Cédula

Cédula

All Colombian adoptees have the right to regain their cédula, which means you are a citizen of Colombia. Once you regain the cédula, you can apply for the Colombian passport. There is no cost to obtain your first cedula.

Cédula Application Process

  1. Obtain Your Birth Certificate: Obtain your Colombian birth certificate. In Spanish it is called a Registro Civil or Registro de Nacimiento.

    1. Download Online Birth Certificate: As of 2024, you can download an official copy of your Colombian birth certificate from the website: https://rcenlinea.registraduria.gov.co/. Note that you will need someone who already has a cédula to register for one.

    2. You can also go to the Notaria o Notary that is listed on the top left corner of your Colombian birth certificate in Colombia to get an original copy. The Colombian birth certificate must have been obtained within 30 days of your visit to the registraduría. If you plan to go to any consulate, the official copy of the birth certificate must have been obtained within in 3 months of the consulate appointment or it won't be accepted it.

  2. Verify Your Birth Certificate Type: There are two types of Colombian birth certificates for Colombian adoptees:

    1. Version 1: Has your original birth name on it and ideally it includes your birth (first) mother’s name on it. Click here to see an example of version 1.  

    2. Version 2: Has your adoptive parents name on it.  If you are not able to obtain this from your adoptive parents you can also contact ICBF and request a digital copy of your adoption record if they still have it in their system. Version 2 is the better version to have because it most likely matches your current IDs from where you were adopted to. Click here to see an example of version 2.

  3. Complete Blood Type Test: You must know your blood type and have documentation from a medical institution to prove it. The blood type will be recorded on the back of your cédula. 

  4. Submit Cédula Application: Once you have an original copy of your Colombian birth certificate, you can apply for your cédula in any consulate and/or in any registraduría in Colombia.

  5. Initiate Waiting Period: Once processed, there is a waiting period until the cédula is ready for pick up. Using your new digital cédula (contraseña in Spanish), you can check the website https://www.registraduria.gov.co/-Cedula-de-Ciudadania-.html for the latest status on your cédula. Times vary depending on which consulate you start the process in and can last anywhere from 2-6 months.

  6. Obtain Cédula: You obtain the cédula and now can apply for a Colombian passport. Some consulates allow you to apply for both at the same time.

  7. Transfer Cédula (Optional): If you prefer that the cédula is sent to the closest consulate in the country that you reside in, you can ask for a transfer (translado in Spanish).

Changing Your Name

If your current legal name is different from the birth certificate you have, you may want to consider doing a name change, which can only be done in Colombia, to your current name if that is what you want and decide. Name changes must be done in the same notary that you were registered in, the notary number is listed at the top left corner of your Colombian birth certificate. This process can take 5-15 business days depending on the Notary and costs ~$50 US dollars to complete.

Disclaimer: When You Cannot Obtain Your Cédula (Colombian ID Card)

In some cases, Colombian birth certificates may have been registered using incorrect, falsified, or otherwise inaccurate information. For example, some birth certificates list their adoptive parents as their birth parents, do not have identification numbers, or list numbers that may be assigned to other Colombians. Historical evidence suggests that the then (1970s through1990s) adoption workers and civil registry officials may have finalized birth registrations in an illicit manner to ensure children could be easily transnationally adopted. Many adopted persons are discovering problems with their documentation when they attempt to obtain a Colombian cédula. If this applies to you, you are not alone! While remedies are not easy or rapid, there may be legal actions you may take to address birth registry discrepancies.

Colombian Passport Process

After you have your cédula or have the digital preliminary cédula which is called your contraseña (password), you can schedule an appointment at your closest consulate or at one of the offices in Colombia. Click on schedule an appointment. In some consulates such as in New York City, they post a QR code outside their physical consulate and you check that day for appointments.

Passports that are applied for in Colombia can take about 2-3 days to complete. An ordinary passport costs ~68 euros or ~94 USD according to the foreign affairs website. For more information you can go to the ministry of foreign relations website.

For a complete list of Colombia consulates worldwide, download here.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No.

  • This should be done ONLY with the consulate in your jurisdiction. Each consulate has a certain amount of states or general geographic area which it is responsible for. Keep in mind, your city/state/province/etc. might not have a Colombian consulate. It might be in the next state/province/etc. or even a 2-3 hr flight away.

  • Correct. You need to contact your corresponding Colombian Consulate for any assistance with cédula or passport.

  • ICBF is the national family welfare institution in Colombia. It is a massive entity comprised of many departments/offices and operates under a very strict hierarchy. The office which oversees supporting adoptees with their Search for Origins Team (Búsqueda de Orígenes) is extremely understaffed. Their team is comprised of between 4 and 7 people at any given time and usually only 1 (!) can communicate confidently in English. As such, their response time to emails is usually very slow. Your best bet is to send multiple emails (3 in the span of a month) so that your message is constantly at the top of their inbox. Once you've established communication with them, they can provide you with the documentation to initiate the search process for any biological family members. Know that work is being done to consolidate this form and make this process much more seamless for our community.

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