In recent years, Italy has introduced several changes to the rules for recognizing Italian citizenship for descendants. In this article, we explain everything you need to know about the new rules and how they impact your case.
The Mazzetti Circular and Its Implications
In June 2022, the so-called "Mazzetti Circular" came into force, significantly changing the rules of territorial jurisdiction for Italian citizenship court cases.
Before this change, cases could be filed with any Italian court, and most lawyers chose the Tribunale di Roma for its speed and experience with citizenship cases.
What Has Changed?
The competent court is now determined by the birthplace of your Italian ancestor (the "dante causa"). This means you can no longer freely choose where to file your case.
How Does This Affect Your Case?
If your ancestor was born in a small comune in Sicily, for example, your case must now be heard by the court with jurisdiction over that area, no longer in Rome.
This has important implications:
- Variable timelines: some courts are faster than others
- Local lawyer: you need a lawyer registered with the local bar
- Different case law: each court may have its own interpretations
How Dias e Dias Can Help
Because we have an office in Italy and a team admitted to several Italian bar associations, we can appear before courts throughout the country. This means that, wherever your ancestor was born, we can represent you.
We have also developed a free tool so you can find out which court has jurisdiction over your ancestor's comune of birth.
Want to Know Which Court Will Hear Your Case?
Use our free tool or book a consultation for a full analysis of your case.
