Renewing your Pensionado Visa

Gator says on Jul 2, 2007, 19:46:

1. Be prepared for a trip to MRE in Bogota-the office is on Carrera 13 # 93-68 Oficina 203 near Parque 93.

2. Bring income proof of your continued eligibility for the visa-more is better.

3. He is MRE's site, in Spanish of course:

http://www.minrelext.gov.co

Call or e-mail (they are good about answering) to find out EXACTLY what you will need.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

arthur brode says on Jul 2, 2007, 20:10:

i just had my pensionado visa renewed last month.the requirements are still the same.the only thing that has changed is the hours that they issue the certification letter at the Embassy.its now in the afternoon.i beleive its between 2pm-3pm i was lucky enough to get in there in the morning.

http://www.calirentals.net/

tomtom33 says on Jul 3, 2007, 03:50:

Gator, there is an office in Medellin that can handle everything without the need to go to Bogota. I used them to get my first family VISA. It is good for 2 years. I can renew it for 2 more years then get a permanent VISA.

elk says on Jul 3, 2007, 04:41:

Tomtom33: Thanks for the information. I heard a similar story about an office in Medellin and was going to attempt to locate it. Do you happen to have the local, phone number etc.??

I have a friend who has renewed his pensionado visa at MRE in Bogata. They ask for documents, but he told them he had none, and they simply checked there files and found the required proof from the initial application. He was probably lucky, but he also had help from one of the MRE employee's.

I think everyones experience is different when dealing with the government and rules change.

Thanks for the comments and I will be posting in the future of my experience...

A special thanks to Arthur Brode who initially helped me with my pensionado visa. I later helped five other people through the same process. The PBH board has been a valuable tool.

Gator says on Jul 3, 2007, 08:07:

Elk, I would give them a call in Bogotá at 640.8576. TomTom, what's the name of the office and where is it located? I am sure, but not positive, that that particular visa,pensionado , has to go through Bogotá. Also what is a "family VISA?" Do you mean a spouse visa?

Thanks

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

Brians says on Jul 3, 2007, 08:25:

I think Gator may be right and a phone call is in order. You can renew Spousal Visas through MDE but heard differently about pensionado. Now Elk I believe you are in Medellin so you might want to stop in to see Sprigimace "Chris" in Medellin. He ownes has the bar in Laureles and he is on a pensionado visa. He has been there for over two years so I am sure he has renewed. Let me know if you need the address I can post it but I have it in my office and I am on the road now.

arthur brode says on Jul 3, 2007, 20:59:

good luck getting through on the phone..and they only attend phone calls after 2pm the last time i called which was over a year ago.

http://www.calirentals.net/

Gator says on Jul 4, 2007, 12:07:

They do answerer e-mails and rather promptly

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

arthur brode says on Jul 4, 2007, 15:11:

these are the email addresses i have from MRE

cancilleria at minrelext.gov.co


vssecrete at minrelext.gov.co

http://www.calirentals.net/

tomtom33 says on Jul 5, 2007, 04:39:

Gator, I don't know the name of the office. It is near the Exposition Center. It is in the same building as my attorney's office. They send the paperwork to Bogota and get the VISA back in a week or two.

The family VISA is issued to common-law spouses. I have lived with my novia for over 2 years. We have no intention of marrying.

gringoloid says on Jul 5, 2007, 04:59:

Tom33, at what point would you be considered common law married? I thought that after 2 years you are kinda like married.

tomtom33 says on Jul 5, 2007, 07:51:

I don't know how long you have to live together. It may be two years. I never really bothered to do any checking. And yes, I know I should have.

Gator says on Jul 5, 2007, 08:09:

Not a family visa but a Temporary Colombian National Spouse Visa TC Visa) which includes common law marriage

Law 54 of 1990 known as the Patrimonial Deed between Permanent Partners or Common
Law Marriage, defines this as the union made by a man and a woman who are not married but live in together as a man and wife.

The conditions required for the creation of common law marriage are:

1. Permanent union.
2. Living together without being married.
3. The couple must be a man and woman(court ruling also now applies to homosexuals).
Like a marriage, the common law union creates a contract where the partners share 50% of the community property but not on items possessed before the CL relationship.

However the you will need to have proof that:
a. you have lived together at least 2 years.
b.. If one of the partners has been married, the marriage has to be legally dissolved.
c. The property of the common law union will be divided in equal parts between partners.

I also believe both of you must appear at MRE to get this visa. Also there are certain things that must be done in front of a notary. I would seek the advice of a good attorney
before before going through with this. You may be binding yourself to fiscal responcibility
you do not want-if children enter into the picture you will be dead meat.,

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

tomtom33 says on Jul 5, 2007, 09:43:

Thanks Gator. I appreciate the info. Kids can't happen. I have had a vasectomy, and she has had a hysterectomy.

We had a good attorney. There was no need to personally appear before MRE. We did have to make many trips to a notary to sign various and sundry things including a statment that we had lived together for over 2 years. Our attorney came along for the living together statement to insure the correct wording.

FYI, I got a 2-year VISA. This can be renewed for 2 more years. At the end of the renewal, I can get a permanent VISA. The fee for the VISA was US$160.