q
It is first
of all necessary to demonstrate that the grandfather did not become a
naturalised citizen in the country he emigrated to. To demonstrate
this it is necessary to contact the competent office registering
foreign citizens requesting naturalisation and to ask for a document
showing that the grandfather never requested and obtained the
nationality of the relevant country. In some countries (Argentina, for
example) it is declared that the person has never been registered in
the list of those entitled to vote, which is the same as saying that
they never requested nationality of that country. We do not know which
offices are competent and where they are found in the many countries
where Trentino emigrants and their descendants live; they are
generally under the authority of the Ministry of Justice (in Argentina
it is the Cámara Nacional Electoral – Buenos Aires; in Brazil it is
the Ministerio da Justiça – Departamento de Estrangeiros –
Divisão de Nacionalidade e Naturalização – Brasilia).
q
Only after
this indispensable condition has been met should the following
documents be presented, demonstrating direct descent from the
grandfather who emigrated abroad:
a) for grandfather:
– birth certificate
in Trentino;
– marriage
certificate (in Trentino, if marriage took place here);
– death certificate,
if deceased.
b) for father:
– birth certificate;
– marriage
certificate;
– death certificate,
if deceased.
c) for applicant:
– birth certificate;
– marriage
certificate (if married);
– birth certificates
of children (if under the age of 18).
q
Two copies
(original + photocopy) of all the foreign documents (the
original certificates are required, not simple certification!) must
be presented, authenticated by the competent authorities of
the country issuing them and translated into Italian by an official
translator.
Translation is not
necessary if the foreign documents have been drawn up using
international forms in several languages.
q
If the person
concerned lives abroad, s/he must contact the competent Italian
Consulate for the country personally, equipped with all these
documents and with identity papers, to request recognition of Italian
citizenship. The documentation will then be sent by the Consulate to
the Comune of origin in Italy, where it will be recorded in the
register of the Registry Office.
q
Before
contacting the Consulate it is recommended that the accuracy of the
data given in the documents be verified and above all the exact
correspondence between the information on foreign certificates and the
birth certificate of the ancestor born in Italy: name, surname, date
and place of birth, etc. Indeed in many cases the original information
(especially names and surnames) have undergone changes due to errors.
This would prevent completion of the procedure. In the event that
changes or errors are noted, it is necessary to request correction of
the certification from the competent office (this is normally the
judicial authority) in the country where the certificates were issued.
If all the documents requested are in order, the originals will be
sent by the Consulate to the Comune of origin in Italy, where they
will be recorded at the Registry Office.
Clearly, recognition of Italian nationality will also offer the
opportunity to request an Italian passport.
