Assuming you start the process today, it generally takes 6 to 8 weeks for ICGS to obtain your ancestor's birth, marriage or death certificate. The time it takes to procure birth, marriage and death certificates in your state or province varies, but in one case it took the state of California five months to respond to ten certificate requests. Some vital statistics offices do allow you to expedite your requests. You can request your certificates from Italy (through ICGS) and from your state or province (through the appropriate authority) simultaneously, allowing the waiting periods to overlap. As soon as all the certificates from your state or province have arrived, you may have to wait another few weeks for the apostilles or legalizations, though you can usually save time if you go in person. You will need to translate your coutry's certificates into Italian, though this may also be done while you are waiting for the apostilles or legalizations. You can complete the actual application for citizenship jure sanguinis and get it notarized in a day. The biggest question is how long it will take the Italian embassy or consulate to process your application. Experience has shown that it may take anywhere from two weeks to a year. ICGS recommends planning at least six months to a year in advance from the day you start requesting certificates until the day you get confirmation of your citizenship.