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In depth
Consular filing is the process of submitting a citizenship application through the country's consulate in the applicant's country of residence, rather than through a court or ministry in the country of origin. It is the most common filing method for CBD cases.
Consular filing has the advantage of not requiring travel to the country of origin, but the disadvantage of long wait times at popular consulates (Italian consulates in New York and London have 2-4 year appointment backlogs).
Some countries offer alternative filing venues: Italy's 1948 judicial path (filed in Rome), Brazil's in-country administrative filing, and certain Spanish paths require filing with the Ministerio de Justicia in Madrid.
Related terms
Judicial filing is the process of submitting a citizenship application through a court in the country of origin, rather than through a consulate or ministry.
Administrative filing is the process of submitting a citizenship application through a government ministry or agency, rather than through a consulate or court.
A consular appointment is a scheduled meeting at a consulate to submit a citizenship application or complete an interview, often with multi-year wait times at popular consulates.
Citizenship by descent (CBD) is the legal right to acquire a country's citizenship through one's ancestors — typically a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent — without being born in that country, based on the principle of jus sanguinis.
Jus sanguinis (Latin for 'right of blood') is the principle that grants citizenship based on the citizenship of one's parents or ancestors, regardless of where one is born.
Jus soli (Latin for 'right of the soil') grants citizenship based on being born in the territory of the state, regardless of the parents' citizenship.