El Dorado airport issues. What gives?

thur says on May 10, 2008, 08:27:

1. Yes, fortunately they moved the security (who can relax at the Juan Valdez seeing that huge line there for security?). Now when you exit the country you have: Security > DAS > Duty Free > Security at the gate (depends which flight). Good move by Opaín (the airport operator).
2. There are two taxes: the exit tax and "timbre". The timbre is never included in the ticket and must be paid in cash at the airline counter (in USD or COP), all Colombian residents pay this _and_ foreigners & Colombians living abroad if their stay was more than 60 days in Colombia. The actual departure tax (TASA) _can_ be included in the ticket if the ticket was bought abroad (it's code is "CO" if you have the fare break down).
3. I was given 90 days in 2006 for my 85 days stay, however last time (2008) I was denied the 90 days stamp despite my 85 days stay. The guy asked whether or not I had a visa (huh?) and then just said "I'm not going to give you 90 days, you want the 60 days stamp or not?"... no point in arguing of course. It's at the officer's discretion, but I'm guessing they have been given the instruction not to give 90 day stamps any longer, period... For the first time _ever_ I had to go to the DAS to pay for an extension of 30 days, have my photo and my fingerprints taken.
4. What tax card are you talking about? Are you referring to the DIAN/ICA 530 form? Officially you were always supposed to keep a copy -just in case- on leaving the country. Although I've never ever been asked about it, I'm guessing it would be in case you would be inspected and they'd have doubt whether or not you entered the country with a particular item (and declared it faithfully).
Greetings,

- www.pbase.com/thur

Gator says on May 10, 2008, 08:51:

1. You get whatever DAS agent on duty want to issue-the is NO set formula.
2. There is no formula for the tax. Some international departure points are different. Call
your airline or the airline desk at the departure airport and ask.
3. Taxes are a burden everywhere.
4. As far as I remember there is a security check point after you clear DAS. The one at the
actual gate is for carry on.
5. As I said before check your ticket and look at taxes. If there is no "CO" with an amount
after no Colombian taxes have been paid.
6. When my daughter(s) depart no "tax "card." They jsut check the entry stamp in the passport.
Last time, late last year, the taxes were $33
6. You can also check http://www.aerocivil.gov.co look under, I believe, preguntas frecuentes.
(This is the Colombian version of the US. FAA) Their number at El Dorado is 425.1000 or
try the DIAN site

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

bickerss says on May 10, 2008, 10:18:

I fly air chance (france) and always have to go to the tax exemption counter, but never have to actually pay any tax. There was a security checkpoint after DAS where they scan you, and then another one with soldier type people who pat you down and search some bags randomly; They have always left me alone though.

I have not kept any tax card when exiting, and have before got 90 day visas in Bogota (although my last one of that length was late last year).

durito says on May 10, 2008, 11:31:

I've asked for 90 days (in Bogota, Cali, Medellin, Cartagena Airports and at the border with ecuador) about 25 times in the last 6 years and been given 60 every single time (except once on the border with ecuador she asked how long I was staying, I said a few days (true) and she gave me a 3 day stamp :)).

jonas says on May 10, 2008, 12:04:

There is a trick to get the 90 days ;-)

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

thur says on May 10, 2008, 14:22:

Gator: I appreciate your expertise on many subjects which I've read here on this board. However, the security checkpoint in Bogotá was moved recently (I left Bogotá april 20th of this year). It used to be: DAS > Duty Free > Security > Gates, now it's: Security > DAS > Duty Free > Gates. Where there used to be the security checkpoint (with X-rays, soldiers doing random manual searches, etc.) was empty... the metal tables were still there the day I left, but there was no one there. A good move by Opaín, the airport operator, if I may say so.
The Colombian departure tax (code "CO") is sometimes (depends on the airline and where it is sold: Colombia or abroad) included in the ticket. If you have the fare construction this can be seen, for example a flight sold in the US, from Atlanta to Bogota and back:
ATL DL X/MIA AV BOG 270.50BLEP02H2 AV X/FLL 250.00BLEP01FG FL ATL 89.30HS21K1XN NUC 609.80 END ROE 1.00 FARE USD 610.00 XT 5.50YC 7.00XY 5.00XA 30.80US 7.50AY 33.00CO 13.50XF ATL4.50 MIA4.50 FLL4.50.
XT, YC, XY, US, AY, CO, XF are all tax codes where the CO code (33 USD here) is the international departure tax of Colombia (tasa) included in the ticket.
Greetings,

- www.pbase.com/thur

Gator says on May 10, 2008, 20:05:

Thur, thanks for the tip on security-I guess I would have found out when the daughter leaves after her visit next month. I stand corrected.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .