Nationality rules differ enormously between countries, and this is not a page that can tell you whether you qualify. Some countries pass citizenship down indefinitely; others stop at one generation born abroad, require registration before a deadline, or do not permit dual nationality at all. What follows is how to find out for San Marino, and what to settle before you spend anything.
Quick facts
San Marino has three consular offices in the United States, in Park Ridge, San Francisco and Troy. With more than one, the office that matters is the one whose district covers your state of residence — and that is not always the nearest.
Sammarinese consular offices in the United States
Applications and enquiries go through the office whose district covers your state, though the decision itself is taken in San Marino:
The questions that decide your case
- How far down does descent run? Through a parent is common; through a grandparent is much rarer; through a great-grandparent is unusual anywhere.
- Is there a deadline? Several countries require a child born abroad to be registered within a set period, after which the claim is lost.
- Does San Marino permit dual nationality? Yes. Citizenship is lost only by an act of explicit renunciation, and only where the person declares that the renunciation is needed in order to acquire another citizenship. Taking the U.S. oath does not do that.
- Does the line pass through either parent? Some nationality laws were paternal for decades and were reformed later, sometimes with retroactive effect.
- What obligations come with it? Military service and tax residence attach to nationality in some countries regardless of where you live.
Documents a claim by descent normally rests on
- Birth certificates establishing the unbroken line, each certified for use abroad.
- Marriage certificates covering every change of surname in that line.
- The ancestor’s Sammarinese passport, identity card or other proof of nationality.
- Evidence of whether and when an ancestor naturalised elsewhere, which in some countries breaks the line.
- Translations into Italian where required.
Before spending money on this
Ask the consular office what Sammarinese law actually allows in your circumstances before engaging anyone to help with it. Genealogists and specialist firms exist and can be useful where records are old or scattered, but they are not a substitute for knowing whether the claim exists at all — and that answer is free.
If your own immigration position in the United States is unresolved, take advice from an immigration lawyer before approaching any foreign authority.
Sammarinese citizenship and the U.S. oath
Article 6 of Law 114 of 30 November 2000 provides that Sammarinese citizenship is lost by an act of explicit renunciation, where the applicant expressly declares that the renunciation is necessary in order to acquire another citizenship. There is no provision losing it on the acquisition of a foreign nationality.
Renunciation is presented to the Consiglio Grande e Generale, which takes note of it at its next sitting; the effects run from that moment and do not extend to a spouse or to children born before it.
The article was amended in February 2026, and the amendment narrowed the loss rule rather than widening it: the earlier limb allowing renunciation on proof of already having acquired another citizenship was removed. The direction of travel is toward more tolerance of dual citizenship, not less.
One narrow legacy class is treated differently: people who became Sammarinese by marriage under the pre-2000 rules can lose citizenship if they hold another State's nationality and are no longer resident. That is a different situation from a Sammarinese by origin.
Checked on 7 October 2026 against Law 114/2000 and its 2026 amendment in the archive of the Consiglio Grande e Generale.
Office names, addresses and telephone numbers on this page come from our directory, and the count above is taken from the same records as the listing. Procedural rules come from the authority itself — always confirm with the office that covers you. Apostille status checked against the HCCH official status table on 2026-10-05.