Foreigner ID Card Appointments

Booking the appointment for the foreigner ID card (cédula de extranjería) is free. You book on the Migración Colombia booking site. In a written reply dated 20 May 2026, Migración Colombia said appointments open Sunday to Thursday from 5:00 pm (17:00) Colombia time. Official sources come first. Reports from expat groups about the portal come later and stay separate.

What the official sources say

Who needs the foreigner ID card, and by when

The Migración Colombia foreigner ID card page says the foreigner ID card is for foreigners from age 7. They must hold a visa valid for more than 3 months, or be beneficiaries of one. The first request must be made within 15 calendar days of entering Colombia. If the visa was granted inside the country, the 15 days count from the day the visa is issued.

The written reply of 20 May 2026 adds two points. Visa V holders (tourism, business, visitor) are excepted. Holders of a visa valid for less than 3 months may request the foreigner ID card voluntarily. Children aged 0 to 6 only have the visa registered. They get no foreigner ID card. They use their passport.

The visa type decides if the foreigner ID card is required. The step before it is the visa itself. The Foreign Ministry (Cancillería) issues the visa. For the investor route, see do you need a visa to buy in Colombia. The visa types are covered in Colombian visas in plain English. Banks and other institutions may ask for the foreigner ID card as an ID document. Our guide on opening a bank account as a foreigner covers what banks ask for.

The official steps

1. Open the Migración Colombia form page.
2. Fill in the online procedure form (Formulario Único de Trámites, FUT).
3. Choose the foreigner ID card as the procedure.
4. Choose the migration service centre (Centro Facilitador de Servicios Migratorios, CFSM) where you want to do the procedure.
5. Attach one PDF, maximum 1 MB. The PDF shows the personal-data page of the passport and the visa. Both must be valid.
6. Write down the 17-digit procedure number from the form.
7. Book an appointment at the same centre on the official booking site. The Migración Colombia appointments page says booking is free. It says availability depends on each centre's capacity. It says the confirmation arrives by email.
8. Print the confirmation. The appointments page says to bring the printed confirmation to the appointment.
9. At the appointment, show the valid visa (stamped in the passport or in digital format).
10. Show the original valid passport and the procedure number.
11. Give fingerprints and a photo. The centre takes them at the appointment.
12. Pay during the appointment. Pay by debit or credit card at the centre, or with a bank payment slip the centre issues. The current tariffs page lists the 2026 fee as 294,000 Colombian pesos (COP), under Resolution 0599 of 10 February 2026. Migración Colombia announced that from 1 June 2026 it accepts card payments only with Visa and Mastercard cards.
13. Keep the digital receipt (contraseña) with a QR code. You receive it at the end of the appointment. According to the foreigner ID card page, it is valid immediately while the foreigner ID card is printed.
14. Check readiness on the official lookup. The foreigner ID card page says you can collect the foreigner ID card after 10 business days from payment, at the centre where you did the procedure.
15. Collect the foreigner ID card with the original passport. The 20 May reply says someone else may collect it only with an authenticated special power of attorney (poder especial autenticado) that explains why the holder cannot come. It also says a foreigner ID card not collected within 6 months is cancelled. You must then request it and pay for it again.

The 20 May reply says the procedure is in person and personal. A third party cannot do it. It needs no tramitadores (paid helpers). The foreigner ID card page says Migración Colombia staff are not authorised to receive cash under any circumstances.

Which office

The 20 May reply says the form lets you choose the centre "closest to your location or where you wish to do the procedure." The booking steps ask for the city and service point. This wording suggests the centre is not tied to the city of residence. The official pages do not state it as a rule. It is a question to put to Migración Colombia.

What residents report

Reports from Colombia expat Facebook groups, October 2026; individual experiences, not official figures.

• Members report that slots tend to appear in the late afternoon. People start checking around 4:20 to 4:45 pm, stay logged in before 5:00 pm and keep refreshing. Some say slots also show up at other hours.
• Members report that a slot can disappear at the final confirmation step. The message says no spots remain for that time.
• Members report that the Spanish version of the site worked better than the English one.
• Members report trying other cities' offices when their own had nothing. A few cities are described as easier.
• Some members report going to an office in person, explaining the situation, and getting an appointment days later. Others say they got no penalty for passing the 15-day window while the portal had no slots. These are individual experiences. Staff practice may differ by office and by day.
• Members report foreigner ID card waits from about a week after the appointment to several months. The official page says 10 business days from payment.
• Members report that people near the offices offer to secure appointments for 50,000 to 150,000 COP. Migración Colombia says booking is free and needs no intermediaries.
• One member suggested screenshotting failed booking attempts, with date and time, as a record of what happened.

What the official pages do not settle

The fine for registering late. The official pages we read describe the 15-day period. They do not state a penalty amount. They do not say how it applies when no appointments are available. Press articles mention fines for migration infractions. We could not confirm a figure on an official page, so we give none. Overstay fines are covered separately in overstay fines.

The Sunday to Thursday, 5:00 pm schedule comes from a written reply of May 2026. It does not come from the booking page. It can change. The booking site shows what applies now.

Questions to ask before you go

• Has my visa already been registered with Migración Colombia, and is a foreigner ID card required for my visa type?
• What is the exact deadline counted from, and what happens if no appointment is available before it?
• Can the procedure be done at any centre, and what is the current fee?
• What proof of my booking attempts would you accept?

Educational information, not legal or tax advice. For your own deadline and visa, ask a licensed immigration adviser or a Colombian lawyer (see finding trusted services), or Migración Colombia directly.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a foreigner ID card appointment, there are never any slots?

A May 2026 written reply from Migración Colombia says appointments open Sunday to Thursday from 5:00 pm. Booking is free. Residents report logging in a little before 5 and refreshing. They also report using the Spanish site. These are reports, not official advice.

What happens if I miss the 15 days to register my visa?

Official pages describe the 15-day period. We could not find a stated penalty amount. Some residents report no penalty when the portal had no slots. Ask Migración Colombia or a licensed adviser.

How long does the foreigner ID card take?

The Migración Colombia page says you can collect it after 10 business days from payment. A May 2026 reply says you must collect it within 6 months. Residents report longer waits.

Can I get the foreigner ID card in another city?

A May 2026 reply says the form lets you pick the centre where you wish to do the procedure. Residents report trying other cities. Migración Colombia can confirm.

Is the appointment free?

Yes. Migración Colombia says booking is free and needs no intermediaries. The foreigner ID card has a fee: 294,000 COP on the 2026 tariffs page.

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