RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During the 19th and 20th centuries, Italy experienced periods of migration, famine and war that left the country with few records, abandoned villages and many names disappeared from the registers.
Many of its inhabitants decided to migrate to Uruguay and Argentina, leaving their family the right to be Italian by blood.
In 2014, recent Uruguayan college graduate Florencia Cash was about to plan her studies in Europe. “I was told that I needed to be a citizen of the European community in order to apply for university scholarship programs,” she explained.
This was the beginning of a 2-year search through birth records, marriage and death certificates proving her Italian ancestry. “As I was doing it, I felt like I was giving my family back their ancestral right,” Cash added.
Along the way, she ran into multiple hurdles and obstacles that led to frustrations and disappointments. She almost abandoned the idea altogether, due to the amount of paperwork required and the lack of time to complete it.
“To get the birth certificate (of her ancestor) in Italy; to get the birth certificates (of the heirs) in Uruguay, and to apostille and translate with an authorized public translator; certificate of non-naturalization issued by the Electoral Court, in addition to getting an appointment at the embassy, which is not easy either,” Cash said.
Finally, the effort paid off. Today the graduate has earned her second master’s degree in business by completing the procedures for her Italian citizenship. “The advantages of being a citizen of the European Community are many. Whether for work, study, residence or simply tourism. I have even been contacted by people asking if they can be vaccinated against Covid with their citizenship, and in that respect it is important to know that all citizens are vaccinated free of charge,” she added.
Due to her successful application and the contacts made during the process, in 2018 she decided to start helping her friends become Italian citizens.
In 2019 she launched www.quieroseritaliano.com, a joint solution with investments in Italy and Uruguay that allows comprehensive management from anywhere in the country and without the need for in-person meetings. “From the very beginning we knew we had to be remote,” Cash said.
With the outbreak of the pandemic, the number of requests has grown tremendously.
Helpful resources, such as processing of departures, prerequisites and information on how to get an appointment at the embassy, are offered at www.quieroseritaliano.com.
“We also offer legal proceedings through the maternal line in Italy, Italian courses for spouses, genealogical analysis, file preparation, apostille and translation of documents, and the preparation of certificates in Italy, all from the comfort of your own home,” Cash said.
Those interested in further details may reach Florencia Cash through WhatsApp 098 693 674, through the website www.quieroseritaliano.com or on LinkedIn.