Tourist visa running out

vicshere says on Jul 15, 2004, 09:47:

easy marry one the many beautiful Colombian ladies and your go to go

listo
"con mucho gusto"
Vic

listo

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viewpoint says on Jul 15, 2004, 10:27:

Tourist Visa Just exit the country (Colombia) and return !!! Go to Ecuador, Panama or Venezuela or Aruba and return to Colombia (re-enter Colombia again as a tourist)!!! Starts the clock ticking again and you have 3 months !!! You would have to exit the country to obtain the Business Visa anyway. You need to have all the required paperwork supporting the Visa application and that isn't easy.

I caution using Vic's advice about marring a Colombian woman because you have to live with that choice (option). jajajjaaja Just kidding (of course) !!!!

I know of a man that owned a business in Colombia who commuted back and forth like that for a year while he went throught the hoops and obtained a Colombia business visa, other required licenses and documents.

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sydneygirl says on Jul 15, 2004, 10:43:

its not that easy You have to leave the country to get married if you are a foriegner marrying a Colombian, then apply for a "married" visa from a Colombian Consulate or embassy in another country. Or apply for a getting married in Colombia visa from out side the country also.
Sorry I already asked about that as I wanted to marry my fiancee here with his family around us.

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viewpoint says on Jul 15, 2004, 12:27:

Sydney Girl That's a twist I never though of ...... Getting married to a Colombian outside Colombia and skipping around the "Colombian Marriage Visa" requirement. In other words if you got married in Ecuador or Panama you would simply go to the Colombian Consulate (after the cerimony) in that country and apply for the "married visa" and re-enter Colombia ?

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Erik says on Jul 15, 2004, 18:14:

it's worse I just got back in Colombia (from Ecuador) but they only gave me 30 days as I already have been 5 months in the country this year. I have been to the DAS and Ministerio Relaciones Exteriores and they told me that I only can stay 180 days a year in Colombia as a tourists which is obviously too short. I have thought to stay illegal in Colombia and just pay the fine when i want to leave but because i will be traveling a lot (as a guide) this seems impossible too.
Marrying sounds like the best option but I will pass that one. Although I really like Colombia and the people, I don't see myself marrying one, not even for the sake of my business.
I hope there is another way......

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viewpoint says on Jul 16, 2004, 04:23:

180 Day Rule Dear Erik:

I have never run accross the 180 day rule before and it's enforcement. Come to think of it I don't think the USA has such a rule for foreigners that have entered the USA on a tourist visa so it's surprises me that Colombia has such a rule.

I am going to call a few friends that must have encountered this rule and ask him how they skirted around that rule. How far through the Colombian process are you now in terms of a bank account, a cedula, driver's license etc. ??

In other words do you have sufficent documentation or will a Colombian company sponsor you (or offer you an employment contract) for you to go to a Colombian consulate in Ecuador or Panama and apply for a Colombian business visa ?

It seems like there should be a simple answer for your problem. Perhaps someone with experience in this area will address this question. I think I would make some visits (not calls) to the US Embassy asking for their assistance in finding a resolution to this issue. I realize this is not their jurisdiction but you are a USA (I assume) citizen and they are there (in part) to provide assistance to USA citizens. They should know the answers and be able to guide you in the appropriate direction. If all else fails I would go directly to the Colombian Embassy in Bogota and plead your case.

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Hunter says on Jul 16, 2004, 09:41:

180 days & Visas..... The 180 day rule is inforced and is a pain in the ass.

When you enter the Country for the first time, they will stamp your visa with a certain amount of days, normally 30 days or 60 days, you can ask fot the visa to be stamped for up to 90 days on entry to Colombia, unless you ask they probably won't stamp it. SO ALLWAYS ASK FOR 90 DAYS ON ENTRY.

As you approach the end of the 90 days, you can go to any local DAS office and ask for a one month extension, you can do this 3 times which will take you up to the 180 days.

Erik I don't know why you went to Equador for a one month extension, unless you happened to be going there anyway.

There are 40 differant types of visa the easiest two for you I think is:

1. You sign up as a course at a University, this will give you a one year visa, you don't have to go to the lerssons, if you arrange thing correctly.

2. Get a business visa, this will cost approx $1,000 in the first year to arrange including a trip out of the Country, in the second year approx $200, no need to leave the Country at the end of this visa, but you may have to go to Bogota to get the second year.
Allthough this process could take several months, you can get one month extensions at your local DAS office if you can show them that you are geting the paperwork together to get a business visa.

ONE THING TO NOTE, many staff in DAS don't know all the rules correctly, so just because one office says you can't do anything means nothing.

I arranged my first one year business visa in Cartagena which took me 3 months, after doing some research and manipulation of my paperwork, I arranged the second visa for 3 years in London (when I was there on business), which took half hour.

Erik you can e-mail at :

hjones64 at hotmail.com

Hunter

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Hunter says on Jul 26, 2004, 07:38:

UK consulate One correction to my post, after some research on the web I found the following information out.

EU nationals, with the exception of The Republic of Ireland, can ask for a 180 days stamp on entry to Colombia for their tourist visas.

If you go down to the bottom of the page, you will see other types of visas and the information required for UK citizens to apply for them, I would guess that the this information would be the same or similiar for US citizens etc.

http://www.colombianconsulate.co.uk/

Hunter

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