Expat Community > Colombia

huepucha
Joined 2022
Posts: 464

Stupid Migración

1 year ago

I don't know if others have had issues at the passport counters in Cali but I certainly have during my last few trips. The resident visa in my passport expired three years ago but just prior to that Colombia changed the rules it was declared permanent. It remains permanent until October 2024 when a new five year visa is required. Departing from Cali recently the Migración agent fussed over my "expired visa" briefly but figured it out and off I went to board my plane. On return it was another story. The Migración officer again fussed over my visa and I had to explain to him their own God damned rules. I beleive he stamped my passport and returned it but somehow I can't find that one. So I moved on to the carousel and after a good fifteen minutes waiting for the bags to come out he came and found me motioning me to follow him. Very stern like I was a profligate attempting illegal entry. As we headed back to the passport kiosk he encountered another agent I think a superior who took a cel shot of my passport data page and a shot of my cedula. We reached the kiosk and the idiot stamped my passport again (this one I can see so don't know what he did the first time) and offered no apology for the pointless routine I'd been put through but somehow everything was now hunky dory and I went back and collected my bag. After all this time, and it's been several years now these idiots still aren't up to speed on their own government agency's rules. Glad I don't plan to travel out of the country again until new resident visas are issued.

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