Life: Italian Citizenship Jure Sanguinis

For the last year, I have been doing research trying to figure out if my family has any right to citizenship in Italy. Jure Sanguinis, meaning “right of blood” or “by descent”, is one of the ways someone can claim citizenship or dual citizenship in Italy.

One day last year, Devon and I were having dinner with friends and the topic came up of them still working on getting their citizenship and I mentioned how I wish I was eligible but the research I had done years ago made it seem like I wasn’t. But when I explained my lineage, our friends were adamant that I most likely was and should look into working with people who help cases like mine.

I reached out to a law office that focuses their practice on helping American’s gather all the necessary paperwork, verify their eligibility and file from start to finish with the Italian Embassy. With images of as many birth certificates and immigration cards that I could find and with a family tree of names, I was given the go ahead to start the process but sadly was not financially ready at that time. It was more than 6 months later that I tried to get the process going again with this same law firm but never heard back. They were backed by the BBB so I wasn’t worried about it being a scam so not sure why I never heard back.

Since then, my brother and I went to the local Consulate and received the recommended next steps if we chose to go ahead on our own without legal help. I am supposed to email the main Consulate in San Francisco and give them all of my known data to see if they agree we qualify. If we do, then they will give us the next steps.

We have been warned that it will take several years. But, I have a feeling our case may be even more complex than some as our family went from Italy to Brazil and then we are now in the US. I do not have some documents that are needed to move forward and they need to be found within the Brazilian system. I would say Brazil may rival Italy on complexity when it comes to getting any legal documents. Then everything needs to be translated by an official translator and notarized before they can be submitted.

Here is my lineage:

Maternal Great Grandparents- born Umbriatico, Calabria

We think they were married in Italy when my great grandfather moved to Brazil in the 1920s with his wife to follow a few years later. Neither renounced their Italian citizenship.

They had four living children, including my grandmother who was born shortly after my great grandmother moved to Brazil. My grandmother never renounced her claim to an Italian citizenship.

My mother was born in Brazil and moved to the US in the 1970s but had a Green Card until the 2000s when she was naturalized. She never renounced her claim to an Italian citizenship and hasn’t renounced her Brazilian citizenship.

What I understand, from my research and from what the law office said, since no one renounced their right to an Italian citizenship, we should have eligibility. Fingers crossed!

It has been my dream to live in Europe ever since I was a teenager and visited my freshman year. It was the first place I felt like my soul belonged. I was supposed to attend study abroad college in Italy my Junior year but my mom didn’t let me go because she knew I wouldn’t have come back. And then life just happened! But it has been a vocal dream of mine with each partner I’ve had.

With or without this citizenship, Devon and I plan to find a way to relocate within the next 5-10 years to the countryside of some European country. We are open to all opportunities that make sense and could make our dream a reality.

I will keep you all posted on the progress of this journey, both the Italian Citizenship and the eventual relocation to Europe. If any of you have any information or suggestions that could help in this process, please let me know. You can email me at tatianawyandstudio@gmail.com or leave a comment here for everyone to benefit from.

Thank you for your interest and support! Till next time. :)