ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP
We carry out and provide advice on the entire process for obtaining and recognizing dual citizenship. We search for all documents both in Italy and throughout Brazil, and we arrange the court corrections (if necessary), as well as the translations. We deliver your application ready to be taken to the Consulate.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren of Italian immigrants are entitled to the recognition of dual citizenship. Constitutional Revision Amendment No. 03 of June 7, 1994, in Article 12, paragraph 4, item II of the 1988 Constitution of the Republic, states that every Brazilian who, by the criterion of “jus sanguinis”, is also considered Italian may be simultaneously Brazilian and Italian. In principle, every descendant is entitled to Italian citizenship; however, when it passes through the maternal line, the analysis must be careful, because Italian women (even Brazilian women who receive dual citizenship) can only pass it on to their children born after January 1, 1948.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR RECOGNITION
- Baptism or birth certificate (original) of the Italian immigrant;
- Certificate of non-naturalization of the Italian immigrant;
- Marriage certificate of the Italian immigrant;
- Death certificate of the Italian immigrant;
- Death certificate of the Italian immigrant’s wife (if she died before him)
- Birth certificate of the Italian immigrant’s child;
- Marriage certificate of the Italian immigrant’s child;
- Death certificate of the Italian immigrant’s child;
- Death certificate of the wife (if she died before him)
- Birth certificate of the Italian immigrant’s grandchild;
- Marriage certificate of the Italian immigrant’s grandchild (if married);
- Death certificate of the Italian immigrant’s grandchild (if deceased);
- Death certificate of the wife (if she died before);
- Birth certificate of the Italian immigrant’s great-grandchild
- Marriage certificate of the Italian immigrant’s great-grandchild (if married)
- Birth certificate of the Italian immigrant’s great-great-grandchild
ITALIAN CERTIFICATE
If you submit the baptism certificate (for those born before 1872), you will have to submit a letter from the Italian Comune stating from which year the civil registry began its activities.
NATURALIZATION OF THE ITALIAN IMMIGRANT
If the Italian immigrant became a naturalized Brazilian, only the children born before the naturalization will be entitled to dual citizenship. The others were born when he was already Brazilian and, therefore, will not be entitled to it.
MILITARY RESERVE CERTIFICATE
Military service is now optional in Italy and, for this reason, it is no longer necessary to submit proof of exemption from military service in Brazil; also for this reason, the process is faster.
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
If any of the parties involved in the process (even the Italian immigrant) had a 2nd marriage, the certificate of the 1st marriage must be submitted. If the 1st wife has died, her death certificate must be submitted.
ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY MARRIAGE
Men automatically pass Italian citizenship on to their wives (if the marriage took place before April 27, 1983). If the marriage took place after April 27, 1983, wives may only apply for dual citizenship after the 3rd year.
PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP
We also fully prepare your application to obtain Portuguese nationality. There are two ways to obtain Portuguese nationality. BY ATTRIBUTION, when the child of the Portuguese immigrant is still alive. And BY NATURALIZATION, when the child of the Portuguese immigrant has already passed away.
In the first case, all descendants of the Portuguese immigrant receive the nationality and can pass it on to all their descendants, with no generation limit.
In the second case, until mid-2015 only the grandchild could apply for Portuguese nationality and could not pass it on to their descendants. However, with a recent change to the Nationality Law, approved but not yet ratified by the end of 2016, great-grandchildren will be able to apply for Portuguese nationality by attribution and pass it on to their descendants. It is worth noting that the change has not yet been ratified, so future applicants should wait for this ratification before submitting their applications.
