Dual Citizenship

Gator says on Oct 9, 2006, 20:39:

Cerrado Tu Boca. Then who would know?

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare" .

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expatriate says on Oct 10, 2006, 05:14:

Renounce your citizenship? There is no reason to renounce your citizenship. Just travel on your U.S. passport.

There is also nothing wrong with having two passports. You can get into Brazil without paying the $160.00 that U.S. citizens do. You can move to Colombia if the U.S. decides to draft you or becomes more of a police state.

You better take care of me Lord, if you don't you're gonna have me on your hands.

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bumangesa516 says on Oct 10, 2006, 07:35:

you don't have to renounce anything... I've traveled to Colombia for the past 5 consecutive years and have used my American passport. Of course Colombian immigration has asked me the standard stupid questions: "Are you not Colombian?", "Why are you not using your Colombian passport?", "Weren't you born here?"....
All to which I answer, "Yes I am a Colombian born Citizen but I have lived in the USA for 95% of my life and therefore have the rights to use my American Passport as I would freely like to."

And that of course shuts Colombian immigration workers up...

And if that fails.. just slighty so "threaten" them with bringing the issue up with the American Embassy... and then they are surely happy to oblige to stamp your American passport.

This all works... well for me anyhow. And I do have both passports but I'd just rather use my American one so I don't have to pay the ridiculous extra tax fee's I would be demanded of if I used my Colombian one.

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) says on Oct 10, 2006, 07:37:

Don't worry about it I am the US born child of Colombian parents. I frequently travel to Colombia and always use my US passport. I am a dual citizen as I was registered as a Colombian citizen and am in the process of getting my cedula, but this is really not necessary. The main reason I did it was so that I can live in Colombia in the future. Also, I travel in places like Neiva in el Huila and I prefer to not flash the blue passport if I can avoid it.

I'm so hip, I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis.

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DallasCowboy says on Oct 10, 2006, 20:09:

Everybody Is Right This is taken from the Colombian Consulate in Chicago web's site under Doble Nacionalidad:

"Si el ciudadano colombiano por nacimiento adquirió otra nacionalidad antes del 4 de julio de 1991, PERDIÓ LA NACIONALIDAD COLOMBIANA y por lo tanto deberá identificarse tanto al ingreso como en el territorio colombiano con documento extranjero. En caso de querer ingresar a Colombia con documento colombiano tiene que readquirir la Nacionalidad colombiana.
Usted puede inscribir a sus hijos nacidos en el exterior en el Consulado de Colombia en Chicago para que adquieran automáticamente la nacionalidad Colombiana por nacimiento sin necesidad de acreditar el domicilio en Colombia".

The 1886 Colombian Constitution in Title II, Article 9 stipulated:

"La calidad de nacional colombiano se pierde por adquirir carta de naturaleza en país extranjero, fijando en él domicilio, y podrá recobrarse con arreglo a las leyes"

So what does all this mean? All of us who became US citizens before 1991, while the 1886 Constitution was still in effect, lost our colombian citizenship but can request to have it reinstated and thus obtain dual citizenship. It's your choice. Since the US has been home since I was 18, I have opted out.

Anybody born and/or naturalized after 7/4/1991 does need to have both passports. This is my understanding.

Last year I went to Colombia after a 30 year absence. Upon entry, no questions asked, passport stamped and in I went. On the return leg, the DAS immigration official asked me for the colombian passport, I told him I didn't have one because I had become a US citizen before the law changed. No more questions, then proceeded to the waiting area. I would assume that if the immigration officials want to be hard asses about it they would like to have proof of the date you became naturalized. I didn't have to show one.

As a note, a while back, as I was getting my boarding pass, the American Airlines employee was cool enough to point out that I didn't have to pay the exit tax and instructed me on where to go and have it stamped and he actually saved my place at the ticket counter! There was a long, long line.

Enjoy your trip. You'll like it. I fell in love with Colombia all over again ! I hope to go back some day again.

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lawyer CO says on Oct 12, 2006, 12:40:

Not a good idea Well, having double passport is a benefit in case you have emergency. For exmaple, when you go to Colombia you dont need the extension the time needed by the tourist or if you are in troubles in USA, you can have a lawyer paid by the consulate in some specifics problems.

Esteban
lawyer

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Gator says on Oct 12, 2006, 13:50:

The Embassy/Consulates NEVER... provide you with or pay for an attorney. What Embassy Staff will do:


Visit you in jail after being notified of your arrest to check on your health and the treatment accorded you by the police; however, the only course of action is to file a protest.

Give you a list of local English-speaking attorneys (you are responsible for paying any lawyers' fees) but are prohibited from recommending a specific attorney.

Notify your family and friends of your arrest, relay requests for financial assistance, provided you authorize the consul to do so.

Basically you are on you own and ONLY the criminal rules of Colombia will apply.


"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare" .

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sandramoreno80 says on Oct 13, 2006, 08:54:

I thought that the Colombian law that they are enforcing is only applicable to those Colombians that obtained foreign citizenship after 1991. My parents have just got British citizenship this year, they have always had Colombian passports and are in the DAS database so therefore they will be expected to continue using their Colombian passports.

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Gator says on Oct 13, 2006, 20:12:

Not Correct!! What The Colombian Constitution of 1991 did was allow dual citizenship to take place and recognized dual citizenship in Title III, Chapter 1, article 96. Prior to the 1991 Constitution Colombian citizens were not allow to have dual citizenship.

The really pertinent part of article 96 is that constitutionally no Colombian by birth may be stripped of his/her citizenship. The status of Colombian citizenship cannot be lost by virtue of the fact of acquiring another citizenship. Citizens by naturalization will not be obligated to renounce their citizenship of origin or naturalization The following hold Colombian citizenship: 1. Citizens by birth:
a. Native-born Colombians, according to one of these two conditions: that the father or mother should have been natives or Colombian citizens or that, being the offspring of aliens, either of the parents was domiciled in the Republic at the time of birth;
b. The children of a Colombian father or mother who were born abroad and then became domiciled in the Republic.

2. Citizens by naturalization.It should be noted that the new 1991 Constitution clearly states that NO Colombian citizen may stripped of citizenship and further has no language requiring any condition(s) to exercising this right. In addition any Colombian who renounce citizenship is permitted under article 96 may recover it in accordance with the law.








"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare" .

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Michelle Nieves says on Nov 30, 2006, 11:46:

In Need of advise I have a problem, I want to travel to Colombia on Feb 2007 but my passport has expired. So I want to the NYC Colombian Embassy to renew it and they ask for a cedula. I don't have one since I come to NY when I was 2. So they said that I needed the registro civil paperwork which I got. So I went back to the Embassy, now they say that since I changed my name ( Had three name Luz Michelle Nieves changed to Michelle Nieves) that I had to travel to Colombia since I am 27yrs old and have the registro change then get the cedula with the new name and then get the passport. Now come my big ulcer producing headache I don't want to be stuck in Colombia for more than 2weeks ( only vacation time left) and I am afraid that since I have that dual citzenship since I was born in Cali that I will not be able to leave the country once I enter. Any advise?

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Michelle Nieves says on Dec 1, 2006, 09:01:

Response Yes, I am a citizen ( become one 8yrs ago) but since I was born in Colombia and the new law states that I am a Colombian citizenship as well. Now if I have receive my US citizenship before 1991 I would have been able to renounce my Colombian citizenship, but alas, I am not so lucky. So now I have to wait to see if someone in Colombia can change my name in the registro de civil to start the ball rolling. Otherwise, I can never again set foot in Colombia., since doing so will only ensure that I will not be able to leave, and I so not want to be stuck there. ( It is beautiful and all) but the majority of my family is here ( NYC).I just thought that I would have been nice to see Colombia again after so many years of not going there, but what can you do. I guess this may be God ways of letting me know that maybe for now I should not travel there :)Thanks any way for your comments.

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lpdiver says on Dec 1, 2006, 12:40:

As gator said early on... Keep your mouth closed travel on your American passport and no one will know.

t

Remember what the monkey says, "Fuck money it's free"

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ninaadoptiva says on Dec 5, 2006, 07:21:

Name Change Hello Michelle - not the same situation, but nonetheless, my sister and I got our citizenship back in the 80's. She has sinced moved back and has been there waiting for 6 months to get her name changes official (brith name changed to American name and then to married name this the Colombian govt will only recognize her by her Colombian birth name) and cedula paperwork in order. She was warned by her husbands family that it could take well more than a year. She has been back and forth from Medllein to Bogota (place of birth) 3 times on her non-existent income. So, bottom line is, unless you want to be there for while perhaps you should see if there is a way somehow can act on your behalf as an agent. Best of Luck! I will be travelling to Colombia at the end of March '07.

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aztec says on Dec 5, 2006, 08:11:

My wife was advised... ...by the Colombian Vice Counsel to leave it alone. The change would be too difficult and take too long.

So, when we sign official paperwork in Colombia like an apartment purchase she must use her "Colombian" name as it is reflected on her cedula. We also make note of her other name(married)just in case.

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MitchAlvarez says on Jun 23, 2009, 07:40:

I was born in NYC. I have the us citizenship but years back I registered at a notaria in bogota and obtained a tarjeta de identidad. Could I reopen a case for cedula and dual citizenship? how or where do i find out about this?

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