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Obtaining new passport in Colombia?

My wife's Colombian passport expires in August of this year. Although she lives in the United States I understand she can get a new passport in one day in Colombia. (Colombia gringo) Her orginal passport was obtained in Cali but can she get a new one in Bogota? Somebody her in the forum (CG) said she could if she said she "lost" the thing. Now, I went to the Colombian government website and it said the applicant should go to the office closest to where they live either consulate or office in Colombia. So my question is how can she do this in Bogota before August? The consulate in Miami says you can only get a new one within 30 days of expiration at that office.

Anybody obtained a new passport by presenting themselves in Bogota while visiting. If you are lucky enough to live in a city where there is consulate then this is no problem but quite frankly this document process sucks if you have to travel the enormous distances involved. One visit is one thing but this second presentation in person is nuts!

So how could she obtain a new Colombian passport in Bogota in May when it expires in August? She will stop in Miami, again, for her new cedula, while enroute to Bogota.

By sanandressi on Jan 13, 2009, 06:59 in Friendly Talkzone.

ujay says on Jan 13, 2009, 07:42:

my wife was renewing her passport every 2 years in London ,did not have to come here ,why cant you do this in the USA ,

and you do not have to wait for passport to expire to renew it ,
in fact if your passport is going out of date while your away you have to renew it early .

passports here in Bogota is very easy and is in one day ,even better and faster than the UK.

then they is always ,tip a cup of coffee over it ,they got to give you new one here then.

passport office just 10 blocks from here ,some thing you need let me know .

http://www.jukelightning.com

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Gator says on Jan 13, 2009, 08:44:

why cant you do this in the USA?
Much more expensive and you must go to the consulate in person to renew unless you wait for a local consular visit to selected cities about once a year and massive crowds.

In Miami you can not renew the passport until 30 days before the expiration
As I stated before you can get around this at the consulate by making application for a lost passport.

Mrs. Gator's original passport was issued in Cali- She renewed in Bogotá with no problem. Mrs. Gator's renewal took less than two hours start to finish in Bogotá. Best to have your cédula but that's not a fatal error if you don't have it.. The old passport will do-the cédula number is on that. We found it much easier to get the photos "on the street." That way she knew they would be correct size and format. If, for some reason, the photos are refused, they will retake gratis. If I remember it was around 73.000 Pesos. In Bogotá on Calle 100 Nº 17 - 25 . Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm - Last day of the month wise 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 m. Get there early. You can prepay at Banco Popular SA account # 0700-00127-6. I would call ahead to make SURE what you need this week. 562 7449, 562 7457, 562 7499.

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

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Mononoke28 says on Jan 13, 2009, 09:25:

Your wife can go to the closest passport office in Colombia to get a new one. She doesn't have to get it in the city where she got her first passport. It's quick and painless.

Diana

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sanandressi says on Jan 13, 2009, 10:18:

So they don't care about being within the 30 day expiration date in Colombia as they do at the consulate in Miami? Also, you are saying that the consulate in Miami waves the 30 days if she tells them she lost the old one? I guess that would be logical being that lost is lost.

It sounds much easier to do in Colombia as Mrs. Gator did it. Well, I know my wife obtained her's in Cali too but spent six hours in line or something like that! Thank you!

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kittylover says on Jan 13, 2009, 11:40:

She could obtain a new one before the expiring date if she claims that it is deteriorated. All she has to do is scratch it a little bit… I obtained mine while visiting; it had 6 months remaining but I did not know that it had to be done a month before the expiration date. The lady in the passport office put a stamp on my new passport saying that it was replaced because the old one was deteriorated 
Also it cost me a quarter of what would have cost in the UK!

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sanandressi says on Jan 13, 2009, 12:57:

Het Kittylover, thanks for your post and here is why. When my wife was given her visa at the US Embassy, the embassy people stapled a packet to my wife's passport for the immigrations inspector in Miami. When that immigration inspector took off the packet he ripped that last passport page, a blank page to which they had stapled the packet. Later, I don't recall when, some government official said the passport was technically invalid because that fellow ripped that page. So I just carefully removed the last page so as you said above, it is "deteriorated."

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kittylover says on Jan 13, 2009, 14:01:

Excellent, then that is the way out :)
Just tell her to go and apply for a replacement; highlighting that the old one is deteriorated. She must produce the old passport

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elkfarmer says on Jan 19, 2009, 09:14:

My wife just came from passport office. Could not do a name change as Cedula is in maiden name. Had original marriage certificate. Was told it could take up to a year to get a new one issued in her married name. Her old passport is about a year old and expires in 8 years.

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