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Apostilling Colombian documents in Bogotá

Since I went through the gauntlet of apostilling some Colombian legal documents in Bogotá a few days ago, I thought that I’d share my experience on PBH.

Please note that you’ll need a minimum of 2 days to get things done.

STEP 1

The signature of the issuing authority has to be authenticated.

There are two possibilities:

a) If the document has been issued by a “notario”, you must get the authentication done at the “Superintendencia de Notario y Registro” (calle 26 #13-49 second floor).

This is done immediately and free of charge.

b) If the document has been issued by a “registrador”, you must get the authentication done at the “Registraduría nacional” (Avenida El Dorado #46-20 CAN).

THIS TAKES 24 HOURS. You have to leave the document at the reception in exchange for a receipt. You can collect the document duly authenticated the FOLLOWING DAY. The service is free of charge.

STEP 2

Apostilling is done by a special department of the “Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores” (MRE) located at: Transversal 17, calle 98-53.

YOU NEED AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IN.

To get an appointment (for the FOLLOWING DAY at the earliest), you must:

a) Call 01 800 097 98 99 (national number) or 587 40 00 (Bogotá number)
or
b) Visit this website: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/Apostilla1/gui/InscripcionCiudadano.aspx

I repeat: You WILL NOT be allowed in without an appointment.

Note that some persons in front of the MRE offer a “same-day service” for about 30K pesos (for up to 5 documents to be apostilled). If you’re in a hurry or if you forgot to get an appointment, then you can entrust them with your document(s) (they have several friends with appointments queuing outside the MRE).

The cost of apostilling is 25K pesos PER document.

I hope this helps!

By Darloup on Oct 9, 2009, 09:21 in Friendly Talkzone.

Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 09:27:

:Plaease confirm that these apostilled documents will be used in a country other than Colombia?

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 9, 2009, 09:32:

Miguel Clavo: Absolutely, as long as the receiving countries have signed The Hague Convention about apostilles.

See here: http://www.apostille.org.uk/hague.asp

I personally used these apostilled documents with the French and Swiss Embassies a few days ago without any problems.

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webmanco says on Oct 9, 2009, 09:36:

Thanks for the info.

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 09:37:

Ok, have brought many apostilled docs from the US to Colombia, but cant think of a reason why i would have documents apostilled here in Colombia to take to the US......

thanks for the information!

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soylocombiano says on Oct 9, 2009, 14:05:

Hey guys, to add a little more info, if the documents (including the apostille itself) require translation to another language by an official MRE translator, then they have to be apostilled twice, in order to authenticate the translator

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 14:25:

why would an apostille need to be translated?

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soylocombiano says on Oct 9, 2009, 14:34:

because not everyone speaks Spanish?

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:02:

sorry if you couldnt understand my question....what is the purpose of having an internationally-accepted 1961 Haque Convention form translated into another language? Only people who will accept it are Haque Convention signatories.

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:02:

Soylocombiano: "to add a little more info, if the documents (including the apostille itself) require translation to another language by an official MRE translator, then they have to be apostilled twice, in order to authenticate the translator"

Very pertinent point!

Up to a few weeks ago, my embassies required translations of the Spanish documents (e.g. birth certificate, certificate of wedding, etc.) and the official translations had to be apostilled as well, thus practically requiring TWO trips to the MRE as Soylocombiano pointed out.

Some embassies may still require translations. In this case, you could use the services of TWT (Trans World Translations) which are next door to the MRE. They translate "as you wait" and charge 17K COP per page. They can be contacted at: transworldtraducciones at yahoo.com

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:08:

Miguel Clavo:

All embassies require the original Colombian documents (in Spanish) to be apostilled.

Some embassies also require these documents (in Spanish) to be translated in the language of the embassy... Since anyone could do a translation (and thus write any rubbish), the translation has got to be done by a translator approved by the MRE. Thus, the translator puts his seal on the translation, and then you have to go back to the MRE for them to authenticate the seal of the translator on the actual translation.

Better to have tried and failed than having regrets all your life about what you MIGHT have missed

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:10:

Darloup, regardless of the number of trips required, did you have to have the actual Apostille translated and have an Apostille placed on top of the other Apostille? Apostilles for translated documents is normal. Apostilles on top of Apostilles i have never heard of. It serves no logical pupose, because signers have to be verified/certified before the apostille gets placed on it. The Apostille only certifies it was issued by the offical government entity which is authorized to do it. The contents of the documents is not warranted by the apostille.

Apostilles do not authenticate the translator.

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:13:

Miguel Clavo "regardless of the number of trips required, did you have to have the actual Apostille translated and have an Apostille placed on top of the other Apostille?"

The second apostille is not placed on top of the first one. It is placed on the translation.

The first apostille goes on the Colombian document.
The second apostille goes on the translated document bearing the seal of the translator.

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:14:

But that is not the point i am asking about,...i am asking about the Apostille...You have to have all that other stuff done PRIOR to having the Apostille attached. Translation has nothing to do with the Apostille. Please read my post carefully, then respond. I am asking if you had to have an actual Apostille placed on top of the original Apostille?

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:17:

So did you have to have the text of the Apostille translated into another language and a second Apostille placed on it? or did you have to do two separate documents, with 2 separate apostillles?

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Robert Jorge says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:19:

So if you need an apostille for an apostille, does the second apostille need another apostille? Where does it end?

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:21:

Miguel Clavo: I am not trying to ascertain the logic behind this process. All I know is that some embassies require the Colombian document to be apostilled and ALSO the translation to be apostilled.

Up to a few weeks ago, the French embassy still required the two apostilles. Fortunately, they don't require a translation any longer.

But other embassies still require both documents (the original and its translation) to be apostilled - as Soylocombiano pointed out.

Better to have tried and failed than having regrets all your life about what you MIGHT have missed

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:29:

Darloup....

"Miguel Clavo: I am not trying to ascertain the logic behind this process. All I know is that some embassies require the Colombian document to be apostilled and ALSO the translation to be apostilled."

i understand that all too well, but are you talking about 2 separate documents, one for the document with an apostille and a separate one for the translation of the document with a second apostille, right? not placing an apostille on top of an apostille, like the other guy posts? you are talkin about placing an apostille on each of the two separate documents, each with its own apostille, right? i dont know how else i can explain it......

RJ...Whos on First? =)

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:31:

Miguel Clavo: "are you talking about 2 separate documents, one for the document with an apostille and a separate one for the translation of the document with a second apostille, right?"

Yes, that is right.

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 15:40:

Whewwwwww......i was beginning to worry about you......

so you didnt need to have the actual Apostille form translated and have an additional Apostille placed on top like soylocolombia mentioned? i cant imagine any country needing a translation of the acutal Haque form as all the participating countries have access to all of the other countries actual forms.......

The reason i say that is because if you only submit a translated document (translated into the language of the recieving country) which you need apostilled, you can save the cost of having the original document apostilled because only the translated one is needed.

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Robert Jorge says on Oct 9, 2009, 19:42:

It authenticates that the notarized document is indeed notarized by a state recognized, legitimate notary / authority.

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 9, 2009, 19:45:

Apostilles do not verify anything, nor authenticate the contents of any document. It doesnt matter what the document nor its translation says. It authenticates the notary like RJ says.

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Gator says on Oct 9, 2009, 20:45:

FYI The US Consulate does NOT require a translation. Page five from the list of instructions::

"LIST OF DOCUMENTS
Translations are NOT required for documents written in Spanish or English.
We can return most original documents if you also bring notarized photocopies to your interview."

However, documents originating in the United States required for recognition in Colombia generally need an Apostille issued by competent U.S. authorities, usually a state's Secretary of State office. Documents originating in Colombia required for recognition in the U.S. an Apostille issued by the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Relations (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Oficina de Legalizaciones, is needed .

If a document needs to be translated then a notary would witness the translator's signature on the translation and the document being translated would be submitted along with the notarized translation for authentication. Best bet is to have the original apostilled in the USA then have it translated IN COLOMBIA which would include the apostille and that notarized. Save you some bucks.

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babygirl says on Oct 9, 2009, 21:00:

What's the purpose of 'apostilel' if it's already notarized?

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Robert Jorge says on Oct 9, 2009, 21:53:

Like I said above Babygirl, the apostille is a government, State authentication that the notorization was done by a legit, recognized notary. It is then internationally recognized as notorized. (It took me a while to understand it too)

"You can not take the barrio out of the girl you really can't." Oneforamillion

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babygirl says on Oct 9, 2009, 22:13:

hmm ok. Sorry I guess I just thought a notary was all you need, because a notary is a notary, make sense? No biggie, thanks RJ :)

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Robert Jorge says on Oct 9, 2009, 22:45:

Right, within your country a notary is all you need. Think of an apostille as kind of an international notary. It let's other countries legally recognize your local notorization by gauranteeing authenticity by you're State / country.

"You can not take the barrio out of the girl you really can't." Oneforamillion

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babygirl says on Oct 9, 2009, 23:28:

Thanks again RJ.

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soylocombiano says on Oct 10, 2009, 06:39:

Wow, MC, I think it's very clear but I'll try to elaborate. The 1st apostille certifies the document (whatever it is) as authentic, and issued by DAS, or some other government agency. You then take the document, along with the apostille to a translator who does the translation and stamps it with their MRE number stating that they're an "official" MRE translator. Then the MRE will apostille the translation, authenticating the translator as really being an MRE official translator.

Whether you agree with the logic of the process or not is really irrelevant. It's the way it is, and people should be forewarned that it will be required.

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Miguel_Clavo says on Oct 10, 2009, 11:29:

Right. If you say so.It is still two separate documents, and i doubt that the Apostille form itslef needs to be translated in the receiving language, just the initial document would be.Your statement below indicates the Apostille itself has to be translated, and that is hight doubtful. "(including the apostille itself) "...but like i said, if you say so.

"soylocombiano says on Oct 9, 2009, 14:05: flag

Hey guys, to add a little more info, if the documents (including the apostille itself) require translation to another language by an official MRE translator, then they have to be apostilled twice, in order to authenticate the translator"

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