1. My parents were born in Libya, can I obtain Italian citizenship? 

Yes, you certainly have the right to obtain Italian citizenship. However, I need to know the year they were born to determine if we can start the process from your parents or grandparents. Everything depends on demonstrating a correct line of ancestry, but no preliminary evaluation is needed. You can obtain Italian citizenship.

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2. Is it enough to have an ancestor born in Libya to obtain Italian citizenship? 

Yes, one parent or one grandparent is enough.

 

3. Can I skip a generation? 

No, Italian law states that the child of an Italian citizen father or mother is Italian. To obtain Italian citizenship, all ancestors must participate, starting with the one born in Libya. Only deceased people can be skipped, but even in this case, their certificates will be needed to prove the descent.

 

4. How does the process work?

It is necessary to start a trial at the Court of Rome against the Ministry of the Interior. The Court will decide after involving the Public Prosecutor.

 

5. What are the timeframes? 

It depends on the judge who has to decide. Some judges immediately set a hearing date, which will be in a few months, others set it after a year, and others still take many months just to communicate a hearing date. Likewise, some judges write the decision in a few weeks, and others after a few months. On average, trials last about 18 months.

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6. Can I participate only and then my son will go to the consulate? 

In general, the more people participate in the same trial (with the same line of ancestry), the lower the average costs per person. In particular, adults may have difficulty registering their birth certificate at the consulate, so I recommend having all adults or those who will become adults during the trial participate.

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7. What is the success rate? 

I have been dealing with this matter for over ten years. More than one hundred families have obtained Italian citizenship, and I have not lost any trials. I have a 100% success rate.

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8. How can I get information about my trial? 

You can write me an email, and I will reply promptly. I will keep you updated on every progress.

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9. What is the first step to get started? 

You must write me an email at studiolegalecoen@gmail.com and send me your family tree with the personal details of all the people involved, starting with the ancestor born in Libya (name, surname, date and place of birth, and whether they are alive). A specific format is not necessary; you can write it as you prefer, even in the same email or on an attached document.

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10. What certificates will I need? 

I check each individual case, and after seeing your family tree, I will send you a specific list of the certificates I need. It is definitely necessary:

• The tamzit rishum of the ancestor born in Libya and, if possible, his certificate of acquisition of Israeli citizenship (but it is not essential);

• The birth certificates of all participants (except the ancestor born in Libya, who generally does not have one) and the certificates of name or surname change and marriage;

• The generations in between should also send me the tamzit rishum from which the names of the parents and children appear;

• Copies of the Israeli passports;

• Any documents from Libya (not essential).

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11. What should I do with these certificates? 

You will have to send me the certificates in Hebrew so I can check if any certificates are missing or if they are sufficient to prove the line of descent. When I tell you that they are OK, you will have to apostille each certificate and have it translated by a translator certified by the Consulate. Birth, marriage, and name/surname change certificates must also be legalized at the Consulate. However, if you have the translation done by a notary who speaks Italian, you will not need the legalization but only the translation and the apostille. I will also check the translations into Italian.

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12. Can my spouse participate? 

Your spouse can certainly participate if the marriage took place before 1983; otherwise, he or she cannot participate in the process.

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13. Do I have to come to Italy during the process? 

No, it is not necessary.

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