to the State department for the apostille. Apostilles usually don’t cost a lot of money. At the time of this article’s publishing, they cost $10 each in New York City.

In countries which didn’t sign the 1961 convention (and therefore don’t have a means to recognize the apostille), foreign documents are legalized by consular officers where the document was issued. Instead of an apostille, they are affixed with a Certificate of Authentication.

Do I have to translate the apostille?

When I went for my Italian citizenship, the apostilles (along with federal naturalization certificates) were the only documents not needing translation. Apostilles usually follow a template and are all worded similarly save for the information contained therein which is different according to each document.

I didn’t translate my apostilles, but Italian consular rules are ever changing and it is advisable to check with a consular officer beforehand. The general rule still is, to the best of my knowledge, that they are not to be translated, but to be sure I would advise checking in. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

One last note: one of my recent clients had to translate his apostilles for the Chicago consulate.

After you fill out the request form, the employees at the office should put it through this little fax machine-like device and a printout of all your info along with the words LONG FORM will be stamped onto your request form. Everyone who works in a vital statistics place is well aware of this term, so don’t worry. If you’re unsure, just tell them you’ll eventually need an Apostille on it. They should know what to do.

Basically as I said before, the Apostille is really just another sheet of paper with some printed info on it, a signature of an official validating it and a gold seal sticker attached on the bottom of the page. In turn, they staple this directly to your document. And with the Apostille, your document is now ready for international use.

Where can I find info online about the different types of records?:
Before we go forward, I want this to be as informative a post as possible so I’m going to let you all know of each way to get a record. There are quite a few ways that records in NYC are filed. Births prior to 1910 are treated as sort of public property and are in the Department of Records (you can order a certified copy online here). Births after 1910 are handled by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (you can also order a certified copy online here, as well as by fax, phone or mail). A death certificate prior to 1949 is in the Department of Records and you can also order online by clicking this link I’ve provided. Death certificates from after 1949 are here.
Marriage certificates prior to 1930 are public record (click here), and as expected, marriages taking place after 1930 aren’t public and you can find info about them here.

Of course, if you’re brave you can get all of them in person.

How do I get a record in person?:
Usually, offices of vital statistics don’t hand out the records to you in person. That’s why you have to fill out a self-addressed envelope (they’ll give you one, or you can bring your own) for them to send it back to you through the mail. I waited about two weeks for all of them to come to me, and the service is generally efficient and they don’t get lost in the mail. Give yourself ample time to do this though because you never know.

WHERE TO GO: BIRTHS PRIOR TO 1910, DEATHS PRIOR TO 1949 AND MARRIAGES PRIOR TO 1930:
31 Chambers Street (the Department of Records)
Hours: M-F (I’m approximating here because I can’t find any specific info online) 9 am to 4 pm
How to get there:
The Brooklyn Bridge station on the 4, 5, 6, and the J, M, Z subway is one block from 31 Chambers Street.

The City Hall Station on the N and R subway, and the Chambers Street Station on the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 and 9 subway all are within a short distance.

This office is in a library-like room, and is kind of creepy, at least in my opinion. There are lots and lots of records here, and old computers where you can search the files. After you get your document, bring the necessary info up to the man at the desk who will do everything for you.

The fee to use the microfilm reader machines is $5 per day. You may consult as many microfilms as you wish for this fee.

BIRTHS 1910-PRESENT AND DEATHS 1949-PRESENT:
125 Worth Street
Hours: M-F 9 am to 4.30 pm,
How you can reach them:

* • #4, 5, or 6 Train to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall
* • J, or M Train to Chambers Street
* • #1, or 2 Train to Chambers Street
* • A or C Train to Chambers Street
* • E Train to Canal Street
* • M1 or M22 Bus to Worth Street

You usually wait on a long line to get into this room, and then wait on another line before going up to one of six windows (I think there are six?). Anyway, most of the windows are closed. Bring a book. Or an iPod!

If I remember correctly, the fee at the time I got my certificates was $15 each.

MARRIAGES 1930-PRESENT:
City Clerk of Manhattan
141 Worth Street
New York, NY 10013
Hours: M-F
How to get there:

Subway: Brooklyn Bridge Station on the 4, 5, & 6 lines; Park Place Station on the 2 & 3 lines; City Hall Station on the N & R lines; Chambers Street Station on the A & C lines
Buses: M1, M6, M15, M22, M103, B51, & express buses serving City Hall area.

Just an aside, this is a pretty nice building and you’ll see lots and lots of beautiful brides in wedding dresses on their special day. People get married here! You’ll fill out a form art the main desk, go into another room, be given a number, and called when everything is ready.

The fee for a Marriage Record for foreign use (Extended Certificate for Foreign Use) is $35 for the first record and $30 for each additional record.

What do I need to bring with me when requesting a document in person?:
If the person is alive you MUST bring a notarized letter from him or her authorizing you to get their birth or marriage certificate. For marriage certificates, you only need the notarized signature of one party. Otherwise, they will not release any form of documentation to you under any circumstances. Bring copies of that person’s ID, and bring your ID as well and you should be good to go.

Also, I paid in cash as not everyone accepts cards.

Okay, so I have my documents all in order and they’re in long form. Now what?:
You made it this far, and you’re well on the way to becoming a citizen! Here’s where the process starts to get time consuming and at times a bit annoying.

Now what you need to do is get these documents notarized or in bureaucratic lingo, authenticated. Basically what this means is that a notary public will staple on a little yellow sheet of paper, put his or her stamp on it, and you’re good to go. This authenticates the original document and makes it ready for the Apostille.

Since all these documents will come from Manhattan (New York County), you need to bring them to the

New York State Supreme Court
60 Centre Street
Hours: M-F 9am to about 4.30pm
How to get there:
On the East side of Manhattan, take the 4, 5, or 6 and get off at “Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall”
On the West side take the IRT Broadway line (1, 2, 3 or 9) and get off at Chambers Street, then walk four blocks east to Centre Street and turn left into Foley Square.

(I usually always take the E and get off at the last stop, though)

This is the building you see on Law & Order and I always think that’s pretty cool (plus if it’s nice out you can eat lunch in the square and enjoy some great people watching). Once, I actually got filmed as an extra! So as perks go besides living, working and freely owning property in the E.U., Italian citizenship might get you on TV!

Anyway, you’re going to go to room 141B, and walk to the left where it says Notary and you’re good to go. They’ll do the documents, give you a receipt, and you bring the receipt to the cashier who will in turn take your money and give you your documents.

Authentications are $3 each document. I always paid in cash.

Now it’s time for the Apostille!:
Finally! It’s time to get the Apostille.

Let’s just do a quick recap. By now, you should have your documents in LONG FORM (or CERTIFIED, whichever term you prefer), as well as a yellow slip on each bearing the seal and signature of the notary at the Supreme Court. The Apostille process cannot be completed until you get the notary’s signature and seal. If you go up to the window at the Apostille office, they’ll turn you immediately away and tell you to go to the County Clerk (at the Supreme Court), so that step is important. Each step, in a way makes the following one possible.

So back to the Apostille. From the Supreme Court, you need to take your documents bearing the notary’s yellow slip signature and stamp to:

NYS Department of State
Certification Unit
123 William Street, 19th floor
Hours: M-F 9.30am – 3.30 pm

Each Apostille is $10. One Apostille is needed for each document, regardless of the number of pages. This building is really nice, and right next to a great Korean restaurant, if you’re so inclined (I sure was!).

So, is that everything?:
Yes! In terms of just having the documents all set you’re good to go! You have everything you need, and now the only thing left to do is to get them translated.

Some helpful hints:
As with anything dealing with bureaucracy it’s SUPER helpful to have a sense of humor about these things, because you’re bound to meet someone who is either ill informed or doesn’t really care what you’re doing. So lighten up, and treat this as a day trip into Manhattan. What’s not to love?

Also, it helps if you bring some sort of snack (if you’re taking the train) because you might get hungry. Or see my points above and go to the Korean place. Anyway, there’s a lot of walking involved and all of the offices are within walking distance. Go on a nice day, and you actually might enjoy it.

Parking is practically nonexistant around these buildings, so it might be best to do as we cityfolk do and take public transportation.

Conclusion:
Wow! That took some time to write. I hope you all find it really informative. If there are any questions, drop me a line. I wish you all only the best of luck, and look for more posts like these in the future including one on how to enroll as a foreign citizen in an Italian University (which, let me tell you, gave me quite a headache!). If there’s anything I can add or if I’ve provided dead links, let me know. And once again, IN BOCCA AL LUPO!

So by now you should know if you apply for citizenship jus sanguinis or not. If you do, congratulations! Welcome to the club, and I hope everything works out of you. But put on some comfy shoes and your game face, because there’s going to be a lot of going from office to office involved.  However, keep in mind that if your heart is set on living in Italy, you can always naturalize (I won’t go into that process here though).

First things first, let’s make up a hypothetical situation so what I’m about to explain makes more sense. Let’s say you’re getting your citizenship through your grandfather who was born in Rome. Okay, good. What you need to do is obtain your grandfather’s birth certificate from Italy. Also, if he married another Italian, you would of course need her birth certificate from Italy (just repeat the following process with her comune). If she were from America, of course that wouldn’t apply. But, moving along…

A few things you need to know about this process: in terms of identification, it’s much easier to obtain a birth certificate from Italy (in the U.S. you’d have to show I.D. and have a notarized letter of release from the person who is on the certificate if they’re still alive). A small fee is charged for issuing the certificate, varying from place to place, but on the average does not exceed Euro 1 (around $ 1.40).

To request birth certificates from Italy:
BIRTH CERTIFICATE (Atto di Nascita), provide full name of person at birth, place and date of birth, name of parents; specify that the document should include the name of the parents.

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE (Atto di Matrimonio), provide full names at birth of both parties, their birthdates, place and date of marriage.

DEATH CERTIFICATE (Certificato di Morte), provide full name at birth of deceased, date and place of birth if available, place and date of death.

If your request is directed to a large city, address it as follows:

Ufficio dello Stato Civile
Comune di ___________
Italy

whereas a request to a small town may simply be addressed:

Comune di ________________
Provincia di _______________
Italy

If you need to do a google search to find the address where to send a request, it’s helpful to look for “Ufficio di Stato Civile (name of your ancestor’s comune)”.

Don’t get too hung up on this part since it really is simple but if you’re not comfortable making these requests on your own, I can do the work for you, just contact me and I’d be more than happy to take that work on.

You got the birth certificate from Italy, now what?:
Congrats! Now what you need to do is get all pertinent certificates from the American side. Let’s say this grandfather of yours is on your paternal side (your dad’s dad). You would need:

Documents for grandfather:

* Grandfather’s birth certificate (from Italy)
* Grandfather’s naturalization certificate (from the U.S. This document is special and need not be translated nor affixed with an apostille, but we’ll get into that later)
* Grandfather’s death certificate (if applicable. This also needs to be translated, and affixed with an apostille)
* Grandfather and grandmother’s marriage certificate (translated, affixed with apostille)

Documents for grandmother:

* Grandmother’s birth certificate (from Italy if applicable. If from U.S., not translated but still affixed with apostille)
* Grandmother’s death certificate (not translated but still affixed with apostille)

Documents for father & mother:

* Father’s birth certificate (translated, affixed with apostille)
* Mother’s birth certificate (not translated but still affixed with apostille)
* Father and mother’s marriage certificate (translated, affixed with apostille)
* Any applicable death certificates.

Documents for you:

* Birth certificate (translated, affixed with apostille)
* Marriage certificate (if applicable, translated and affixed with apostille)

Keep in mind, if you have a spouse, you will need to get their birth certificate and get that affixed with an apostille. If you have kids, they’re going to need their birth certificates and those will be translated and affixed with an apostille as well.

Can I do my own translations?:
Yes. You certainly can. But it is ALWAYS recommended to use a reputable professional.

Do I need to translate all documents?:
No. If you’ve noticed, only the documents pertaining to your “Italian side” (meaning, people who DIRECTLY come from your one Italian ancestor) need to be translated. So, if you’re going through your paternal line, none of your maternal documents (save for any applicable marriage certificates) need to be translated. You MUST affix an apostille on ALL American documents except for the certificate of naturalization, though. No exceptions.

What is an Apostille, anyway?:
Without getting too much into bureaucratic detail, basically an apostille is (at least in New York City), a separate paper stapled to your document which bears a gold seal from the State certifying its legitimacy and allowing it to be used for international purposes from the U.S. to Italy. Nothing more and nothing less.

Why are there so many documents to obtain?:
It’s Italy! You have to have a sense of humor about it!

Okay, so let’s assume you have all the documents ready to go, and you need your apostilles but don’t know where to get them? Check out Part 3!

Are you thinking of applying for Italian citizenship jus sanguinis? This is information you want to take a look at!

Some of you who are looking at this website might be wondering about applying for dual citizenship. America and Italy have an agreement allowing dual citizenship. That means that we can hold both American and Italian passports without having to choose between one or the other (if you have Italian ancestry, of course- or if you naturalize. But for our intents and purposes, I will cover citizenship via ancestry).

The process is not difficult, but unfortunately it is time consuming, and depending on what state you live in it can be a little expensive. I lived in New York City, so all the information contained on this blog is specific to my city. I can definitely vouch for others when they say that New York State is notoriously difficult to deal with, but keep in mind that City and State have different procedures and the City itself is pretty much a piece of cake if you just put your mind to it. I found that City workers were more than helpful in helping me obtain birth, death, marriage certificates, etc. The most important thing is just to go to each respective office prepared and with a game plan.

The first step before trying to obtain Italian citizenship is making sure you’re eligible to apply. There are some basic requirements like your ancestor having been born or immigrated to the U.S. after the formation of the Italian state, a female ancestor being born after 1948, your ancestor naturalizing after the birth of your next ancestor in line (ie: great grandfather naturalizing in 1950, grandfather born in 1920), etc. One cool thing to note is that there is no restriction on the number of generations you go back. So if your great great great x 3 grandfather was born there, as long as he was born in or died in Italy after it became an actual country AND naturalized after the next person in line was born, you’re set.

Says Wikipedia:

Italy: Possibly alone in this respect, bestows citizenship jure sanguinis. There is no limit of generations for the citizenship via blood, but the Italian ancestor born in Italian territories before 1861 had to die after 1861 anywhere (in Italian territory or abroad) but without losing the Italian citizenship before death in order to being able to continue the jure sanguinis chain. This is required because 1861 is the year that the Unification of the Italian territory took place. Another constraint is that each descendant of the ancestor through whom citizenship is claimed jure sanguinis can pass on citizenship only if they were a citizen at the time of the birth of the person to whom they are passing it. So, if one person in the chain renounces or otherwise loses their Italian citizenship, then has a child, that child is not an Italian citizen jure sanguinis. A further constraint is that citizenship could be passed on by women only after January 1, 1948. Those born before that date are not Italian citizens jure sanguinis if their line of descent from an Italian citizen depends on a female at some point.

See if you apply here: http://www.niaf.org/citizenship/index.asp

Part 2 coming soon.

Bad translations come in all shapes and sizes. What can you do to avoid getting one? Here are some simple “rules” to keep in mind:

1. Always choose translators who translate INTO THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE (or a language in which they have native-like fluency, depending on the document).

2. Look for experience. Many greenhorn translators are actually very good, and come to their tasks with fresh, eager eyes. On the other hand, those with experience are of course even better and more dedicated to their work. Translation is an obvious career choice for bilingual people (as well as expatriates), but some delve into their work and then quickly back out when they realize it can actually be quite difficult!

3. Choose the right person for the job. In other words, don’t choose a translator who specializes in legalese to translate that snazzy marketing project for you! I personally would never even attempt to translate some documents because it wouldn’t be fair to the client (or to me). If someone is a graduate with a degree in political science, give them the appropriate document and save the literature translations for someone else.

4. Ask for samples. Contact the translator and ask them for a sample of their work. Give it to a native speaker to proofread if possible. Ask questions, pose comments, strike up a relationship. Anyone who is proud of their work would be more than happy to help you.

Think about how much you care about the document. Make sure to take the time to ask for any clarifications necessary. Don’t give the work to the translator if your gut tells you not to. And remember, the most common misconception about translating is that it is purely mechanical. No two languages in the world share the exact same vocabulary or idioms. There is no way you can just swap words in one language out for the other one 100% of the time. If you appreciate the nuances of a language, it’s important to choose someone who does too.

This post is for those of you out there who might just be starting out doing translations yourselves. You might be wondering how it is that you’ll find your first job or that steady long term client. Or, you might just be shopping around for sites where you can put your CV up and practice translating. In either case, there is one really important thing you can do. One of the best tools you can use when you’re a freelancer is the one you’re using right now– the internet!

The internet is an amazing resource and if you put yourself out there, you can find work. It might not happen overnight, but if you play your cards right you can find a client.

I would recommend setting up a profile on ProZ.com, as well as TranslatorsCafe.com just for good measure. Both sites have forums and discussions, a rating system for both translators and clients, glossaries, and have translation questions you can answer to earn points. Most importantly, clients go there to post jobs- you can send out a quote at any time.

Also, if possible, I would say to open a website. It can be something simple like mine, as long as it’s there. Then, if you frequent any forums make sure to put your website’s URL in your signature.

Another great tip is to put your website URL in the signature of all your emails. That way, word will spread about your great new website.

You may also want to invest in a Skype phone if you’re like me and work and live in a different country from where you were born. I’ll explain. I was born and raised in the U.S. but I live, work, and study in Italy. I have my Italian cell phone, and I have my American Skype phone (with an American number) so everyone in the U.S. can call me using American rates and I’ll get the call here in Italy. It’s really neat.

If you want even more exposure, print out signs and post them around town. Go to schools, libraries, movie theaters.. anywhere with lots of foot traffic.

The last, and probably the best suggestion is to smile. If you send out your CV and project a good attitude, it will come back to you tenfold and you’ll find that work you’re looking for. It takes time, but don’t give up!

All the best.

Possibly alone in this respect, Italy bestows citizenship jure sanguinis. There is no limit of generations for the citizenship via blood, but the Italian ancestor born in Italian territories before 1861 had to die after 1861 anywhere (in Italian territory or abroad) but without losing the Italian citizenship before death in order to being able to continue the jure sanguinis chain. This is required because 1861 is the year that the Unification of the Italian territory took place. Another constraint is that each descendant of the ancestor through whom citizenship is claimed jure sanguinis can pass on citizenship only if they were a citizen at the time of the birth of the person to whom they are passing it. So, if one person in the chain renounces or otherwise loses their Italian citizenship, then has a child, that child is not an Italian citizen jure sanguinis. A further constraint is that citizenship could be passed on by women only after January 1, 1948. Those born before that date are not Italian citizens jure sanguinis if their line of descent from an Italian citizen depends on a female at some point.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_sanguinis

Here is the part where I’m going to update you all from time to time on pertinent news, especially all that’s related to Italy, dual citizenship and translations. Remember, don’t hesitate to contact me for any questions, comments, or suggestions and happy visiting!

-Audra