Entering Colombia With Dual Nationality: Passport Rules

Colombians with another nationality must enter and leave Colombia as Colombians. Accepted documents differ for entry and exit (Cancillería; Migración Colombia).

What it is

A second nationality does not itself remove Colombian nationality. Cancillería states this rule under Ley 2332 de 2023, article 34. A foreign passport does not turn a Colombian citizen into a foreign tourist.

Who it applies to

This guide covers people who retain Colombian nationality, including children. Formal loss or renunciation of nationality needs a separate review. For foreign relatives, see Colombian visas and stay extensions and overstay.

Steps

1. Check the Colombian passport's expiry date before booking.
2. Read the selected consulate's appointment instructions for a first passport or renewal.
3. Check Cancillería's document list for the applicant's age and identity records.
4. Attend the appointment with the required documents. The office takes the photograph, fingerprints and signature for the ordinary in-person process.
5. Ask the consulate about payment and collection dates.
6. Use Colombian identity details if you choose to complete the free, optional Check-MIG form.
7. Present the Colombian passport at Colombian border control in the normal passport route.

The other country's entry rules remain separate. Carry the document that country requires. Colombian citizenship also does not decide tax residence. The property checklist for Colombians abroad explains identity and residence checks for property.

Costs

Check the selected consulate's current fee and payment method. This guide quotes no passport fee. Cancillería says delivery abroad depends on transport and exceptional conditions. It does not promise one delivery date for all consulates.

Documents

For entry, Migración Colombia’s current instructions accept a Colombian passport or identity card for adults. For Colombian children, they list a passport, identity card or birth record, according to age. Exit and airline boarding have separate document checks. For a passport application, the standard adult list includes a valid Colombian identity card (cédula de ciudadanía) and the previous passport, if available. Cancillería also lists specific temporary-ID routes. A missing card needs a document check before the appointment. Applicants born abroad or registered late may need extra civil records.

Children born abroad

Birth registration and a passport are separate steps. The Colombian birth record (registro civil de nacimiento) is part of the child's passport file.

1. Ask the consulate to check the child's nationality and birth-registration documents.
2. Obtain the foreign birth record with the required apostille or legalization.
3. Arrange an authorized Spanish translation when the record uses another language.
4. Bring the child and the identified person who declares the birth to the registration appointment.
5. Bring the blood-group and Rh evidence required by Cancillería's registration instructions.
6. Request the passport after the registration documents meet the passport requirements.

A child normally attends the passport appointment with a parent or legal representative. Special third-party authorization routes have extra documents. Passport consent is separate from permission for a child to leave Colombia.

Deadlines

Do not assume a pending passport application is a travel document. Check delivery with the consulate before choosing travel dates. For property payments from abroad, see sending savings to buy a home.

Common mistakes

• Using only the foreign passport: Colombian nationality still matters at Colombian border control.
• Confusing civil records with travel papers: a birth record supports identity and some entry routes. It does not replace a passport for every journey.
• Ignoring the return trip: the other country's document rules also apply.

Exceptions

Migración Colombia accepts Colombian identity documents in specified regional travel arrangements. It also describes exceptional entry with evidence of Colombian nationality. Its imported FAQ describes a missing-document exception, with a possible sanction. Other entry and exit requirements still apply. This is not a promise of airline boarding.

Migración Colombia also describes exceptions involving prior renunciation and a second nationality acquired before the Constitution of 1991. Ask the consulate to review the nationality record. For dual-national children without current Colombian documents, Migración Colombia describes departure with valid foreign documents if all other requirements are met. Exit-permit rules still apply.

Sources

Checked 25 October 2026.

• Cancillería: dual nationality
• Migración Colombia: entry, exit and minors
• Cancillería: passport documents
• Cancillería: passports abroad
• Cancillería: civil registration abroad

Educational information, not legal or tax advice. Ask a Colombian lawyer or accountant for your case.

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Frequently asked questions

Which passport should a Colombian dual national use?

Colombians must identify as Colombian. Current entry guidance accepts an adult’s Colombian passport or identity card. Exit and airline document rules differ.

Can I renew a Colombian passport abroad?

Yes. Colombian consulates issue passports. Check the selected consulate’s appointment, document, fee and collection instructions.

Does a child born abroad need a Colombian birth record?

The Colombian birth record forms part of the child’s passport application. Ask the consulate to review nationality and birth registration first.

Does a foreign passport remove a child’s exit-permit requirement?

No. Colombian nationality and the applicable child-exit rules still matter. Document exceptions do not remove parental-consent requirements.

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