Judicial Route to Italian Citizenship by Descent: Overcoming the Italian Consulate in London’s delay

Aug 27, 2024

Judicial Route to Italian Citizenship by Descent: Overcoming the Italian Consulate in London’s delays.

Our Italian Citizenship Team has successfully won the best possible results for our British clients, in less than an year.

【 Court of Florence, Section for Immigration, International Protection and Free movement of citizens of the European Union, decision of June 5th, 2024. 】

The Court of Florence upheld the legal action in favor of British citizens, who are descendants of an Italian citizen, for the recognition of their Italian citizenship.

The judge ruled that the claimants were justified in pursuing legal action due to significant obstacles in the administrative process, specifically the impossibility to book an online appointment at the Italian Consulate in London through the Prenot@mi portal.

Since 2022, our clients had been trying unsuccessfully to secure an appointment via the Prenot@mi system. The judge took into account the excessive duration of the entire process—far surpassing the 730 days required by law—and the evidence provided by the applicants.

Eventually, the uncertainty of whether the claimants would ever receive a final decision was deemed by the judge equivalent to a denial of their claimed right, thus leading to the recognition of their Italian citizenship

Moreover, the Court handled the case with remarkable efficiency: our Citizenship team filed the claim in November 2023, and the final decision was issued in June 2024 and is now final.

Considering the delays and inefficiencies associated with the Italian Consulate in London, the judicial route appears to be a faster and less burdensome alternative for those seeking recognition of Italian citizenship, but who are unable to sumbit their application to their competent Consulate.

Related articles:

• Italian citizenship: some clarifications in light of recent rulings
• Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

Giuditta De Ricco

Attorney at law since 2006, specialized in real estate law, inheritance, citizenship and corporate law.

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The impossibility of booking an appointment at the Italian Consulate in New York: Recognition of Italian citizenship by Italian ancestry through the Judicial path Delays in Italian Citizenship Application: A quick guideline when there is a delay Italian Citizenship by Descent FAQs: Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis)