When it comes to acquiring a second passport, Italy is a popular choice for Americans. The country offers a mix of favorable climates, lifestyles, financial opportunities, health, and educational benefits, and more. Not surprisingly, it is among the favorite destinations for entrepreneurs, young families, and retired individuals. The country also has myriad citizenship routes, and citizenship by descent is one of them. If you have Italian roots and want to relocate to the country, you can use your lineage to your advantage. Understanding the process is easy as you can find a detailed explanation on Bersani Law Firm’s website here. But your bloodline can make a difference to the way you approach the process. Let us explain the details.
Jure Sanguinis
According to the Italian citizenship law, anyone born to or adopted by an Italian parent is eligible for citizenship via Jure Sanguinis. You can claim your right even via your grandparents and great-grandparents. But the ancestor should have been a citizen before 1861 when the country was formed and unified. Additionally, they must have retained their citizenship and not given it up by naturalization in another country until the next person in line was born. If you are eligible to apply, you only need to collect the relevant documents and submit them to your local Italian consulate to go ahead with the process.
The 1948 Rule
Things can be a bit different if you want to claim through a female relative. Italian women could not pass on their citizenship rights to their offspring before 1948. So, you can expect to get in a fix if you or your ascendants were born before this year. While the law sounds discriminatory, the Italian government took measures to set things right. The 1948 Rule lets you apply through a female ancestor, but it is a court process rather than an administrative one. You must submit your applications and documentary evidence in court to claim your right via bloodline.
Get the right start
Your lineage is crucial when it comes to accessing Italian citizenship by descent. It determines whether you have to apply through the consulate or court. It makes sense to get your lineage and dates right to pick the right option and apply accordingly. Getting the right start is important to save time, money, and stress. For example, if you have a female ascendant who gave birth before 1948, you need to apply through the 1948 Rule instead of wasting time with the conventional Jure Sanguinis process. It makes sense to consult a citizenship expert and get the right start according to your eligibility.
Claiming the citizenship of Italy by descent requires you to follow a process. It has eligibility norms that decide the roadmap of your journey. Whether you apply through a consulate or court depends on your ancestral bloodline and specific dates. Being aware of these facts helps you speed things up and avoid unnecessary stress. Moreover, hiring an expert to show you the way is the best thing to do.
