Colombia Expat Forum

TRNTNDR
Joined 2016
Posts: 80

3 years ago

Cedula/Visa Renewal - A very specific question

3 years ago

I know that this subject has been discussed ad nauseam. However I have checked prior threads and cannot find an answer to the specific problem that I am facing. I have a "Residente" Visa, which was issued on 26 April 2016, and expires on 13 April 2021 - this year. My Visa was awarded based on the length of residency in Colombia (more than 5 years at that time) and on the Visa under the heading Type/Tipo it says "RE TITULAR". I had heard that it was no longer required to renew this category of Visa and that it is valid indefinitely. Nevertheless I wasn't certain so I went to an agency in Medellin. After checking with someone whom she told me was an "Immigration Lawyer", the assesora in the agency confirmed to me that, regardless of what the Visa says in my passport, it will indeed remain valid after it has expired. No need to renew it "unless I want to". Why would I if I don't have to? So I said no, I won't, especially as this means I'm not now going to have to answer questions about my EPM premiums. This was good news for me, and all that now remained was for me to renew my Cedula de Extranjeria - surely not something that was going to be difficult. Wrong! So I come to my question. After reviewing the instructions online (the migracioncolombia website) I discovered that I am required to complete a form "Registro en linea de tramites migratorios", submit this form and then await further instructions as to when I have a personal interview at the office of Migracion in Medellin. They no longer accept walkins due to the Covid situation. I couldn't find an online process specifically for renewing ones Cedula, although there is one for obtaining a duplicate Cedula, so I think that the application form I'm using may be the same one used for people applying for their first Cedula, and if so that might be the reason I'm getting stuck on this form. When completing the form you eventually come to a box entitled "tipo de identificacion", and the only option available in that box is "pasaporte" (It doesn't, for example, allow one to enter Cedula de Extranjeria.) This is where I run into the problem. My current passport is Canadian, but I renewed it at the Canadian Embassy in Bogota, so that is what it says in the passport - "Issuing Authority - BOGOTA". But the form I'm trying to complete only allows for Canadian passports to be issued in Canada - in one of the provinces or territories. I can't get past that box - the one that says "Departamento/Estado expedición"; It doesn't allow me to leave it blank and I can't type in "Bogota", the actual place of issuance. So I'm stuck, unless I click on information that's not true ie any given Canadian province that I care to select. My question then is as follows (actually two questions: 1. Am I using the correct form or is there another, and if so how do I access it online? 2 If in fact this is the correct form that I'm using has anyone else experienced the same problem that I am, in getting past the location of issuance of their current passport, and if so how did you resolve it" To be clear - I want to renew my existing Cedula, which expires on 4/13/2021. Many thanks in advance. PS I've just gone back to the online form and I see that I can also tick on the word "Canada" instead of a Canadian province, so I'm going to try that and see if it works. I'll still post this question, just in case I do actually have the wrong form. If I don't, I'm sorry to have wasted your time reading it.

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