Colombia closes 4 regional hubs blocking visa biometrics for remote workers

Foreign travelers and remote workers in western Colombia must reroute in-person visa appointments after structural checks closed regional immigration hubs.

Quake damage halts biometric appointments and ID pickups

Migración Colombia temporarily shut seven service centers following the Aug. 10 earthquake to assess structural safety across its facilities. Technical inspections allowed offices in Armenia, Medellín and Popayán to reopen by Aug. 14, but centers in Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdó remain closed until further notice, the immigration authority confirmed.

The indefinite closures block all procedures that require physical presence:

• Foreign national registration for newly approved visa holders

• Cédula de extranjería biometric processing and physical card collection

• Salvoconductos (exit and stay permits) for travelers handling overstays or status disputes

• In-person regularizations for temporary protection and humanitarian permit holders

Routine tourist extensions processed purely online remain operational through the agency web portal.

How to handle visa registration deadlines

Foreigners granted a Colombian visa normally face a strict 15-day window to complete registration and request an identity card. While online pre-registration forms still work, completing the mandatory biometrics requires booking an appointment at an operational center in neighboring cities such as Armenia or Medellín.

Remote workers planning long-term stays in Colombia should budget extra domestic travel time to finalize their paperwork in person before regional deadlines lapse.

Applicants with scheduled appointments at closed branches must wait for Migración Colombia to issue rescheduled dates or file for appointment transfers through the agency's virtual customer service portal. Travelers who urgently require emergency exit permits or status regularizations should head directly to the nearest open regional office rather than waiting for local desks to reopen.