Citizenship for born in country (Registro civil de nacimiento)Citizenship for born in country (Registro civil de nacimiento)
Eligibility quiz
Were you born in Colombia?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Colombian passport
An ordinary or executive Colombian passport is valid for 10 years.
Passports are issued in Colombia and at Colombian consulates abroad.
A valid passport is normally needed to leave Colombia, though some agreements provide exceptions.
Live in Colombia for life
Colombian citizens can live in Colombia indefinitely without a visa or residence permit.
Live and work in 9 countries
Study in Colombia
Colombian citizens can use education and public services on the terms of each programme.
For example, a public-university tuition programme has eligibility conditions; citizenship alone does not guarantee a tuition-free place.
Work in Colombia
Colombian citizens can work in Colombia without immigration permission.
Get help abroad
Colombian embassies and consulates can provide assistance and protection to Colombian citizens travelling or living abroad.
You must prove your Colombian citizenship.
Vote and run for office
Eligible Colombian citizens can vote, run for office, take part in referendums and form or join political parties.
Some public jobs have restrictions for naturalized citizens or people with another citizenship.
Eligible citizens registered to vote abroad can vote in national elections, but not Colombian local elections, from abroad.
Use public healthcare
Colombian citizens can join the health system on the same basis as other residents.
Work, ability to pay, household circumstances and residence determine how you join and whether you pay contributions.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find a registration office
Find a Registraduría, an authorised notary, or a hospital or clinic that registers births. You can choose an office anywhere in Colombia.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I register a birth in Colombia near your city?”
Get the registration form
Ask the office you choose for the birth registration form.
Find the registration formSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get the Colombian registro civil de nacimiento form?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the documents required by the office you choose.
See required documentsBook an appointment
Ask the office you choose whether you need an appointment and book one if required. You can use the Registraduría appointment site for its offices.
Book an appointmentComplete the registration form
Give the official the information needed for the birth registration form; the official completes it. The person declaring the birth signs it.
See how to registerSearches DuckDuckGo for “How is the registro civil de nacimiento form completed in Colombia?”
Hand in your application
Go to the chosen office with the person whose birth is being registered, the person declaring the birth and the required documents. For a foundling or a child whose parents are unknown, a judge or family defender applies for the registration.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I register a birth in Colombia near your city?”
Get your registration copy
Receive or request a copy after the office approves the registration. Registration is free, but you must pay for a copy; ask the office how to pay. You can use the copy when applying for Colombian identity documents.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I register a birth in Colombia near your city?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Parent's citizenship records *
Bring your Colombian parent's original citizenship ID card and a copy. Depending on your parent's age, their identity card or birth record may also prove their Colombian citizenship.
* Only if you have a Colombian parent.
Parent's passport *
Bring your parent's valid passport and a copy.
* Only if a parent has another nationality and you apply at a consulate.
Parent's residence record *
Bring evidence that your parent was staying in Colombia legally and intended to remain there when you were born. This is usually a valid visa allowing your parent to settle in Colombia for three continuous years. Special rules apply if your parent was covered by a temporary or special immigration measure.
* Only if both parents are foreign and you need to prove a parent lived in Colombia when you were born.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Colombian documents for travel
If you also have another citizenship, you must enter, stay in and leave Colombia as a Colombian citizen and use Colombian identity documents.
Military service for men
Colombian men may have to perform military service from adulthood.
Men living abroad must register and settle their military status through a consulate.
Exemptions and objections based on deeply held beliefs may apply.
Citizenship can be lost
You can give up Colombian citizenship, but it ends only when your request is accepted and recorded.
Naturalized citizens can lose it after a final conviction for certain offences against the state or its constitutional system; citizens by birth cannot be deprived of it.
A court can also suspend political rights in specified cases.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Medellin Expats
English Facebook group for people living in Colombia interested in Colombian local life
Join on FacebookMedellin Gringo Info
English Facebook group for people living in Colombia interested in Colombian local life
Join on FacebookExpat in Santa Marta - Magdalena - Colombia
English Facebook group for people living in Colombia interested in Colombian local life
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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