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What are the requirements as a Colombian permanent resident to obtain the citizenship?

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Gooloo
  1/20/2018 20:12 EST

Hi all,

I have the following questions and would really appreciate your help/answer on clearing doubts on the requirements as a Colombian permanent resident to obtain the citizenship:

1. What are the regulations after I get the residency?
2. How often should I visit Colombia?
3. After how long can I apply for citizenship? and is getting it a matter of just time? or I should live in Colombia for affixed period of time too?

Thank you very much!

LaPiranha
  1/20/2018 23:30 EST

Well, the answer to :-

question 1, is firstly, you have to be resident here, not a visitor. If you are out of the country for a certain period, you lose your residency, and have to start your time/visa requirements all over again.

question 2, indicates that you are not resident here if you ask how often you should visit.

question 3. Already answered in questions 1 and 2 above.

So, the way around that is to get it all done in the same trip, then you can safely assure them that you haven't been out of the country between the residency and the citizenship. Simples.


Ok, you now have 2 choices. Firstly, come in on your tourist visa, and go straight to the MRE (ministry of exterior relations), and simply ask for your residency, and with that, the following day, ask for your citizenship. You should have no problems. But if they don't give it to you, tell them that you were told on an internet forum that you are entitled to it. and you should stay there in the office until they get off their asses and give it to you, or you will make an official complaint to President Santos. Don't worry, they'll jump when you tell them that Santos is involved.

Or the second option would be to contact your local consulate, or look on the migracion website, and get your answer there. It might be a little more accurate and up to date.

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cccmedia
  1/21/2018 01:53 EST

Historically, five years of residency has been required before citizenship/COL passport-issuance is possible.

Although there have been changes recently in the residency/visa rules, I have seen no evidence that the five-year requirement for citizenship has been changed.

cccmedia in Depto. de Nariño

SkyMan
  1/21/2018 16:57 EST

First of all...if you enter with a tourist visa and matriculate to a residency visa...you cannot spend more than 180 days out of Colombia=you'll lose your residency visa.

Your question of "how often do I need to visit Colombia ?" Well...if you have a Residency visa=you are living here, That is the way it seems to me. Buena Suerte ! Tranquilo.

LaPiranha
  1/21/2018 18:37 EST

Hi Sky Man. Exactly my point, It seems he won't be living here, merely visiting to keep his residency alive.

Being an Iranian, he will need to have continuous visas for 5 years before he will be granted residency, (May be reduced to 3 years under the new system?), and he will need to have a reason to obtain his visas, eg, have a job here with an employer who will sponsor him for the whole period.

Then he will need to live here for another 5 years, keeping his residency valid, before he will be eligible to apply for citizenship, and get a Colombian passport.

All this to get into Europe? Don't forget, he was asking how to get into Europe under the new system, and when he learned that residency is not enough, he is now asking how to get citizenship.

My advice is forget it. If you get into Europe by way of Colombian citizenship giving you the right to enter Europe, its only as a tourist, not to live there, or work there, merely visit Europe as a tourist. If you overstay, you will be an illegal, the same as the Mexicans who go to the USA. You will not be able to work, nor claim welfare benefits. So is it really worth it, spending 8 or 10 years living in Colombia, just to visit Europe as a tourist??? Maybe that's why Trump said "Build a wall" I can see why, when so many people try cunning ways to get round the laws and regulations.

That's why my post above was a little tongue-in-cheek. I remembered his previous post, and saw what his plan was really for.

cccmedia
  1/22/2018 04:37 EST

And so, LP, after theoretically he's lived in Colombia for 8 to 10 years and jumped through the hoops .. is he guaranteed that European countries will have the same entry and visitation rules they have now?

I suppose that's possible, but I wouldn't advise arranging my travel plans for the next 120-plus months (in 2018-2028) hoping for that possibility.

Gaming the system is a poor strategy if you give the system enough years to change the rules.

cccmedia in Depto. de Nariño

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bigjailerman
  1/22/2018 06:42 EST

You do not lose an RE after 180 days. I don't know if the rules changed, but it's never been 6 months out of the country negates your residency Visa.

bigjailerman
  1/22/2018 06:44 EST

Pretty sure it's 2 years

livinginmedellin
  1/22/2018 10:52 EST

Yes, you lose a resident visa if you leave Colombia for more than 2 years.

Here's info about the new Colombian R (resident visa) with all the late 2017 visa changes: https://medellinguru.com/resident-visa/

ponymalta
  1/22/2018 17:25 EST

There are a variety of ways to secure different types of Colombian visas, and permanent residency. and eventually citizenship. Best is to consult with an attorney who is familiar with Expat applications. For example to renew my Cedula every 5 years, I am not supposed to be out of the country more than 2 years. I know people who have come in as property owners, get permanent residency ye do not stay in Colombia al year long. And money talks in Colombia as well as connections, so theoretically anything possible.

But if idea is to get Colombian residency as a backdoor to Europe, and for residency in Europe, seems a bit convoluted but here goes : Spain has specific rules for Latin American citizens for residency, so if that is the plan you should look at different Latin American countries to see what is best. But if idea is simply to overstay a visa, then it would be a lot simpler, cheaper and faster to apply for a student visa.

In regards to benefits etc, in my experience at least unless one is a refugee or has no papers, it is more difficult to get benefits in Europe ( even though they are higher) than in the USA. In USA one can live for decades without being legal in the country, and what benefits there are often can be had without any real documentation- sometimes none.

ponymalta
  1/22/2018 17:32 EST

I think I am confused, aren't there different types of residency visas- some for property investment, marriage, having a child, work or retirement etc ?

Mine is for 5 years, and the legal advice I have received is I have to make sure I am not out of the country more than 2 years in a row, and if not, then at the end of 5 years I just renew my Cedula,

If the original post was from Iranian citizen, maybe Venezuela a better bet, then cross border as a refugee form economic oppression- there are special categories of visas just for people coming from Venezuela.

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