Yes, it is your birthright to reclaim your Colombian citizenship if you choose to do so
One thing we didn't lose in our adoption was our right to reclaim our citizenship in Colombia. This is a personal decision for each one of us. There are some advantages to having your cédula and Colombian passport: you can stay more than 90 days with no visa and enter into the work field here much easier, entrance into and out of Colombia will be smoother as immigration officers frequently ask where our Colombian passport is, and finally if the quality and/or cost of living in the country where you currently live is getting to be too much figuratively and literally...it is nice to be able to have an alternative just in case.
You may feel as if you are not "Colombian enough" or haven't earned it or whatever other belief that you may hold. The truth is that no one can measure or be the judge of that. Whether it is a Colombian national, friend, any family member or person from the street, you are Colombian enough and can have dual-citizenship and reclaim where you were born. You can do the process either in a Colombian consulate in the country you live in or in Colombia, which tends to be easier and quicker if you plan on visiting Colombia.
*Something else to consider is which name you would like to have on your cedula or id card. Some of us have a Colombian birth certificate with our adoptive legal name on it, and some of us have our birth names which differ with our adoptive name. In this case, you would first have to get the cedula with your birth name on it, then request a name change in the same notary that holds your birth certificate (this cannot be done in consulates). This can only be done once in your lifetime which is different from what is permitted in the United States for example, so it is important to think what name resonates most with you :)
*If you come into Bogotá and need assistance please don't hesitate to reach out via healingpuentes@gmail or via IG dm healingpuentes
- Elena Di Giovanna Serrato
