The Italian Consulate General in São Paulo published a summary of the last four years on social media, and the post became the stage for a debate about scheduling. citizenship by benefit of lawOne follower suggested copying the procedure from Belo Horizonte. and received an ironic response from the consul general's profile, Domenico Fornara, who will leave the post next August.
In the original text, the consulate states that it recorded the highest growth and best performance of the entire Italian consular network during that period. There were over 300 registration procedures, including approximately 190 new citizen applications.
Balance sheet figures
According to the publication, the Italian community under the consulate's jurisdiction has reached nearly 400 registered members, a number greater than the population of the city of Bologna. The consulate also reports increased productivity and reduced processing times.
Passport issuance has kept pace with the growth. The office reports having issued more than 150 documents in four years, increasing from approximately 21 in 2021 to 39.571 in 2025, the highest number in the series presented.
The new law will now be reviewed by the European Union's courts. And there are European precedents that strengthen the defense of descendants.
- New legal front opened
- Processes can still be filed.
- Individual analysis of your case.
The publication also cites the increase in civil registration processes, the assignment of tax codes, notarial acts, academic certifications, consular assistance, and the granting of visas.
Suggestion in the comments
In the comments, the follower “owncolt”, profile of John Paul Perim ZagoHe proposed that São Paulo adopt the procedure used by Belo Horizonte for citizenship by legal benefit. In that model, according to the commentary, the documentation is first sent by mail, and scheduling only occurs after verification, solely for the signing of the declaration of intent.
The author argues that, without document verification at the counter, each day of service could accommodate a larger number of families. He states that the current format of sporadic appointments would not sustain the demand. until May 31, 2029 and concluded with the hashtag #SPcopiaBH.
The consul's response
The consul general's profile responded to the comment. "It's a good thing you know everything. I'll tell my successor to come and take classes with you, so he'll be able to solve all the consulate's problems. Thank you and see you soon," he wrote.
The follower spoke up again and stated that he did not intend to attack the consul. He said he pointed out the timing because of the anticipated change of command at the post. "It's a matter of procedural logic that can be tested now by the new administration," he stated.
"Inapplicable and unmanageable"
Fornara responded a second time, this time with arguments about the post's routine. He stated that the consulate consults daily with colleagues from other consulates in Brazil and with the Ministry, and that the realities vary from one place to another.
According to him, São Paulo serves a much larger audience than Belo Horizonte, and other internal dynamics also come into play. "What works on one side may not only not work, but may even be counterproductive on the other," he wrote.
The consul stated that the team had already studied the proposed solution and considers it "inapplicable and unmanageable" for São Paulo. He added that all minors will be assisted within the timeframes stipulated by law.
The dispute regarding the deadline
The follower thanked them for the response but disputed the guarantee. He stated that, at the current pace, it will not be possible to accommodate all the minors before May 31, 2029. He said that the last opening of vacancies occurred in March, followed only by a residual filling of the remaining spots.
He advocated for the creation of a mechanism that registers the expression of interest before the parents' in-person appearance. He cited Porto Alegre, which would require prior submission of documentation by email, and Belo Horizonte, by mail, as formats that ensure proof of communication with the consular administration.
According to the author, maintaining online scheduling as the first and only point of entry would be "flirting with disaster." He stated that there is a deadline to find a solution and expressed fear that 2028 and 2029 will repeat the scenario from the beginning of this year, during the mapping attempt.
Read the full comments:
(With information from the Instagram of the Italian Consulate General in São Paulo)
The Constitutional Court's decision changed the landscape. The new citizenship law will now be reviewed by the European Union's courts of justice.
