The Colombian passport ands much more than a travel document: it is the key that allows citizens to identify abroad and guarantee their international mobility. The truth is that it is an essential tool for identity and legal certainty, which gives Colombians the possibility of accessing consular assistance, returning to the country in case of emergency and exercising their rights outside the national territoryl. What to do in the case of losing it?
Whether an oversight at the airport, a robbery on the street or simply a loss in the middle of a trip can leave anyone in trouble. However, it is now no problem without a solution.
Thanks to the mechanisms of Consular Care and the modernization of the procedures, today Colombians have rapid and safe solutions to replace their passport and continue their trip or return to the country without major setbacks.
The official information indicates that in these cases, proceed as follows:
1. Denounce the loss or theft: Report to the police authorities of the country where you are and follow the instructions indicated to formalize the complaint.
2. Go to the nearest Colombian consulate: There you can request a new passport, according to your needs:
– Emergency passport: It has cost, it is delivered the same day and is valid for 7 months. Ideal to continue trips abroad in countries where visa is not required.
– Exempt passport: Free, it is delivered the same day and only serves to return to Colombia.
– Ordinary passport: With cost, its delivery takes up to 8 days after the request.
3. Personally claim your new passport: The procedure is face -to -face and cannot be delegated to a third party. In the case of minors, only parents, tutors or authorized attorney may receive the document.
(Read more: Until October: the key requirements to process the Spanish passport in 2025)
Passport
Istock
As additional recommendation, The Ministry of Justice advises to leave copies of their documents in Colombia with relatives or trusted people, which facilitates any replacement procedure in emergency situations. This is especially useful in cases of loss, theft or loss of documents while abroad, since it allows to expedite identity verification and reduce management times before consular authorities.
In addition, having digital copies in safe formats, such as encryption PDF, provides an extra layer of immediate protection and access from anywhere in the world. In this way, it is guaranteed that, even if the physical documents are not available, there is always a reliable alternative to perform the necessary procedures without setbacks.
(Read more: The three trades that usually go unnoticed, but that are very well paid)
A fast and simple mechanism:
In recent years, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has modernized the process of issuing passports, offering faster, safe and transparent procedures. Product of digitalization and strengthening of consulates, today it is possible to replace a lost passport in a matter of hours, preventing an unforeseen event to become an obstacle to continue with the trip or return home.
The improvement in delivery times and the implementation of biometric security measures have caused the Colombian passport to live up to the most modern in the world. In addition, the ministry has established solution alternatives adapted to each need, with documents that are delivered even the same day of the application.
There are clear and efficient mechanisms that allow a new document without costs in specific cases, such as the exempt passport, aimed at those who only need to return to Colombia.
