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In depth
Naturalization is the legal process by which a non-citizen acquires the citizenship of a country, typically after meeting residency, language, and integration requirements. It is distinct from citizenship by descent, which is acquired at birth through one's parents or ancestors.
In the context of CBD, naturalization is critical because an ancestor's naturalization in another country can break the citizenship chain — depending on the timing relative to the next child's birth. In Italy, for example, if the ancestor naturalized BEFORE the next child's birth, the chain is broken; if AFTER, the chain is intact.
Naturalization can be voluntary (the ancestor chose to naturalize) or involuntary (the ancestor was deemed to have lost original citizenship by operation of law, such as under the Nazi Reichsbürgergesetz). Involuntary naturalization is often grounds for restitution.
Example
An Italian who emigrated to the US in 1920 and naturalized as a US citizen in 1925 — after his son was born in 1923 — preserved Italian citizenship for his descendants.
Related terms
Denaturalization is the legal revocation of a person's citizenship, typically on grounds of fraud, disloyalty, or — historically — persecution.
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.
Renunciation is the voluntary act of giving up one's citizenship, typically by making a formal declaration to the country's consulate or ministry.
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.
Dual citizenship (also called multiple citizenship) is the status of being a citizen of two or more countries simultaneously, with the rights and obligations of each.