CITIZENSHIP SERVICES: ITALY, SPAIN, PORTUGAL,  AND BRAZIL

Preparing the documents that establish your identity, family relationships, and ancestral lineage is one of the most important stages of a citizenship or nationality process.

Citizenship laws differ significantly from country to country and may change over time. Having an ancestor from a particular country does not, by itself, guarantee eligibility. The applicable law may depend on dates of birth, marriage, naturalization, residence, loss or retention of citizenship, the number of generations involved, and other circumstances specific to each family.

America Now provides administrative assistance with research, document procurement, document organization, translations, apostilles, and the preparation of citizenship files for Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Brazil.

Our Services

Preliminary Case and Document Assessment

We conduct an initial administrative review of your objectives, family history, and available records to identify the documents that may be required and whether the case should be referred for formal legal analysis.

When eligibility or procedural strategy requires interpretation of foreign law, the analysis must be performed by a qualified attorney, solicitor, or other authorized professional in the applicable country.

Ancestral-Line Research and Document Procurement

We assist with:

– Identifying the relevant ancestral line;
– Locating birth, marriage, divorce, and death records;
– Requesting certificates from civil registries, archives, churches, courts, and other authorities;
– Reviewing names, dates, places, and family relationships across the documentary line;
– Identifying inconsistencies, missing records, and possible registration errors;
– Obtaining updated or extended versions of certificates when required.

Administrative and Judicial Rectifications

When a civil registry permits an administrative correction, we may assist with the preparation and organization of the supporting documents required for the request.

If a registry refuses to make the correction administratively or if the matter requires a court proceeding, the case must be handled by a qualified attorney in the country where the correction is sought. America Now may organize the documents and coordinate communication, but legal advice and representation are provided exclusively by the responsible attorney.

Translations, Apostilles, and Legalization

Once the required records have been obtained and reviewed, we coordinate the next documentary stage, which may include:

– Certified or sworn translations, as required by the receiving authority;
– Hague Apostilles;
– Consular legalization when the Hague Apostille Convention does not apply;
– Standardization of names and document presentation;
– Organization of the documents in the sequence required by the competent authority.

Translation, apostille, and legalization requirements vary according to the issuing country, destination country, type of document, and filing authority.

Citizenship File Organization

At the end of the documentary preparation stage, the client receives an organized file containing the records obtained and the corresponding translations, apostilles, and supporting materials included in the contracted service.

The file is prepared for the next procedural stage, subject to final confirmation of the requirements by the relevant consulate, civil registry, municipality, court, government authority, or qualified legal professional.

Available Procedural Routes

Depending on the country and the circumstances of the applicant, a citizenship matter may involve:

– Recognition or acquisition by descent;
– Citizenship through marriage or legally recognized partnership;
– Citizenship through legal residence;
– Reacquisition or restoration of a former citizenship;
– Administrative registration or recognition;
– Judicial proceedings, when permitted and legally appropriate.

Not every route is available in every country or to every applicant.

Italy

Italian citizenship law changed substantially in 2025. Citizenship by descent is now subject to additional generational and factual limitations, with transitional rules for certain applications and court cases initiated before the statutory deadline.

Applications may proceed through a competent Italian consulate, an Italian municipality when the applicant lawfully establishes residence in Italy, or a judicial proceeding when a qualified Italian attorney determines that a valid legal basis exists.

Older descriptions referring broadly to “maternal cases before 1948” are no longer sufficient to determine whether a judicial case is viable. Each family line must be evaluated under the law applicable to its specific facts and dates.

Spain, Portugal, and Brazil

These countries provide different pathways based on factors such as descent, birth, marriage, residence, reacquisition, historical circumstances, or other statutory grounds.

Eligibility and documentary requirements must be confirmed under the law in effect when the application is prepared. Recent or pending legislative changes may affect who qualifies, which records are required, and how an application must be submitted.

Applicants Who Have Already Collected Their Documents

Clients who have organized their own files may retain America Now for a final administrative document review.

This service may include:

– Confirming that the expected civil records are present;
– Comparing names, dates, locations, and family relationships;
– Identifying apparent inconsistencies or missing documents;
– Organizing the records in chronological and procedural order;
– Coordinating translations and apostilles.

This administrative review does not replace a legal eligibility assessment and does not guarantee acceptance or approval by a government authority.

Judicial Proceedings

All judicial proceedings are handled by independent, qualified attorneys authorized to practice in the relevant country.

When several relatives appear to share the same legal and ancestral basis, counsel may determine whether they can participate in the same proceeding. The number of participants, legal structure, fees, and documentary requirements are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Court schedules and processing times vary. No specific duration or outcome can be guaranteed.

Important Notice

America Now is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation.

Our services are limited to genealogical and documentary research, administrative assistance, document procurement, file organization, and coordination with translators, registries, and independent professionals.

Eligibility determinations, legal strategy, judicial representation, and opinions regarding foreign citizenship law must be provided by a qualified professional authorized to practice in the applicable jurisdiction.

Citizenship recognition is decided exclusively by the competent government authority or court. America Now cannot guarantee eligibility, approval, processing time, or the future legal effects of citizenship.

Begin with Your Family History

If you believe you may qualify for Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Austrian, or Brazilian citizenship, the first step is to understand your family line and determine which records already exist.

Contact us to begin the documentary assessment and create an organized path for the next stage of your citizenship process.