Colombia Will Once Again Require a Valid Passport for Venezuelan Migrants

Colombia normalizes the entry and exit of Venezuelan migrants and will require a valid passport to cross the border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advancing a draft resolution to recover a rule that was eliminated three years ago, when relations between the two countries had broken down and consular services ceased to operate.

UPDATE : Colombia Clarifies, Will Not Require Valid Passport for Venezuelans

During these three years, Venezuelans residing in Colombia, or those who entered and left the country, have been able to carry out migratory movements despite having an expired passport. Now, with the recovery of diplomatic relations between the two countries almost a year and a half ago, Colombia has reinstated normality and will once again require a valid and updated document.

A humanitarian measure by Colombia

The decision of June 2021 to accept expired passports was a humanitarian measure, taken due to the complexity of the Venezuelan diaspora, the migratory crisis and the rupture of relations between the two countries that prevented consular procedures.

It was, therefore, a temporary measure that today the Colombian government wants to eliminate, since the “special circumstances” referred to in the resolution of June 2021 no longer exist. However, some experts point out that the difficulties of renewing a Venezuelan passport are still significant.

First of all, the cost is high. Today, a passport of the Republic of Venezuela costs US$210. Considering that the real minimum wage in the country is $3.60, this is evidently unaffordable for many. Furthermore, although there are consular offices, the bureaucratic obstacles that citizens of the neighboring country must face for these procedures cause significant delays in their completion.

This situation can greatly affect the inhabitants of border areas who, although they reside in Venezuela, must cross the border because they work in Colombia. It is a reality that can be seen in cities such as Cucuta, where there is daily entry and exit of Venezuelans since the border was reopened a year ago.

Venezuelan presence in Colombia decreasing

For the first time in ten years, the presence of Venezuelan population in Colombia is decreasing. According to official data from Migration Colombia, the peak of Venezuelan arrivals to the country was in December 2022. At that time, 2,867,748 Venezuelan citizens were registered in Colombia. Since then, the number has been slowly decreasing every month.

In one year, the reduction has been 1.10%, which is equivalent to 32 thousand people, according to the general director of Migration Colombia, Fernando Garcia. It is a very slight decrease, but it means a change in trend.

Sources of the migratory department state that the processes of regularization of Venezuelans have benefited more than half a million people who have passed from illegality to legality, obtaining not only legal status but easier access to services and basic rights.