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The 1948 Path: Your Right to Italian Citizenship Through Your Maternal Line
Understanding the 1948 Rule
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.
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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
Case Filing
Your attorney files the case in the appropriate regional Italian court.
Documentation Review
The court reviews all submitted vital records and lineage evidence.
Judgment
The judge issues a decree recognizing your citizenship.
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.
✔ 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).
❌ 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.
• Ancestor's Marriage Certificate (Estratto diMatrimonio)
• Proof of Non-Naturalization from Italy
• Ancestor's US Naturalization Records (or lack thereof)
• Your Birth Certificate (long form)
Why the 1948 Path Remains Your Best Option
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
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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
Specialized Expertise
Time-saving Process
Proven Success Rate
Document Assistance
Personalized Support
Choose Your Path to Citizenship
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:
Not Included
All Inclusive
Full Service Package
$5,500 USD / Adult Applicant
Includes: Everything from Standard plus:
Extended family relatives join via the Ambassador Program.
💳 Accepted Payment Methods
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Your Path to Italian Citizenship
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Don't let your family's Italian citizenship opportunity slip away
Your ancestors preserved this birthright for you - take action now to secure it for
yourself and future generations