One of the fears of many when traveling is not knowing what to do if you lose your passportthe document that identifies you outside the country and that you need to return to Colombia.
(Also read: These are the countries that do not ask Colombians for a visa in 2022)
In addition to the possibility of loss, many tourists face another reality, more common than it seems in the most visited destinations, which is identity theft.
In case of being abroad before this fortuitous event, You must go to a Colombian consulate or embassy. The country has consular missions around the world, divided into 63 embassies and more than 100 consulates, so before preparing a trip, it is recommended to know if the place you are going has one of these institutions. can inform here.
Special types of passport
In principle, there are two types of passports: the ordinary and the executive. The most important difference between the two is the number of pages it carries. The first type has 32 pages, while the executive, 48.
Even so, in cases of extreme necessity, such as theft or loss of this document, Colombia allows the issuance of other special types of passport when this happens.
Exempt Passport: This document is issued at consulates or embassies to deported, expelled, repatriated nationals, stowaways, who are in a state of vulnerability or who have a situation of force majeure, such as the loss of the document.
This type of passport It is free because it consists of only one page and is only valid for 30 days. which are counted from their expedition. In addition, it will only be valid to return to Colombia, so this option is ideal if at the time of losing your passport you have a few days, even hours, left for your return to the country. Once in Colombia you can do the normal procedure.
emergency passport: This document is issued only in exceptional situations. According to the Foreign Ministry, these are those in which “it is necessary to safeguard the inalienable rights of the person, such as life, health and integrity, and that are based on cases of extreme necessity.”
This identification can also be delivered the same day of the request but it has a cost, it is valid for seven months and consists of eight pages. For this reason, it can continue to be used without problems, especially in countries that do not require a visa from Colombians.
Prices vary depending on where the request is made from. In Europe the cost is 81 euros, while in the rest of the world, it is 158 dollars.
(You may be interested in: Spain: how many Colombians obtained nationality in 2021?)
Border Passport: This book is issued only to Colombians who are in the following countries: Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Panama and Ecuador. The passport is valid for 10 years and has 28 pages.
However, it can only be used “to enter and leave Colombia from and to the country where it was issued“, according to decree 1514 of 2012.
It has a cost of 26 dollars.
You should be aware that theft and loss are not the only occasions when you may be forced to apply for a special passport. This can also happen if the notebook was damaged beyond repair or if all the pages were filled. In turn, it would be necessary to resort to these instances if the document expired while on the trip.
What happens if you lose the American visa?
If in the notebook you lost you had your United States visa, one of the most coveted by travelers, you can wait until your arrival in Colombia to renew it, because to return to the country you only need -in principle- the passport.
Even so, you should be aware that the US Embassy requires you to follow the next steps:
– Report or make a sworn record of the theft or loss to the Police where the events occurred.
– Fill out a brief form describing what happened: when, where and the type of visa you had at the time of the loss.
– Send a copy of the complaint and the format to the mail [email protected]
Remember that the Embassy does not reactivate visas, so if you find your passport after completing the process, you will not be able to travel with that visa, but
You will need to make an appointment to get a new one..
DIEGO STACEY SALAZAR
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
TIME
On Twitter: @diego_stacey
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