US embassy services in Colombia: passports, voting and STEP

Moving to Colombia doesn't change what you need from the US government. You still need a valid passport, you may have children who need proof of US citizenship, banks and agencies back home will ask for notarized documents, and federal elections keep happening. In Colombia, most of that runs through the US Embassy in Bogota, with a consular agency in Barranquilla handling part of the work. This guide covers what each office does, how to book, and what to bring.

Where the offices are

The US Embassy is at Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50 in Bogota. The US Commercial Service country guide says it is the only location in Colombia with a consular section that provides in-person American Citizen Services. The Consular Agency in Barranquilla handles some services, including notarials and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, by appointment.

American Citizen Services in Bogota works by appointment only. For general questions or to reach a consular officer, the embassy lists the email [email protected] and an online American Citizens Services contact form. Its website also has a "Navigator" that asks a few questions and sends you to the right page.

For emergencies involving a US citizen, the embassy lists +57 601-275-2000 during office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday) and +57 601 275-4021 outside office hours. In the US, the State Department's line for overseas citizen information is 1-888-407-4747, and from abroad it is 1-202-501-4444.

One detail surprises people who have lived in Colombia a while. The embassy states that, under international rules on immunity, it does not respond to a "derecho de petición" or a "tutela", the Colombian legal tools many residents use with local institutions. Use the Navigator or the contact form instead.

Getting through the door

Every adult (16 or older) visiting the embassy should bring two forms of photo ID, such as a passport, identity card or US driver's license. You leave one with security and show the other to the consular officer, ideally your US passport.

Security screening is strict, and the embassy cannot store prohibited items. You may not bring:

• phones, computers, cameras, USB drives or other electronics;
• suitcases, backpacks or briefcases;
• sealed mail or unopened packages;
• lighters, matches, cigarettes or cigars;
• scissors, knives, nail files or other sharp objects;
• weapons of any kind.

Plan how you will get there and back without your phone, and leave the bag at home.

Passports

The embassy's passport page splits services into these categories:

• a passport for a child under 16;
• a passport for a 16- or 17-year-old;
• a first adult passport;
• an adult renewal;
• emergency replacement.

It also has a Passport Questionnaire that tells you which form you need, and links to fill out forms DS-11, DS-82, DS-5504 and DS-64 online and print them.

The photo rules match those in the US:

• 2 x 2 inches, on photo-quality paper;
• taken within the last six months;
• plain white or off-white background, with your face directly toward the camera;
• no eyeglasses, unless a doctor's signed statement says you need them for a medical reason.

The embassy says printed digital photos that look grainy or dotted are rejected.

If your passport is lost or stolen in Colombia, you need a new one from the embassy. The Commercial Service guide also says you must take the new passport and a police report of the loss or theft to the main immigration office in Bogota to get permission to leave the country. Without that step, your new passport has no Colombian entry record.

Dual nationals: under Colombian law, anyone born in Colombia must enter and leave Colombia on a Colombian passport. Colombian Americans therefore travel with both passports. US law likewise requires US citizens to enter and leave the United States on a US passport.

Children born in Colombia: the CRBA

A child born abroad can be a US citizen at birth if a parent meets the requirements of sections 301 or 309 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. At least one parent must be a US citizen when the child is born. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) documents that citizenship. You must apply before the child turns 18. The CRBA is not a travel document, so the embassy encourages families to apply for the child's passport at the same appointment.

To use the online system, all of these must be true:

• the child was born in Colombia or Venezuela;
• the child is under 18;
• at least one parent was a US citizen or non-citizen national at the birth;
• you can pay with an international card or ACH from a US dollar account.

The process:

1. Create a MyTravelGov account.
2. Complete the eCRBA application, upload documents and pay the US$100 fee online.
3. Wait for a response, which the embassy says comes 7 to 10 business days after payment.
4. Book the appointment through the eCRBA portal.
5. Attend in person with the child. Both parents should attend.

In Bogota, CRBA and passport appointments run Monday to Thursday mornings, except the last Thursday of the month. In Barranquilla they are mornings only. A regular passport appointment can't be used for a CRBA. The child's passport needs an unsigned DS-11, a compliant photo and a US$135 fee, with no separate appointment.

What to bring:

• The long-form Colombian birth certificate, plus a notarized copy. If you haven't registered the birth yet, you can do it at a Colombian notary.
• Each parent's ID or passport, plus copies.
• Marriage and any divorce certificates.
• Prenatal records showing the due date.
• Proof that the US citizen parent spent the required time in the United States, such as school transcripts, tax records, pay slips, leases or passport stamps.

The embassy recommends a Social Security earnings report and a Colombian migration report for both parents, and says officers may ask for DNA evidence in some cases.

Notarial services

A US bank, a county recorder or a federal agency may want a document notarized by a US notary. The embassy and the Barranquilla agency do this by appointment. Book one appointment per family. There are no emergency notarial appointments.

The rules:

• Bring the document complete but unsigned. You sign in front of the consular officer and take an oath.
• Mark the pages that need a seal. Sticky notes are welcome.
• Every signer and witness needs government photo ID, and the name on it must match the document.
• Bring your own witnesses if the document needs them. Consular staff can't serve as witnesses.
• Understand the document before you arrive. Staff are not allowed to explain it to you.

Fees: US$50 per seal, so one document with three signatures costs US$150. Copies cost US$1 per page. You can pay by credit card or in cash, in dollars or pesos, and fees are non-refundable. Forms required by a US federal agency, such as the DS-3053 parental consent statement, are free.

The notarizations offered include:

• sworn statements and affidavits;
• affidavits of single status;
• ITIN-related documents;
• the DS-3053;
• document verification for federal benefits.

What the embassy can't do: apostille, certify or make true copies of documents issued in the United States. For a US document you need the apostille office of the state that issued it. For a Colombian document going to the United States, the embassy points you to Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If a document doesn't need a US notary at all, a local Colombian notary is an option. The embassy also notes that many US states accept remote online notarization. Check whether the state where you will file the document accepts it.

Voting from Colombia

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) recommends the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). It works in every state, and it serves as both your voter registration and your absentee ballot request. It keeps you eligible for ballots in all federal elections for at least one calendar year. FVAP suggests sending a new FPCA every year and whenever you move.

You vote using your voting residence, which is normally the last US address where you lived. Your election office uses that exact address to decide which races and candidates appear on your ballot. FVAP's site has state-by-state instructions in its Voting Assistance Guide.

STEP and embassy alerts

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free State Department service that lets US citizens and nationals register their time abroad. It sends updates on health, weather, safety and security. It also lets the embassy reach you in an emergency such as a natural disaster, unrest or a family crisis. The State Department says enrolling takes about five minutes.

If you live in Colombia, enroll with your Colombian address and update it when you move. The embassy also runs a WhatsApp channel for US citizens in Colombia, with safety and security updates. You can join it from the services page.

Social Security and other federal programs

The embassy doesn't handle Social Security cases. Residents of Colombia contact the SSA Federal Benefits Unit in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The SSA's "Service Around the World" pages list contacts for each country. The embassy says that if you already receive benefits, how your payments arrive doesn't change. Its federal programs section also links to Veterans Affairs, the IRS, Selective Service and voting resources.

Keeping a US mailing address

Banks, brokerages, state DMVs and some election offices still mail you paper. A US mail-forwarding service gives you a US address and scans your mail so you can read it in Colombia. Compare virtual mailbox plans with iPostal1. Check whether your bank or state accepts a commercial mailbox address before you change your address with them.

Before your appointment

• Find the right page with the Navigator.
• Book online. The embassy gives no notarial appointments without a booking.
• Print and fill in your forms, but don't sign anything that needs to be notarized.
• Bring two photo IDs, and leave electronics and bags at home.
• Carry US dollars, pesos or a credit card for fees.

Common questions

Where can Americans get consular services in Colombia? The US Embassy in Bogota, at Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50, is the only consular section that provides full in-person American Citizen Services. The Consular Agency in Barranquilla also does notarials and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad by appointment.

How much does a notarization cost at the US Embassy in Bogota? US$50 per seal, and copies are US$1 per page. Forms required by a US federal agency, such as the DS-3053, are free. You can pay by card or in cash, in dollars or pesos.

How do I register a child born in Colombia as a US citizen? Apply online for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad through MyTravelGov and pay US$100. Then book an appointment in Bogota or Barranquilla and attend with the child and the long-form Colombian birth certificate. You can apply for the child's passport at the same appointment.

How do I vote in US elections from Colombia? Send a Federal Post Card Application, which registers you and requests an absentee ballot for at least one calendar year. FVAP suggests sending a new one every year and whenever you move.