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Investment Visa: The final step…

The story so far…
- I bought an apartment for about $100K
- When the money entered Colombia I registered it with form 4 (not 5)
- I then sent form 11 to Banco de Republic in Bogotá.
- Banco de Republic have now signed the form and sent it back to me

For those that have successfully completed this process… what happens next?

- Go to Banco de Republic in Medellín, with all my paperwork, and get another certificate. Will I get this certificate immediately? What is it called?
- Go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogotá to apply for residency. How soon will I get residency?

Many thanks

Once this saga ends… I will document the entire process in detail for PBH

Usher

By usher127 on Oct 21, 2007, 10:29 in Visa & paperwork.

Medellin Traveler says on Oct 21, 2007, 16:00:

Usher127 -

Good luck and please do post in detail your experience.

Remember, which is to say don't forget... patience is a virtue!!

"Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 16:17:

When I filled my form 11, I got mailed from Banco de la Republica what is basically the same form 11 filled with the same data, with a stamp, signature and a "numero de radicacion".
That document was not accepted when i went to MRE. I didn't care because I opted for the spouse visa, so I did not loose much time explaining to him that was what the banco sent to me.
Anyway, they wanted to look at a different kind of certification. So, I thought that one has to request a different dedicated certification from Banco de la Republica.

So, a couple of question for PepeA:
Did you request your letter from Banco de la Republica or they just sent it?
How did that letter look like?

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 16:32:

PepeA, what do you mean by "the original". Did you get a letter from them before? Or you just mean the form 11?

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 16:44:

Thanks PepeA.
Then, as far as we know (hoping someone else give some more info), the process is:

1) You fill form 11
2) They send the same form 11, with stamp, signature and record number, like a receipt on the registration in the database
3) You ask for a certification
4) You get the certification letter and show it at MRE

So, usher, just go to Banco de La Republica in Medellin and ask, showing the stamped form 11 you got from Bogotà. Maybe it is faster than asking the certification by letter.

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:00:

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.
On their site you can look at the visa process and documents requested at:

http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/wps/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cs/.ce/7_0_A/.s/7_...

and

http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/WebContentManager/webapp/display.jsp?sid...

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tomtom33 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:02:

You or an authorized representative do have to physically go to Bogota to deal with Banco de la Republica. Once you have the documents, there is a service in Medellin that can do the rest for you. You do not have to go to MRE in Bogota.

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:04:

Wow! They can handle passport and all those documents? Great info, Tom!
So I am the stupid who traveled to Bogotà to get my VISA last year...

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tomtom33 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:22:

Hate to tell you Pepe, ¨by law¨ doesn´t mean shit in Colombia. As you correctly pointed out, they dream stuff up. And no two Colombian government officials will ever give you the same answer to the exact same question. Under some circumstances you may not have to go to BR in Bogota. I did.

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:36:

Perfect!

Now we have:
tomtom33 saying that you do have to go to Bogotà for the certification but not for the visa
PepeA saying that you don't have to go for the certification but you do for the visa

Both got their visa (or not?) and are trustworthy posters.

Usher, try the "full remote" way or go there for both the certification and visa?

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:50:

Yes, PepeA, I did understand your point. I was just joking. :-)

Anyway, if I was usher, I would try not to go to Bogotà at all.
Maybe, ask to BdlR in Medellin before writing, just because it doesn't take much to go there.

Of course, if time is an issue and you don't have many days left, then you'll have to jump on a plane.

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usher127 says on Oct 21, 2007, 17:53:

Sorry… I have some questions…

The ‘letter’ I received from Banco de Republica was basically form 11. Weirdly, this is not the same form 11 I sent them 2 weeks ago. The form 11 I sent them was stamped by Banco de Republica in Medellín. The form 11 I have received, is however, signed and has some kind of important looking number top right. Is this ok?

So, basically, I need some kind of additional, formal letter from Banco de Republica. When I request this letter in writing, exactly what do I ask for? I suppose I need to send them photocopies of all my stuff again?

Another thing, my current student visa expires in 2 weeks, so I guess I’m not going to complete this process in time. Should I apply for another student visa or just go and speak to DAS directly in Medellín and explain the situation?

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:00:

usher, for what you can read:
1) You go to Bogotà and get your certification from BdlR in no time
2) You got MRE and get your visa in no time

Why do you want to go to DAS?

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tomtom33 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:07:

BR could not understand my accountant´s summary of remodeling expenses and required a personal visit to Bogota. I realize that I am just a dumb fuck. But when BR says that they have to see me in Bogota, I go to Bogota. I didn´t know that I could just have asked Pepe.

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:07:

Where did you get that list?

From the website:

Documentos necesarios para el trámite

- Formulario diligenciado y firmado por el interesado.
- Pasaporte con vigencia mínima de tres (3) meses, en buen estado, con hojas en blanco, y fotocopia de las páginas usadas del mismo o, documento de viaje válido, según el caso.
- Tres (3) fotografías recientes de frente, a color con fondo claro, tamaño 3x3 cms para solicitudes en Consulados. Dos (2) fotografías si la solicitud es presentada en Colombia.
- Si la solicitud se presenta en Colombia requiere visa vigente o salvoconducto vigente de permanencia, expedido por el Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad DAS.
- Demostrar la actividad a desarrollar en el país con documentos que deben ser adjuntados.
- Recibo de consignación una vez aprobada la solicitud.

Y los demás documentos dependiendo de la clase de visa solicitada:
Constancia expedida por el Departamento de Cambios Internacionales del Banco de la República en la que conste que en la base de datos aparece el registro de la inversión extranjera directa a nombre del extranjero solicitante de la visa, en la suma de por lo menos cien mil dólares (US$100.000,oo) de los Estados Unidos de América, como monto mínimo a invertir en el territorio colombiano, de acuerdo con lo establecido en el Artículo 52 del Decreto 4000 del 30 de noviembre de 2004, y conforme a lo previsto en el Estatuto de Inversiones Internacionales y demás normas concordantes vigentes

No mention of the "Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales o de Policía, expedido por autoridad competente de su país de origen o del último de residencia, con una antelación no superior a seis (6) meses y debidamente apostillado o legalizado."
And they did not ask for it when I got my VISA.

If you have a visa vigente then you do not need the salvoconducto del DAS.

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tomtom33 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:15:

They stopped asking for the police record about 3 years ago.

You do have to go to DAS to register your VISA within 15 days of getting the VISA.

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usher127 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:33:

robi... I need to go to DAS to extent my student visa... because i'm not going to get the residency in the next 2 weeks. Or can I just go directly to Bogota and try to get the letter within 2 or 3 days?

If not, I need to write to them. In which case, what is the address? Presumably, it will need to be addressed to a specific department.

Thank you so much everybody. Thank god for PBH.

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usher127 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:47:

Yeah I do... I could try that. Though, of course, they could say yes and then change their minds when I arrive. My point being... what my friend can do, perhaps I can do over the phone from here.

What if I just gamble and go to Bogota now... directly to Banco de Republica and ask for the certification letter?

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robi666 says on Oct 21, 2007, 18:54:

Pepe, they did not accept mine. But of course they can accept usher's.

Usher, for what Tom and Pepe told us, I believe that you can get both certification and visa in one or two consecutive days if you are in Bogotà.
No need to go to DAS. Jump on a bus or plane with all your papers.

We probably can go together next week. I need to go to buy a car. Let's talk tomorrow afternoon.

If you have an hour, go to BdlR Medellin to check. It is easy and one can never know.

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usher127 says on Oct 21, 2007, 19:50:

I think I agree... I will speak with BdIR tomorrow.. maybe even try telephoning Bogota.

Let's go! Ready when you are...

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spigrimace says on Oct 22, 2007, 09:15:

This link and it´s sublinks may help quite a bit for foreigners buying property and investing in

Colombia:

https://quimbaya.banrep.gov.co/secinternet/operaciones.jsp?opcion=inve...

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usher127 says on Oct 23, 2007, 11:23:

I rang BdR in Bogota and they confirmed that I need to fax them the letter.. which I have now done. Apparently, I can pick up their 'certification' in Bogota next week, assuming there is no problem. So, its looking good.

Btw, PepeA, when you went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, did they ask you any questions? For example, did you have to present your passport and show you entry date to Colombia?

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tomtom33 says on Oct 23, 2007, 14:20:

Of course you have to present your passport. They affix the VISA to one of the pages in your passport. And, it seems to me, you have to give them 2 photocopies of all the pages in your passport along with reams of other shit.

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usher127 says on Oct 23, 2007, 14:36:

Yeah of course, but are they going to ask me about my entry date or anything else??

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tomtom33 says on Oct 23, 2007, 18:00:

Your entry date is in your passport. They never asked me anything, but I had a lawyer put my papers together. My lawyer had, apparently, covered all the bases.

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usher127 says on Oct 23, 2007, 20:26:

Yeah, I will prepare all docs... i'm just a little paranoid about the entry date.. as that could kill my application. To get this visa your supposed to have wrapped up the entire process within 6 months of being in Colombia!

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tomtom33 says on Oct 24, 2007, 05:46:

Huh? Where did you ever get that idea, Usher? You cannot stay more than 180 days in a calendar year without a VISA. NOTE: 180 days does not equal 6 months. You are mixing issues. You can take as long as you want to do anything. You just cannot stay in Colombia for more than the 180 days without a VISA.

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robi666 says on Oct 24, 2007, 08:06:

Usher, if the Banco de la Republica gives the certification to you, then you are a "Foreign Investor" and you are entitled to get the Visa. The rule about the 6 months is contained within the "Circular Cambiaria" of BdlR. You got the receipt of form 11 without any observation from them: I am confident that they won't check any further.

I am quite sure that MRE will not look if you bought the apartment after you have been 6 months in Colombia. They probably don't even know that rule. It is not their business to enforce the Circular Cambiaria. You have the certification from BdlR? Fine.

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