Introduction:
The applicant, a U.S. citizen born in Pennsylvania, demonstrated direct paternal descent from an Italian ancestor born in Bagnara Calabra (Province of Reggio Calabria) in 1958. Despite his repeated attempts to initiate the recognition process through the Consulate General of Italy in New York, the rigid limitations of the “Prenot@mi” system made it impossible to even book an appointment. After facing years of administrative silence, the applicant brought the case before the Italian courts to affirm his birthright citizenship.
Outcome:
The Court of Reggio Calabria upheld the petition and officially recognized the applicant as an Italian citizen jure sanguinis, ordering the Ministry of the Interior to register and annotate the decision in the civil status registers. The judgment reaffirmed that Italian citizenship by descent is a birthright protected by law and not subject to consular delays or administrative discretion. Given the overwhelming volume of citizenship applications handled by consular offices, the Court ordered a full compensation of legal costs between the parties.
Challenge:
The central challenge lay in the systemic inefficiency of consular appointment systems, particularly through the “Prenot@mi” online platform, where no available slots were accessible for months. The applicant presented detailed evidence of dozens of unsuccessful booking attempts spanning from early 2023 to 2025. This demonstrated the constructive denial of a constitutional right — the inability to obtain recognition of Italian citizenship within the statutory timeframe of 730 days set by law.
Action:
Represented by Attorney Salvatore Aprigliano, the applicant filed a petition before the Court of Reggio Calabria. The legal team meticulously documented the unbroken paternal lineage through certified and apostilled records, confirming that the Italian ancestor had never naturalized as a U.S. citizen and had never renounced his Italian citizenship. The Court cited the fundamental principles of Law No. 91/1992 and prior Supreme Court rulings affirming that citizenship by descent is original, permanent, and transmissible without interruption.
For the privacy of our clients, all names are fictional, and any identifying details in the judgements have been obscured.