Venice Court Recognizes Italian Citizenship in Ruling

Meta description: Venice Court ruled on recognition of iure sanguinis; decision addresses territorial jurisdiction and effects of Decreto Tajani (L. 74/2025). Source: Diritto Pratico.

The Ordinary Court of Venice recognized Italian citizenship iure sanguinis in a favorable ruling issued on 06/11/2026, in case R.G. 1728/2024, a decision that discusses territorial jurisdiction and cites effects of Decreto Tajani (L. 74/2025).

Decision Summary

The judgment no. 20784/2026, issued by the Tribunale di Venezia and published on 06/11/2026, concerns a request for recognition of Italian citizenship iure sanguinis filed in 2024 (R.G. 1728/2024), with an estimated duration of 34 months until the decision. According to the decision text published by Diritto Pratico, the applicants sought recognition of citizenship by descent from the Italian ancestor named in the case. The competent Ministry did not participate and was declared in default; the judge issued a ruling under art. 281-sexies c.p.c., recognizing the applicants' right to citizenship. Source: Diritto Pratico — https://apps.dirittopratico.it/sentenze.html?c=https://apps.dirittopratico.it/sentenza/tribunale/venezia/2026/20784.html#529f9.

Why this court was competent

The decision explains the territorial jurisdiction invoked by the applicants. Due to the legislative change provided in art. 206/2021 — with changes applicable since 22/06/2022 — the jurisdiction for citizenship recognition actions by people resident abroad was moved to the court corresponding to the comune of birth of the Italian father, mother, or grandfather, when that ancestor was born in territory whose jurisdiction assigns competence to the respective Tribunale. In this case, the ancestor was born in a province that determines the competence of the Tribunale di Venezia, and the action was assigned to the immigration and citizenship specialized section. The choice of forum was decisive for the processing of the action, reducing debates over competing forums.

Effects of the Tajani Decree (L. 74/2025) cited in the decision

The ruling discusses the impact of the well-known Tajani Decree (d.l. 28/03/2025, converted by law 23/05/2025, no. 74) on iure sanguinis recognition requests. According to the decision text, the conversion introduced art. 3-bis into L. 91/1992, with substantial effect:

the law states that those born abroad and possessing another citizenship are considered to have never acquired Italian citizenship, except for express exceptions.

The decision cites the exceptions provided by the norm:

• administrative recognition requests submitted to the consulate or to the comune with timely documentation up to 27/03/2025 (inclusive) — or an appointment communicated by that date — may maintain citizen status;
• judicial recognition that complies with the normative framework in force on 27/03/2025 remains possible.

In practice, the ruling confirms that, despite the restrictive nature of the Tajani Decree (L. 74/2025), the judicial route remains available for those who did not obtain administrative recognition within the prescribed deadlines, and that administrative requests filed up to 27/03/2025 may preserve the protections afforded by the law itself.

What the decision means for Brazilian families

For Brazilians descended from Italians, the Tribunale di Venezia decision reinforces practically relevant points:

• Judicial recognition remains a viable path when the consulate or comune did not recognize citizenship, or when the applicant resided abroad and did not submit an administrative request within the art. 3-bis (L. 74/2025) deadlines;
• the territorial competence established since 22/06/2022 facilitates filing actions with the court linked to the comune of birth of the Italian ancestor, which can reduce forum disputes and speed up proceedings;
• for parents seeking recognition for minor children, the ruling shows that the judiciary can recognize the vínculo even in cases of dual citizenship for the minor, provided the applicable framework in force on 27/03/2025 and the rules on automatic loss of citizenship under other laws are respected (for example, parental naturalization regimes under applicable law).

This case is relevant for readers interested in Italian citizenship and for those following Notícias da Itália on legislative changes and their practical impact.

Practical procedures and deadlines to watch

The decision provides implicit guidance on preparing lawsuits and checking deadlines:

• before filing, verify and assemble the full civil chain of the ancestor: birth, marriage, death certificates and naturalization records (if any);
• confirm whether there was an administrative request before 27/03/2025 — if so, locate in the case files consular or municipal filing dates and documents submitted, as these acts may prevail under art. 3-bis;
• when the competent Ministry is absent (in default), the judge may decide based on robust documentation, using tools like art. 281-sexies c.p.c., but documentary evidence must be carefully organized;
• note that since 2025, administrative avenues at comuni and in consulates have changed substantially: for general information on the regulatory context and guidance on documents, see our guide to Italian Citizenship and related topics in Life in Italy.

Source and reference

Judgment no. 20784/2026, Tribunale di Venezia, published 06/11/2026. Case R.G. 1728/2024, duration approximately 34 months. According to the decision text published by Diritto Pratico: https://apps.dirittopratico.it/sentenze.html?c=https://apps.dirittopratico.it/sentenza/tribunale/venezia/2026/20784.html#529f9.

The Tribunale di Venezia decision confirms that, despite the restrictions introduced by the Tajani Decree (L. 74/2025), the judicial path remains an effective alternative for recognition of citizenship iure sanguinis when administrative conditions and deadlines were not observed.