Italian citizenship is based on the principle of “ius sanguinis”. According to this principle, children born to an Italian father or mother are Italian, provided that the first ascendant born in Italy has not died in Italy or abroad before March 17, 1861, the day on which the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed.

The Constitution of the Italian Republic became effective on January 1, 1948, and those individuals born hereafter may apply for citizenship through administrative proceedings. To obtain the recognition of this right, the interested party must document his/her family tree, to prove his/her Italian ancestry. The problem is that, unlike men, women transmit citizenship through these administrative proceedings exclusively to children born after 1948.

When it is not possible to obtain citizenship through administrative proceedings because the descendants descend from a woman born before 1948, Italian citizenship may be recognized by a court decision issued by an Italian Court of Justice. In this circumstance, citizenship can only be applied for by a lawyer in Italy.

Sefar Universal will handle, on behalf of the client, those legal claims before the Italian Court of Justice to obtain Italian citizenship. The Genealogy and History Department will first draw up the mandatory report which will clearly state the applicant’s Italian ancestry, an indispensable prerequisite for starting this process. Our team has detailed knowledge of Italian case-law, which allows us to present the lawsuit properly

Advantages: It is not necessary for the applicant(s) to be in Italy during the process, something that would be necessary when processing citizenship through administrative proceedings.