Dichiarazione di volontà

Submission of the Dichiarazione di Volontà within three years from the birth of the minor (or from the following day after the legal establishment of the legal determination of parentage, including adoptive, during minority)

The dichiarazione di volontà (declaration of will) for acquiring citizenship must be formal and take place in person, in the presence of an employee authorized to perform civil status functions. If the parents do not make the declaration simultaneously, the legal requirement is considered fulfilled when the second parent’s declaration is presented. If parentage (including adoptive) is established with only one parent (or if the other parent is deceased), only one parent’s declaration will be sufficient (it is the sole responsibility of the applicant to provide valid documentary evidence of this situation).

The declaration of acquisition is submitted at the Consulate by appointment and is subject to verification of the above-mentioned legal conditions. 
As of 1st January 2026, the declarations of acquisition referred to in the previous paragraph will be free of charge. This change is not retroactive and therefore applies only to applications submitted starting from 1st January 2026. No refunds are due for applications already submitted.
NOTE: The fee remains payable for those declaration under the transitional rule (art. 1, c. 1-ter of D.L. n. 36/2025), which must be submitted by 31st May 2026 (the fee is payable for each minor). Please refer to the information provided below for further details.

In case of the establishment of the minor’s legal residence in Italy, the declaration can also be presented after one year from birth. However, the residence must be maintained for at least two continuous years after the declaration of will to acquire citizenship is made by the parents. This case falls outside the competence of the Consulate and is exclusively handled by the local municipalities.

To schedule an appointment to submit the Dichiarazione di Volontà, send an email with the subject “Dichiarazione di Volontà” to the Citizenship Office (cittadinanza.edimburgo@esteri.it), attaching the following documents in PDF format:

1. Birth certificate of at least one Italian parent, issued by the competent Italian Comune;
2. Italian citizenship certificate of at least one Italian parent, issued by the competent Italian Comune, indicating the date of acquisition of Italian citizenship;
3. Original full birth certificate of the minor issued by the competent British authorities, with apostille and certified translation (see HERE). If applicable, include one of the following (properly apostilled and with certified translation if needed) :
   • Recognition of parentage;
   • Judicial declaration of parentage;
   • Adoption order;
   • Documentation proving guardianship or the status of the sole parent of the minor;
4. British passport of the minor, or alternatively, certificate of British citizenship of the minor with apostille and certified translation (see HERE)
5. Recent proof of address (not older than three months): utility bill, council tax, or bank statement;
6. Passports of the parents (both Italian and foreign) and any other foreign passports of the minor.

Where the transitional rule is applied (art. 1, c. 1-ter of D.L. n. 36/2025) , the child must be underage as of May 24, 2025, and the declaration must be regularly signed by both parents by May 31, 2026 (it is the exclusive responsibility of the applicant to organize this on time). In addition to the above-mentioned documents, include:

1. Receipt of the payment of €250. This contribution cannot be paid at the Consulate, only through a bank transfer. The payment receipt must indicate:
   • Beneficiary: “MINISTERO DELL’INTERNO D.L.C.I. – CITTADINANZA”; indirizzo: Via Cavour 6, 00184 ROMA;
   • Payment reason: Acquisto cittadinanza a seguito di dichiarazione ex art. 9-bis L. 91/1992, Name and Surname of the minor;
   • IBAN: IT54D0760103200000000809020;
   • BIC/SWIFT code: BPPIITRRXXX;
   • Name of the receiving bank: POSTE ITALIANE S.P.A.
2. The original certification proving that the parent who is a citizen by birth has been recognized as such based on an administrative or judicial request submitted by 23:59 (Rome time) on March 27, 2025, or based on an application for recognition of Italian citizenship submitted after an appointment communicated by the Consular Office or Municipality by the same date.
   • If the person concerned, who is a minor as of May 24, 2025, reaches the age of majority in the meantime, the declaration must be submitted by them personally by May 31, 2026.
      

PLEASE NOTE: the Consular Office reserves the right to request additional documentation or further information if deemed necessary for the proper processing of the application.

ALL the above documentation must be submitted in original on the day of the appointment.

NOTE: It is not possible to book an appointment by phone.