Migracion Colombia offices reopen on September 21 with a resumption of services. So, it is now possible to obtain tourist visa extensions and cedulas for foreigners.
International flights have resumed to Colombia starting on September 19 and now Migracion offices reopen on September 21.
What does this mean, if your 90-day tourist visa expired? Don’t worry, because of the coronavirus pandemic, nationwide quarantine and no international flights leaving Colombia, the time reporting for tourist visas was suspended. And you will have 30 days from October 1 to renew your tourist visa or leave the country.
We provide information about Migracion offices reopening in Colombia with a particular emphasis on:
- Tourists with an expired tourist visa/permit good for 90 days needing a tourist visa/permit extension.
- Tourists with a tourist visa/permit extension good for 180 days that is expired.
- Those who applied for a Colombian visa and were approved but were unable to register the visa or apply for a cedula due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Visa holders with a normal Visa (Migrant, Resident or Visitor) that expired during the health emergency.
- Those who need a Certificate of Migratory Movements.
Resolution 2223 of September 16, 2020
According to Resolución 2223 issued on September 16, on September 21, 2020, Migración Colombia will reopen and restart operations for the following services :
- Issuance of the Alien Identification Card Cédula de Extranjería and its duplicate,
- Foreign Registration for both minors and adults,
- Certificates of Migratory Movements,
- Certificate of Migratory Movements and Nationality,
- Safe conduct (Salvoconductos) SC-1 and SC-2,
- Temporary Permits of Stay (PTP) for extensions of stay in the national territory and a category change,
- PEP-FF – this is for Venezuelan citizens.
Foreigners who require any of the Migracion services, must fill out a Unique Form of Procedures online and attach the documents and other requirements.
Foreigners who require to carry out a procedure or service of those reactivated MUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE through the Migracion website.
People who do not have an appointment will not be served at Migracion offices. No walk-ins will be permitted.
Colombia tourist visa stamps in a passport
1. Tourists with a 90-Day Tourist Visa Who Need a Tourist Visa Extension
For example, if you entered Colombia and they stamped a 90-day tourist permit on your passport, which expired on April 15, 2020, but you couldn’t leave Colombia due to no international flights and could not extend your tourist visa, you can now extend your tourist visa starting on September 21.
if you have a 90-day tourist visa that expired during the health emergency, according to article 15 of Resolution 2223, you will have one month from October 1 to renew the tourist visa or obtain another type of visa.
However, on September 21, Migracion Colombia offices reopened with a gradual resumption of services. However several readers are reporting that Migracion was not processing tourist visa extensions:
- The online system to apply for tourist visa extension is offline.
- You can’t make an appointment for tourist visa extensions.
- Readers that have gone to Migracion have been unable to extend tourist visas.
Some readers with expired 90-day tourist visas were told my Migracion they had to leave Colombia but could return. However, other readers were told by Migracion that online tourist visa extensions would be available on the Migracion website starting the week of October 10.
Also, we confirmed with the visa agency we partnered with on October 14 that Migracion was not extending tourist visas online or in offices.
However, on October 16, the option to extend a tourist visa is now on the Migracion website (Permiso Temporal de Permanencia para Prorrogar Permanencia). So, tourist visas can now be extended online.
Instead of a tourist visa extension, there are over 20 different types of Colombian visas and Colombia is still issuing visas even during the coronavirus pandemic. We have a comprehensive guide to Colombian visas.
Or you can leave Colombia during this time (until the end of October) without generating any immigration offense or fines.
2. Tourists with an Expired Tourist Visa Extension Good for 180 Days
If you already have a tourist visa extension (for 180 days) that expired during the time Migracion offices were closed, according to article 14 of Resolution 2223, these “resume term of permanence in the national territory”.
In other words, apparently the clock restarts for tourist visa extensions. And we confirmed with Migracion that the clock for tourist visa extensions restarts on September 21. However, Resolution 2223 is ambiguous about those with expired 180-day tourist visa extensions. It is possible you are limited to being in Colombia until the end of October.
Sample Colombian cedula, photo courtesy of Migracion Colombia
3. Received a Colombian Visa but Unable to Obtain a Cedula
If you received a normal Colombian visa such as a retirement visa or marriage visa but were unable to register the visa and obtain a cedula (Colombian ID) you can now obtain a cedula at Migracion offices,
Normally in Colombia, you must register your visa and apply for a cedula within 15 days or you would be liable for a fine.
Under Resolución No. 0918, the Colombian government with forgive any penalties and fees they would normally assess due to the coronavirus crisis.
We have a separate article that looks at obtaining a Colombian cedula.
How to Obtain a Colombia Resident Visa – Medellin Guru
4. Normal Visa (Migrant, Resident or Visitor) Expired During the Pandemic
Normal visas were still being issued during the pandemic. However, we have been contacted by some Medellin Guru readers who let their normal visa (Migrant, Resident or Visitor) expire during the coronavirus pandemic. So, they are in Colombia and no longer have a valid normal visa or a tourist visa.
This category is not really covered in Resolution 2223. If you fall in this category, we recommend contacting the visa agency we partnered with to see what options you have.
Contact Medellin Guru’s Visa Partner
5. Those who need a Certificates of Migratory Movement
A migratory movement certificate is needed for marriage visas and resident visas.
You can get the Migratory Movement Certificate (Certificado de Movimiento Migratorio) at any Migración Colombia office. The cost was increased on February 1, 2019 to 90,000 pesos.
You need to submit online and can pay online. Or you can submit online and pay at a Migración Colombia office. The processing time is about three business days.
When Migracion Colombia offices were close it was not possible to obtain a Migratory Movement Certificate. When Migracion offices were closed, copies of all entry and exit stamps in your passport could be used for visa applications.
But know that Migracion office are reopening, you can obtain a Migratory Movement Certificate.
New entrance to Migracion Colombia in Medellín, on Calle 19A
How to Get to Migracion Colombia in Medellín
Here is a list of the Migracion Colombia offices in the five largest cities in Colombia.
- Bogotá – Calle 100 # 11B-27
- Medellín – Calle 19 # 80A-40, Barrio Belén
- Cali – Avenida 3 norte # 50N-20
- Cartagena – Carrera 20 B # 29-18, Barrio pie de la Popa
- Barranquilla – Carrera 42 # 54-77, Barrio El Recreo
A complete list of Migracion Colombia can be found here. In Medellín, the Migracion Colombia office is located in Belén and is listed on the Migracion Colombia website with the address Calle 19 # 80A-40.
However, this address is the old entrance and the guard there will direct you to the other side of the building. The new entrance location is actually on Calle 19A and is shown in the photo above and with the red marker on the map below.
Medellin Guru’s Comprehensive Visa and Passport Series
If you want to stay longer in Colombia, the county has over 20 types of visas that can permit you to stay in Colombia for over 180 days.
On the Medellin Guru site, we have a comprehensive series of visa articles that are kept up-to-date and should answer most visa questions. These articles include:
- Colombia Visa Guide: Ultimate Guide How to Get a Colombian Visa
- How to Obtain a Colombian Visa with Up-to-Date Info– an overview of all the Colombian visas
- Popular Colombian Visas for Foreigners: Which Visa is the Most Popular?
- Visa Agencies: A Guide to Visa Agencies in Medellín and Colombia
- 7 Common Colombian Visa Mistakes: How to Avoid Them
- Migracion Colombia Offices Reopen: What Does this Mean for Tourists?
We have looked in detail at the seven most popular Colombian visas used by foreigners:
Also, we have looked in detail at three additional Colombian visas, which are less popular for foreigners:
- Rentista visa (annuity visa)– for foreigners with a fixed income
- Beneficiary visa– for relatives of visa holders
- Expertise visa– for professionals
In addition, we have a guide to Colombia tourist visas and how to extend a tourist visa. Also, we have a guide to renewing U.S. passports in Colombia and a guide to obtaining a Colombian passport.
Furthermore, we provide information about travel insurance that meets the insurance requirement for Colombian visas. And we have a guide to how apply for a cedula extranjeria in Colombia and a guide to using notaries in Medellín and Colombia. Finally, Medellin Guru has partnered with a visa agency to offer Colombia visa services.
All of our Colombia visa articles were updated in early 2019 and multiple times in 2020 to ensure they are up-to-date. In addition, all visa articles on this website will be kept up-to-date as new details are disclosed.
Using a Visa Agency if Needing a Visa for Longer Than 180 Days
If you are in Colombia and not located in Bogotá and applying for a Colombia visa plus you don’t want to travel, you can use a visa agency to obtain a Colombian visa.
A visa agency can handle the online application. And it will courier your passport to Bogotá to get the visa in your passport.
Medellin Guru has partnered with what we believe is the best visa agency in Medellín to offer Colombia visa services. Features of this service include:
- Online chat – get visa questions answered fast.
- Online quotes – get immediate visa quotes.
- Courier your passport to Bogotá to get the visa in your passport.
- Office in El Poblado in Medellín.
- Competitive price compared to other visa services.
The Medellin Guru visa service partnership was launched in March 2019. And in 31 months, 473 visas have been successfully received by clients:
Also, our visa service renewed 56 American passports in Bogotá using our passport renewal service and provided visa stamping service to 10 clients (getting the visa in a customer’s passport who applied for a visa himself before the pandemic). In addition, 28 clients extended tourist visas using our tourist visa extension service.
So, in total we had 567 clients of the Medellin Guru visa service in 31 months.
In addition, many more visas are in process – short, medium or longer term, depending on client needs.
Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service
We reviewed all the Colombia visa agency services in Medellín and found one agency that offers a more efficient visa service with more features and more comprehensive communications including online chat, WhatsApp, Skype, email and phone plus a low price and a convenient office in El Poblado.
Our visa partnership is an affiliate relationship (like the Amazon affiliate program). If you use our visa partner, Medellin Guru receives a small commission and you support the website. This is at no additional cost to you. The price remains the same, whether you use a button or affiliate link on this website or not.
Furthermore, the visa agency we partnered with offers visa services anywhere in Colombia. So, if you are located in another city in Colombia you can use this service.
Migracion Colombia office in Bogotá
The Bottom Line: Migracion Colombia Offices Reopen – What Does this Mean for Tourists?
Migracion offices have been closed for over five months but they now reopen on September 21.
So, if you are a tourist with an expired 90-day tourist visa. you can now obtain a tourist visa extension. But you must do this before the end of October.
Also, if you have a 180-day expired tourist visa extension, you should start looking to make plans to leave Colombia.
Furthermore, if you were unable to obtain a cedula during the coronavirus pandemic, you can now obtain a cedula.
We expect that Migracion offices will soon become busy. Migracion now requires appointments, so there won’t be waiting in lines at offices with walk-ins.
But it is likely Migracion office calendars will quickly fill up once people realize that Migracion offices have reopened. So, we recommend making your appointments soon.
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Editors note: updated on October 14, 2020 with information that Migracion is not extending tourist visas and if you have a 90-day expired tourist visa, you need to leave Colombia by the end of October or you will be liable for paying a fine.
Editors note: updated on October 17, 2020 with information that the online option to extend tourist visa is now available on the Migracion website