To renew a Colombian passport, register your application online through the Cancillería’s SITAC platform, book an in-person appointment at a passport office or consulate, appear with your Cédula de Ciudadanía and previous passport for biometric capture, and pay the fee. The base cost for an ordinary passport is COP $131,000 in Bogotá, and the booklet can be ready in as little as 24 working hours.1Cancillería. Machine-Readable Zone for Ordinary Passport
When Renewal Is Required
The obvious trigger is expiration. You also need a new booklet if the current one is physically damaged to the point that personal data or security features are unreadable, or if every visa page is full.
One trigger catches younger applicants off guard. When you turn 18, you surrender your Tarjeta de Identidad and apply for a Cédula de Ciudadanía. Your passport then has to be updated to show your adult national ID number, so a passport issued under your minor ID is effectively out of date even if the expiration is years away.2U.S. Department of State. Colombia Reciprocity and Civil Documents
Documents You Need
Bring your original Cédula de Ciudadanía in a valid format. Colombia recognizes two physical versions: the yellow card with holographic features and a barcode (issued before 2020) and the newer card with a machine-readable zone and QR code (issued after 2020). A digital cédula may also be accepted. Older formats predating these versions are no longer valid for passport applications.2U.S. Department of State. Colombia Reciprocity and Civil Documents
If your cédula is currently being issued or replaced, Decreto 1514 de 2012 gives you a workaround. You can present a contraseña (a first-time issuance or correction receipt from the Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil) together with an authenticated birth certificate. If your cédula is being duplicated or renewed, present the processing receipt with an online verification of your cédula’s issuance date from the Registraduría’s website.3SUIN-Juriscol. Colombia Decreto 1514 de 2012 Using a contraseña rather than the physical cédula may result in an emergency passport with a shorter validity period instead of the standard 10-year document.
Bring your previous passport as well so it can be formally cancelled. If it was lost or stolen, you do not need a police report. You verbally declare the loss to the passport official, who records it in the passport control system, and that statement carries the weight of a sworn declaration when you sign the new booklet.3SUIN-Juriscol. Colombia Decreto 1514 de 2012
The Steps
Register Online Through SITAC
Start on the Cancillería’s electronic platform, SITAC (Sistema Integrado de Trámites al Ciudadano), at tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co. Enter your full legal name, contact information, and identity document details exactly as they appear on your cédula. Errors on the digital form are the most common reason appointments run long.
You do not need to upload or bring a photograph. Your photo, fingerprints, and signature are captured digitally during the in-person appointment.1Cancillería. Machine-Readable Zone for Ordinary Passport
Book and Attend the Appointment
Once the online form is submitted, book an appointment through the Cancillería’s scheduling system at a designated passport office or consulate. Slots fill quickly, so check availability right away. At the office, an official reviews your digital submission, scans your cédula and previous passport, and captures your biometrics. Adults cannot delegate this step; you must appear in person.3SUIN-Juriscol. Colombia Decreto 1514 de 2012
Pay
Payment is generally handled the same day at a GNB Sudameris Bank branch inside the passport facility, or through electronic payment methods where offered. The Cancillería describes payment “at the bank situated at the same office where the procedure is being carried out or through the electronic means established to that effect.”1Cancillería. Machine-Readable Zone for Ordinary Passport Pay on the same day the receipt is generated. Miss that window and you will need a new receipt with the correct date.
Fees
The ordinary passport with a machine-readable zone costs COP $131,000 when processed in Bogotá. Outside Bogotá, the same base applies, but departmental taxes are added on top, raising the total.1Cancillería. Machine-Readable Zone for Ordinary Passport
An executive passport with more pages is available at a higher price and suits travelers who fill visa pages quickly. Applicants at consulates abroad pay in local currency at rates set by the Cancillería, which tend to be higher than the domestic fee. Confirm the current amount with your consulate before the appointment, since rates vary by region.
Processing Times and Pickup
Once payment is confirmed and biometrics are captured, the booklet enters production. Typical turnaround:
- Bogotá: 24 working hours
- Other domestic offices: 48 working hours
- Consulates abroad: up to 8 working days
Collect the passport in person, and do it promptly. The Cancillería has policies for disposing of passports that go unclaimed, which would force you to start over and pay again.
Renewing at a Consulate Abroad
Colombians living outside the country follow the same steps: register through SITAC, book at the nearest consulate, appear in person with cédula and previous passport, complete biometric capture, and pay. The differences are cost and speed. Consular fees run higher and are charged in local currency, and production takes up to eight working days because the booklet is produced centrally and shipped to the consulate.
Payment methods differ by post. Some consulates accept electronic transfers; others require specific local banking channels. Contact your consulate ahead of the appointment to confirm accepted payment and the exact fee.
For a minor applying abroad, one parent or legal guardian must accompany the child. If a parent is absent, a power of attorney must be legalized before a Colombian consul or carry an apostille before the consulate will accept it.3SUIN-Juriscol. Colombia Decreto 1514 de 2012
If You Hold Dual Citizenship
Colombian law requires you to use your Colombian passport to enter and leave Colombia. This applies to anyone born in Colombia or born to Colombian parents, even if you have never been documented as a Colombian citizen. Arriving at Colombian immigration with only a foreign passport when you are legally a Colombian national creates avoidable problems, so keeping the Colombian document current matters.
One exception: Colombians who naturalized in another country before 1990 are treated as having lost Colombian citizenship as of the naturalization date. If that describes you, immigration authorities recommend carrying proof of your naturalization date when traveling to Colombia.
Dual-national minors face extra scrutiny leaving Colombia without both parents. Immigration authorities require a certified birth certificate and notarized written authorization from any absent parent or legal guardian before allowing the minor to depart.
Mistakes That Slow the Process
The most common problem is arriving with an outdated cédula format. If your ID predates the yellow holographic version, update it at the Registraduría before applying. Applicants also lose time when SITAC entries do not match the cédula exactly; small differences in name spelling or document numbers force corrections that stretch the appointment.
Adults sometimes assume they can send someone in their place. They cannot. Biometric capture has to be done in person. And if you are applying with a contraseña, bring the accompanying documents (authenticated birth certificate or online cédula verification), or you will be turned away at the window.