A way forward, even with detours
While the traditional jure sanguinis avenue may not be available if your line goes through a female who gave birth to your ancestor before 1948, this could actually work to your benefit.
The nature of claiming Italian citizenship through a 1948 case means you can apply from your home country while bypassing the consulate appointment process entirely. No need to wait years for an appointment slot that may never come.
It’s critical to have an experienced attorney who understands how to properly represent your case in Italian court. This is especially true as the way in which 1948 cases are handled has recently changed in Italy.
We’ll handle every step of the process, avoiding common pitfalls and accounting for these recent changes to get your Italian citizenship as quickly as possible.
Our service includes:
- Document translation
- Legal filings and proceedings
- Dedicated attorney support
What is a 1948 case?
The “1948 case” or “1948 rule” refers to a legal issue related to Italian citizenship by descent. It specifically concerns the descendants of Italian women who gave birth to the following person in the bloodline before January 1, 1948. Prior to that date, Italian citizenship was only passed on to descendent through the male bloodline.
Over the years, a series of court cases have resulted in changes to Italian citizenship laws to address this issue. There is now precedent for upending this outdated bias and claiming citizenship through that female line.
That said, the process is drastically different from the traditional process of claiming Italian citizenship through jure sanguinis. It requires hiring an attorney to specifically fight your case in Italian court.
While there is precedent, the process still involves legal challenges and must be won on a case-by-case basis and may require demonstrating that the discrimination in citizenship transmission before 1948 was unconstitutional.
Additionally, the way 1948 cases are handled in Italy recently changed. This has disrupted and delayed numerous cases where the representing attorneys were not familiar enough with the law to navigate the changes.
For all the nuances and issues that come with all this, there are a few silver linings about 1948 cases…
First, you can hire an attorney in Italy to represent your case no matter where you live in the world. Of course, you’ll want to ensure you trust the case to someone like The Italian Passport with extensive experience in these cases who can handle any roadblocks that arise in the process.
Second, this means you don’t have go through the Italian consulate in your country. You can skip the entire process of trying to schedule an appointment and waiting for years of application processing time.
Third, once your 1948 case is complete and you have your Italian citizenship, that citizenship is no different than if it were obtained through jure sanguinis. You’re able to pass it on to future generations with no issue.
Sound like you’re eligible? Take our eligibility quiz and let’s talk.
Confirm your eligibility
Confirm your eligibility and find the most advantageous path to acquire your Italian citizenship.
Gather your documents
Collect and prepare all the documents for your citizenship application (or let us do it for you).
Apply for recognition
Leave the bureaucracy up to us as we initiate the legal proceedings for your specific case.
Receive your passport
Live out your Italian dreams without limits, all thanks to your new Italian citizenship.
