CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

Citizenship by Descent: Your Family Records, Ready to File

Claiming citizenship through a parent or grandparent means assembling birth, marriage, death and naturalization records across generations, each certified, apostilled and often translated. We retrieve records, get the right apostilles and coordinate translation so your application is complete.

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CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

Every generation documented

Retrieval, apostille and translation.

Vital records retrieval
Apostilles from all 50 states
Certified translation
One team for the whole family file

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Why these applications get complicated

Each country sets its own rules for who qualifies and which records it needs, and those rules change. Records often come from several states, so each needs its own apostille, and many countries require translation. Italy, for example, changed its rules in 2025 and now generally limits citizenship by descent to applicants with a parent or grandparent born in Italy. We work from the checklist your consulate or attorney provides and make sure every document is in the right form.

Countries we commonly prepare files for

Italy (see Apostille for Italy)
Ireland (Foreign Births Register)
Germany (restoration and descent)
Greece
Poland
Portugal (see Apostille for Portugal)

Eligibility questions belong with the consulate or a citizenship attorney.

How it works

1
Share your checklist
From your consulate, attorney or application service.
2
We gather the records
Certified birth, marriage and death records from Massachusetts and other states. See Vital Records Retrieval.
3
Apostilles from each state
Each record goes to the state that issued it.
4
Translation
Certified translation into Italian, Portuguese, Greek, German, Polish and more.

Good to know

Name differences

Spelling changes across generations are common. Tell us early so we can plan.

Naturalization records

Federal naturalization records come from federal sources and follow different authentication rules.

Family files

Siblings and cousins often share records. One file can serve the whole family.

Timelines

Some records take weeks to obtain, so start early.

How we organize a family file

We list every person in the line of descent and every record the consulate wants for them: births, marriages, deaths, divorces and naturalization. Then we work out where each record lives and which office can certify it. Records from Massachusetts get a Massachusetts apostille, while records from other states go back to those states. We track it all in one place, so nothing gets lost between generations.

Situations we handle often

A grandparent born abroad

We gather the U.S. records that link you to them across two generations.

Records from several states

Your family moved, so each record goes to a different state for its apostille.

A family file for siblings

We order enough certified copies for everyone applying.

Spelling changes

Your family name was spelled differently over the years, and we help you document the link.

Mistakes we help you avoid

Short-form records. Many consulates want long-form records that show parents' names. We order the version they ask for.
Apostilles from the wrong state. Each record must be apostilled by the state that issued it.
Unexplained name changes. Different spellings across records can hold up an application. Some consulates want an amendment or a "one and the same" affidavit.
Translating before the apostille. Translations often need to cover the apostille too, so we translate after it.

Official sources

We link to official sources so you can check the current rules yourself. Requirements change, and the receiving office always has the final word.

How long it takes

Multi-generation files take time, since older records can be archived and some states are slower than others. Starting with a full list of records lets us request everything at once instead of one at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Can you tell me if I qualify?

No. Eligibility depends on each country's laws, so please ask the consulate or a citizenship attorney. We're notaries and document specialists, not attorneys, so we can't give legal advice, draft documents or explain their legal effect.

Can you get records from other states?

Yes, through our nationwide network.

Do you translate the documents?

Yes, in 65+ languages. See Certified Translation.

Can you work with my citizenship attorney?

Yes. We coordinate directly with attorneys and application services.

Can you find records if I don't know the town?

Often, with enough details. The more you can tell us, the faster we can locate them.

Can one record serve several family members?

Often, yes. Order extra certified copies when you're building files for siblings or cousins.

Do you work with genealogists?

Yes. Genealogists often find the records and we handle certification, apostilles and translation.

Building a citizenship file?

Send us your checklist and we'll map out every record.