Colombia recognises dual nationality, and the Constitution is explicit that Colombian nationality is not lost by acquiring another. A child born in the United States to a Colombian father or mother is Colombian, and the mechanism that makes that real is the consular birth registration.
Quick facts
Registration is recognition of a status the child already has, not a naturalisation, and the United States does not ask anyone to choose either.
Fees breakdown
| Step | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Consular birth registration | Free | First original copy included |
| Apostille of the U.S. birth certificate | $3–$25 | State of birth |
| Translation into Spanish | Per page | Certified translator |
| Identity card for a minor | Consular tariff | From the qualifying age |
| Citizenship card at eighteen | Consular tariff | Required for the adult passport |
| Colombian passport afterwards | Set by resolution | Separate appointment |
Recovery of Colombian nationality by people who renounced it in the past is a separate procedure, also handled through the consular network.
How to register a child
- Order the long-form U.S. birth certificate naming both parents.
- Have it apostilled by the state where the child was born.
- Arrange the Spanish translation and find out the child’s blood type, which the registry records.
- Book the civil registration appointment at the consulate covering your address.
- Attend with both parents’ identity documents and photocopies of everything.
- Collect the Colombian civil birth record, then move on to the identity document and the passport.
Required documents
- Apostilled U.S. birth certificate, translated into Spanish.
- Colombian parent’s valid physical identity card.
- Foreign parent’s valid passport.
- Child’s blood type.
- Photocopies of all identity documents.
- Personal appearance of the declaring parent.
Where to register
At the consulate covering your address, or at a mobile consular day when one reaches your city.
Consulado de Colombia e n Atlanta
View details →Beverly HillsConsulate of Colombia in Los Angeles
View details →BostonConsulate of Colombia Boston
View details →ChicagoConsulate General of Colombia
View details →HoustonConsulate General of Colombia
View details →New YorkConsulado de Colombia en Nueva York
View details →OrlandoConsulate of Colombia
View details →San FranciscoConsulate General of Colombia
View details →WashingtonConsulate General of Colombia
View details →WashingtonEmbassy of Colombia
View details →Additional notes
What it unlocks
A Colombian passport, identity documents, inheritance and property rights on the same footing as any citizen, national-rate education and the right to vote from abroad.
Adults registering late
There is no age limit, but files for adults are examined more closely and may require the identity response from the national registry in Colombia.
Naturalised Americans
Colombians who become U.S. citizens keep their Colombian nationality and can renew a Colombian passport at any consulate.
Voting from abroad
Consulates register voters and run polling for Colombian elections, which is a separate registration from the civil one.