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Record Retrieval
Birth, marriage, death certificates
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Unlock the 1948 Path
The 1948 Path: Your Right to Italian Citizenship Through Your Maternal Line
Even with recent decree changes, descendants of Italian women remain eligible for citizenship under the 1948 Rule. Reclaim your Italian passport and heritage with expert guidance from GlobalPassport.
Understanding the 1948 Rule
The "1948 Rute" is not a law, but a legal precedent created by Italian courts. It addresses gender discrimination in old italian citizenship laws. This interactive timeline expisins the legsl context and shows why the year 1948 is so crucial for applicants with an Italian maternal ancestor.
Pre-1912: The Old Civil Code
Italian citizenship law stated that an Italian woman who married a foreigner automstically lost her Italian citizenship and took her husband's. She could not pass Italian citizenship to her children.
Circa 1910: Your Ancestors' Key Period
Under the law of the time, if your great-grandmother (GGM) was Italian and your great-grandfather was not, their chia (your grandparent) would not have been considered italian at birth. This is the core issue the 1948 Rule corrects.
1912 Citizenship Law
Law no. S55 of 1912 reaffirmed the prevlous principles. Citizenship was primarily transferred from father to child. The maternal line was blocked if the father was not italian.
January 1, 1948: The Constitution Changes Everything
This is the pivotal date.
The new Italian Consttution estabished gender equalty. From this day forward, women could pass chizenship to their children. However, the government applied this only to chidren born "after this date, creating a legal gray area.
The new Italian Consttution estabished gender equalty. From this day forward, women could pass chizenship to their children. However, the government applied this only to chidren born "after this date, creating a legal gray area.
Post-1948: Court Challenges & The '1948 Rule"
The Italian Supreme Court ruled that the gender-discriminatory aspect of the old law was unconstitutional. This landmark decision allows doscondants of itatan women, whose chidron were born booro 1948, to clin citensno redoscover.Because this is a court-created remedy, these cases must almost always be filed in an Italian court.
2009
The Italian Supreme Court rules (JudgmentNo. 4466) that the gender-discriminatory 1912 law is unconstitutional, opening the judicial path.
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How the 1948 Path Works
Unlike consular applications, the 1948 Path is a formal judicial process handled entirely within the Italian court system. An attorney represents you, meaning no travel to Italy is required for the proceedings
1
Case Filing
Your attorney files the case in the appropriate regional Italian court.
2
Documentation Review
The court reviews all submitted vital records and lineage evidence.
3
Judgment
The judge issues a decree recognizing your citizenship.
4
Registration
Your birth record is registered with the Italian municipality of your ancestor.
1948 Path versus U.S. Consulate Path
For most citizenship claims, you apply at an Italian consulate. However, due to the legal nature of the1948 Rule, these cases are almost always rejected by consulates and must be filed directly with the Court of Rome. Understanding the two pathways is key to planning your journey.
🏛️ Court Petition in Italy
This is the standard and recommended path for 1948 cases. You hire a lawyer in Italy to file a lawsuit on your behalf to have your citizenship recognized.
✔ High success Rate: Over 95% if documents are
correct
✔ Faster Timeline: Typically 12-24 months.
✔ No Travel Required: Your lawyer represents you.
❌ Higher Cost: Involves legal fees (typically €3,000
- €10,000).
✔ High success Rate: Over 95% if documents are
correct
✔ Faster Timeline: Typically 12-24 months.
✔ No Travel Required: Your lawyer represents you.
❌ Higher Cost: Involves legal fees (typically €3,000
- €10,000).
🏬 Consular Application
This Is the path for standard (non-1948) cases. You would apply at the Italian consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of residence.
❌ Very Low Success Rate: Consulates are instructed
to reject 1948 cases.
❌ Extremely Long Wait: Appointment backlogs can be 2-10 years.
✔ Lower Initial Cost: No large legal fees upfront.
❌ Guaranteed Denial: Leads to needing to go to court anyway, causing delays.
❌ Very Low Success Rate: Consulates are instructed
to reject 1948 cases.
❌ Extremely Long Wait: Appointment backlogs can be 2-10 years.
✔ Lower Initial Cost: No large legal fees upfront.
❌ Guaranteed Denial: Leads to needing to go to court anyway, causing delays.
Your Documentation Roadmap
A successful citizenship application is built on a solid foundation of official documents. You must prove an unbroken chain of citizenship from your Italian ancestor to you. This interactive checklist outlines the essential records you'll need to gather for a typical 1948 case.
Note: All non-Italian documents must be translated into Italian and have an "Apostille" attached for legal recognition in Italy.
Italian Records (From Italy)
• Ancestor's Birth Certificate (Estratto di Nascita)
• Ancestor's Marriage Certificate (Estratto diMatrimonio)
• Proof of Non-Naturalization from Italy
• Ancestor's Marriage Certificate (Estratto diMatrimonio)
• Proof of Non-Naturalization from Italy
Vital Records (From Your Country)
• All Birth, Marriage, Death Certs in your line
• Ancestor's US Naturalization Records (or lack thereof)
• Your Birth Certificate (long form)
• Ancestor's US Naturalization Records (or lack thereof)
• Your Birth Certificate (long form)
Why the 1948 Path Remains Your Best Option
The courts remain the strongest defender of your citizenship rights
Constitutional Protection
Your citizenship rights are protected by Italy's constitution, which cannot be overridden by administrative decrees.
Established Precedent
Italian courts have consistently ruled in favour of jure sanguinis claims, creating strong legal precedent.
EU Law Protection
European Union citizenship laws provide additional protection against discriminatory national legislation.
Legitimate Expectations
Courts recognize your legitimate expectation to citizenship based on established law and family heritage.
1948 path
Italian Courts
As of June 22, 2022, judicial cases are heard in one of 26 regional courts, called a "Tribunale Ordinario."
UNLOCK YOUR FREEDOM
Connect and Automate Every Step of the Dual Citizenship Application Lifecycle
CitizensbyDescent keeps all your data and the documents that support your ancestral line - easily accessible and up to date. Changes sync across your application, eliminating busy work and keeping you and your family on the same page
Names
Display the names of your family that connect you to your Anchor Ancestor (AA)
Events
Automatically store the key events in your ancestor’s journey to the United States
Dates
Capture the key dates that impacted your AA’s journey to the United States.
Locations
Display the places where these key event occurred (in EU country of origin and in the U.S.)
Navigate the Path with Confidence:
Your Experts at CitizensbyDescent
Why thousands of Americans with Italian heritage trust us with their citizenship journey
Specialized Expertise
Our team focuses exclusively on Italian citizenship applications with deep understanding of the jure sanguinis process.
Time-saving Process
We handle the complex documentation and bureaucratic procedures that would otherwise take months of your time.
Proven Success Rate
Over 95% approval rate with hundreds of successful applications for grandchildren of Italian citizens.
Document Assistance
Expert help obtaining, translating and certifying all required documents from both US and Italian sources.
Personalized Support
Your dedicated case manager guides you through every step of the process with regular updates.
Choose Your Path to Citizenship
Select the plan that fits your needs.
Standard
Basic Package
$1,500 USD /Adult Applicant
1:1 guidance with a dedicated advisor. You retrieve the documents—we tell you what, where, and how. Once your file is complete, we conduct final review.
Includes:
✅ Kickoff call + personal roadmap
✅ Tailored client portal
✅ Prefilled document order forms
✅ Guidance on submission
Not Included
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❌ Authentication/apostille costs
❌ Translation costs
❌ Government Application fee
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All Inclusive
Full Service Package
$6,000 USD / Adult Applicant
*Example 2 Generations
Includes: Everything from Standard plus:
✅ Dedicated case manager & attorney oversight
✅ Full legal support by Italian Legal team
✅ Full document retrieval & apostilles
✅ Certified translations & notarizations
✅ Application prep & submission
✅ Passport issuance assistance
Add your spouse, children, and grandchlidren under one application flow. Our calculator shows a transparent total for your household. Immediate family only.
Extended family relatives join via the Ambassador Program.
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