The public prosecutor in Arezzo has completed a two-year investigation into an alleged scheme that fraudulently fast-tracked Italian citizenship for South American applicants claiming ancestry. Seven people—including the mayor of Anghiari and municipal clerks—were served notice of concluded investigations on 25 June. They are accused of fabricating residency certificates to satisfy the local-presence requirement of Italy’s jure sanguinis rules, which allow individuals with Italian forebears to naturalise without residency quotas.
![Prosecutors Probe Fraud Ring Exploiting ‘Jure Sanguinis’ Citizenship Route]()
To avoid exposure to similar pitfalls, applicants and their advisers may opt to engage a reputable facilitation service. VisaHQ offers comprehensive, fully compliant support for Italian immigration matters—including document authentication, application reviews and appointment scheduling—through its dedicated Italy platform (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), helping clients navigate the process efficiently and lawfully.
Investigators say an Argentine intermediary charged clients up to €12,000 for a ‘full-service package’ that included short-term accommodation, forged rental contracts and expedited registry entries. Many clients left Italy within days of receiving passports, an abuse that angers consulates in Latin America already struggling with backlogs. The Interior Ministry says it will circulate compliance guidance to municipal offices and may introduce random post-naturalisation audits. For global-mobility teams, the case is a reminder that dual-citizenship strategies—often used to facilitate EU work access—carry legal risks. Advisers should verify that ancestry claims are processed in bona fide jurisdictions and budget additional time for due-diligence checks. If the court hands down convictions, expect tighter controls and possible legislative tweaks to Article 1 of Law 91/1992.
To avoid exposure to similar pitfalls, applicants and their advisers may opt to engage a reputable facilitation service. VisaHQ offers comprehensive, fully compliant support for Italian immigration matters—including document authentication, application reviews and appointment scheduling—through its dedicated Italy platform (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), helping clients navigate the process efficiently and lawfully.
Investigators say an Argentine intermediary charged clients up to €12,000 for a ‘full-service package’ that included short-term accommodation, forged rental contracts and expedited registry entries. Many clients left Italy within days of receiving passports, an abuse that angers consulates in Latin America already struggling with backlogs. The Interior Ministry says it will circulate compliance guidance to municipal offices and may introduce random post-naturalisation audits. For global-mobility teams, the case is a reminder that dual-citizenship strategies—often used to facilitate EU work access—carry legal risks. Advisers should verify that ancestry claims are processed in bona fide jurisdictions and budget additional time for due-diligence checks. If the court hands down convictions, expect tighter controls and possible legislative tweaks to Article 1 of Law 91/1992.
