questions on 90 day requirement for marriage in Colombia

greg17 says on Sep 1, 2009, 10:54:

I have a question. Why are you getting married?

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adrienne79 says on Sep 1, 2009, 10:55:

Best bet is to contact the notary office that you plan to use as some are willing to bend the rules more than others.

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 11:02:

because we love each other and know that we want to be with each other for the rest of our lives?....thats why. Anyways, back to the subject please.

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 11:30:

ignore greg17s comments please. If anyone can answer my questions with their own experiences, I would greatly appreciate it

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mbborkan says on Sep 1, 2009, 11:47:

1-2 months to get apostilled?! Took 4 hours to get my docs apostilled.

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 11:58:

well, that was another question that I forgot to ask...how long the apostille takes, that was just an example haha. Thanks, what state did you get your docs apostilled in? I am in California, who knows how long things take here...I will try to call the secretary of state office for that info though

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Rikito says on Sep 1, 2009, 12:31:

are you an american getting married in colombia? or in the U.S. it sounds a little confusing. where are you right now? U.S. or Colombia? Why do I ask? Becasue you are mentioning the California Secretary of State which has nothing to do with what you are trying to do. They also do not use words like 'apostille' or 'notario'...that's a spanish thing. Can you clear this up so we can help a little?

If you are getting married in Colombia let's make this easy. Forget anything in here...go to the Colombian Consulate in Houston, Tx. They can help...it's their job and they are farily repsonsive. If you are talking about getting married in the U.S. and the 90 day clock...it starts on the day she (or you) enters the U.S. and has her passport stamped...no extensions.

...and there are no notary offices in the U.S. A notary in the U.S. is has hardley the importance that it does in other countries. Anyone can be a notary in the U.S. by filling out a form and getting a couple of signatures. Also, any military officer in the U.S. is automatically a notary.

...and so it goes

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greg says on Sep 1, 2009, 15:02:

Just had some stuff apostilled here in NY. Took about 10 days from time i sent documents to time i recieved them
I believe it is 90 days from the time the documents have the apostille, but not 100% sure.
Don`t know if its the same in California but i sent my documents to the
Department Of State of NY

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Chriscan (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 1, 2009, 15:56:

Gator says on Sep 1, 2009, 15:59:

Where do you plan to marry-Colombia or the USA? Sounds like Colombia

1. First find a notario IN Colombia and address your question(s) to him/her and act accordingly.
2. There are companies that will walk your apostille through Sacramento and express back to you. If you want to pay the express price it can he done quickly. (Google this question)
3. 90 days from the apostille date-it's on the stamp

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

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 16:16:

I am planning on marrying in Colombia, im sorry for the confusion :) I am mentioning the California Secretary of state because thats where I need to get the apostilles for the documents...I am still living in the US. I will be going to Colombia (Barranquilla specifically) in January to live there and be with my girl. Houston is a bit far as I am from San Diego....do you have anymore bits of advice that could help me out? Thank you to everyone who responded!

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theflatline says on Sep 1, 2009, 17:02:

Secretary state in California has nothing to do with it. The Colombian consulate in your state is where you need to go. And do not try to bend the law in Colombia, just as you would not try and go around it here in the US.

It is from the date it gets authorized.

Rikito is right about the notary. A notary in Colombia is an attorney, not someone who passed a background check and paid 25 bucks. They are generally very strict in Colombia because they are responsible for everything they sign.

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 17:07:

secretary of state in california is the one who apostilles documents....so that would have something to do with it, correct? I thought going through the colombian consulate is only available if you already married...damn this shit is confusing. I was just going to go through MRE in Bogota...

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theflatline says on Sep 1, 2009, 17:49:

Secretary of State in any state has no power to do anything in Colombia, it is a different country! They cannot put a stamp on a document that makes it legal in Colombia. Who told you that? They were wrong. They are also wrong about going to consulate if you are already married. You can go there if you are not married.

That is like me going to El Palacio Nacional in Colombia and trying to get a legal copy of my US birth certificate.

The consulate is an acting branch of the Colombian government on US soil.

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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greg says on Sep 1, 2009, 17:55:

You used to have to deal with the Colombian consulate to get a marriage visa. You no longer have to do that.
Your stamped passport is good enough now. I`m getting married in two weeks in Turbo. The notary has seen my stuff and all is good. This is what i needed: Divorce papers from last marriage. Divorce was in Colombia and apostilled in Colombia.
A large photocopy of my passport. Original birth certificate with apostille. A certificate saying i am single with apostille.
Your documents have to be notarized with a seal from county clerks office before they can get the apostille. I wouldn`t
think it should take too long. Like i said before it only took me ten days and that included a few days each way in the mail.
Do what Gator says and contact a notary in Barranquilla to see what they need. Its

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 19:03:

greg, where did you get your documents apostilled?? Did you google search it?

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 19:04:

flatline: check out http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/notary/authentication.htm

The California Secretary of State provides authentication of public official signatures on documents to be used outside the United States of America. The country of destination determines whether the authentication is an Apostille or Certification.

Apostilles and certifications only certify to the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the document, the capacity in which that official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears. The apostille or certification does not validate the contents of the document.

* The California Secretary of State only authenticates signatures on documents issued in the State of California signed by a notary public or the following public officials and their deputies:


this is where I got the information on where to get an apostille....this is the secretary of state website.

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theflatline says on Sep 1, 2009, 19:57:

Apeters,

I have gotten documents certified directly at the consulate.

Furthermore, I just got off the phone with my Colombian father, who is an attorney and a magistrate in Colombia, and I verified it with him, that you only need to go to the Consulate. They will officially translate it.

Unless the rules have change since 7 years ago when I was getting married as an American in Colombia.

I could be wrong, but you need to remember, the US has nothing to do with Colombian law. You need to contact a notary to get the full scoop. You should have your bride to be go.

I brought my birth certificate, high school diploma, and college transcripts in 2002 to the Consulate and they did it all there.

It is something they started requiring in 2001, but as I said I did not need it for any of my paperwork at the consulate in 2002.

Your state can verify that it is all legal, but the consulate is who has the say. I would not arrive in Colombia saying "Well the state of California says you guys should accept this."

My father has seen cases where people have had the apostille done by the state, or by the consulate. It is something they started requiring in 2001.

I would call the consulate and the notary. Colombia likes to change the rules as it goes. You should cover all the bases.

I would also ask about what type of Visa do you need if you are going to get married. There was a law at one point where you could not get married in Colombia to a Colombian national on a tourist visa.

Also, here is an older thread with a good certification of being a bachelor that gator wrote. You will need that too.

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/help-and-information-on-getting-...

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:20:

Apeters, you are EXACTLY right. Both Colombia and the US are signatories to the Hague Convention of the Legalization of Documents. A document which has an apostille is accepted as authentic in Colombia. Usually the office which does this is the Secretary of State's office in the state where the document originated. How do I know? Because I got married in Medellin and needed a bunch of stuff apostilled. Anyone who says the contrary is either just plain wrong or talking about a country like Canada which is NOT a signatory to this convention. In those cases, yes, you do end up dealing with the Colombian consulate in that country.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:21:

As for the Colombian marriage visa, it was necessary years ago but no longer.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Francijoe says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:24:

I got married in the states with my Colombian husband. We moved to Colombia 2 years ago. I went to get my spouse visa and They said I need my marriage ceft. with the apostille stamp from the state we got married in. Now we was told this by the MRE in Bogota. After we was told that we gave up. My family sent my marriage ceft. again to me with the apostille stamp. They sent it to the clarks office in Altanta. It had to be no more then 90 days old and they had to ask for the country Colombia. Then my family sent it to me. We took it to a place here in Cali translate into Spanish. They said it was good from the apostille date. They sent it to Bogota to have it register. We are now married in Colombia thanks to this company. If your are talking about your docs. They have to be done with the state it was issued in and you have to tell them for COLOMBIA. I just did this for my visa....I got my spouse visa and my cedula..ALSO GATOR KNOWS BEST...He is a lifesaver..


Also you can get married in San Andres on a tourist visa..I was told this here on PBH and by an American in San Andres. He got married to his Colombian girlfriend in San Andres.. I told my husband that and we had the money..But men think they know it all.........lol good luck

Hey cant we all get along.....

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:32:

you cant get married in San Andres on a tourist visa anymore...unfortunately =/ Thank you all for your advice!

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theflatline says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:32:

Utopia,

My bad on the advice, but much of my documentation was done prior 2001, which was when Colombia entered the Hague convention.

Plus, I tend to forget that my family in Colombia is fairly well connected and can get things done with a phone call without having to go through all the vueltas.

Because anything and everything is possible in Colombia.

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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apeters says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:35:

"Because anything and everything is possible in Colombia."" I guess that is the part I am worried about...hahaha, thanks again Flatline

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greg says on Sep 1, 2009, 20:51:

Apeters
I have been married in Colombia before so i pretty much new what to do this time.
My documents were sent to the Dept of State in Albany NY
Again check with your notary in Colombia to see what you need. If there are divorces or children involved more documents might be required
UTC is correct. The apostilles are good enough and marriage visa is no longer necessary

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jimbo67856 says on Sep 1, 2009, 23:04:

apeters, i don't have any advice (wish i did!) but just wanted to say congratulations (on the marriage, not the document confusion)! :D

i hope all works out great for you and your soon-to-be new wife, and i hope we can grab a beer when i arrive in COL.

Errors of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it. ---- Thomas Jefferson

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Rikito says on Sep 2, 2009, 05:21:

utopiacowboy, theflatline and greg, your information is excellent and spot on, but he has already been told all of this before in this thread. He has been directly told that if wants to get married in Colombia all he needs to do is go to the Colombian Consulate in Wash or Houston to get information, questions answered, forms, and any other marriage information. But for some reason he keeps coming back to essentially ask the same questions.

Also, he should know (and had been told) that the marriage rules have been slightly changed in the past two years to make things easier Some in here may not know that because they have not been in the loop for a bit.

There was another person here last week who was asking the same kinds of questions over and over...and she was also from California...what gives? I don't want to piss him off or make him feel unwelcomed here, but some research on his own might be an excellent choice for him at this point.

...and so it goes

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Chiggerdero says on Sep 2, 2009, 07:56:

apeters,for the record can you tell us what you had to pay to have your documents apostilled? I checked with the secretary of state in my state, and it was around $500! Is there a cheaper way? Wow, that would be expensive if for some reason you missed the 90 day deadline!

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apeters says on Sep 2, 2009, 10:15:

I have researched a lot at this point Rikito...and I am not asking the same question over and over. I told you that I cannot make it to Houston or Washington as obviously I am not from there and I do not have the money to travel there, so I am asking for other advice than that. It seems I dont even need to go to the Colombian Consulate in the US, so if I can avoid that, that works for me.

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apeters says on Sep 2, 2009, 10:17:

no idea on the price of the apostille yet, I will find out soon...but from what I have read, it is about $25 per document

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greg says on Sep 2, 2009, 10:56:

Chiggerdero
Apostille in NY is only $10 per document!

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Rikito says on Sep 2, 2009, 11:03:

Who said that you have to go to the Consulate? I never said that. All I said was to call them and get some accurate information. I have been to Colombia to visit and to get married and I have brought my wife to the states to get married and to get a visitor’s visa. We also did the same for her parents. Never have I ever been to the Consulate, but I did call them and I was able to obtain information and get questions answered/interpreted that I could either not get in PBH or I did not trust the information that was given to me.

It's up to you, but for me I would rather rely on official information than the experiences of some folks who did not have the exact same experience that I had. People mean well and they have good information, but if you screw things up what are you going to tell the government and your novia? “Hey, the people on PBH told me it was this way or that way so I assumed it was correct.”

...and so it goes

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apeters says on Sep 2, 2009, 11:30:

no problem, sorry i misinterpreted your statement. I appreciate the advice Rikito

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robbie1 says on Sep 2, 2009, 15:00:

You can get the apostille in different cities in California. It doesn't have to be Sacramento.

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theflatline says on Sep 2, 2009, 16:22:

Why get married in Colombia and then in the states? The US will recognize the marriage.

The flip side is if you are married in Colombia, and get divorced in Colombia, the US will recognize it. IF you get married in both Colombia and the states, Colombia will not recognize the divorce.

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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apeters says on Sep 2, 2009, 18:02:

the advantage of getting married in both, of course, is that both families and friends will get to attend your wedding...I doubt any of my friends will be trippin it down to Colombia to see my wedding, so it would be nice to have a little wedding party someday in the US. I dont really care tho, its all personal preference. Of course the advantage of getting married in Colombia is residency and peace of mind that you do not have to apply for a tourist visa every 60 days and worry about staying illegally. With the US, it is the same advantage for your Colombiano(a)...being able to be together, legally. The goal should be the same of course....to be with the love of your life no matter where you end up.

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Chiggerdero says on Sep 3, 2009, 12:24:

What kind of visa can you get after getting married in colombia? Since being married doesnt automaticly make you a permanent resident, what other legal rights do you have until you are declared a permanent resident?

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Rikito says on Sep 4, 2009, 04:47:

what kind of visa? depends. if you want to bring your wife to the U.S. you would need for her to get a tourist visa to enter the U.S., but being married does not get you any special consideration.

...and so it goes

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Chiggerdero says on Sep 4, 2009, 06:57:

If married in Colombia, I see I can apply for a "TC" married visa:
As Gator says on Aug 27, 2009-
"Married-visa good for an initial two years-then you must renew for another year-total three years-then you may apply through MRE for permanent residency, Most other visas require five years in country."
If I leave Colombia for an extended period (say 6
mos.) and re-enter with a regular tourist visa, will that "void" my TC visa,or will it still be good for two years regardless?
Also, if I understand Gator correctly, the marriage visa is only a one-time thing,only good for three years total, with no more renewals after 3 years?

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