Colombia · For your nationality or ancestry
Colombian nationality by descent
Colombian nationality by birth for children born abroad to a Colombian parent (Constitution Article 96, Ley 43 de 1993) – consular civil registration
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Colombian nationality by descent is a for your nationality or ancestry route for Colombia. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
Time and long term
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Colombian consulate abroad, or by taking up domicile in Colombia and registering with the Registraduría.
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- Your father or mother is Colombian by birth and you were born abroad.
What you must show1
- The registration procedure has no cost.
Documents2
- Full foreign birth record, legalised and apostilled (certificates are not accepted), and a blood group and RH certificate.
- Copy of the Colombian parent's current citizenship card, or the Colombian death record if the parent has died, and the foreign parent's passport or identity card.
Steps1
- Deliver the documents to the consulate for review, then attend the appointment; the declarant attends with the person being registered.
After you arrive1
- The civil registration is recorded by the Registraduría Nacional, after which an identity card, citizenship card or passport can be requested.
What happens at day 183
How Colombia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in any period of 365 consecutive daysPresence in Colombia, continuous or not, including entry and exit days (art. 10 no. 1)
- More than 183 days in any 365 consecutive calendar days, entry and exit days includedForeigners become Colombian tax residents by presence over 183 days; where the period spans two tax years, residence starts in the second year.
- Foreign-source income
Individuals, Colombian or foreign, who are tax residents are taxed on both Colombian-source and foreign-source income and gains and on assets held inside and outside Colombia; non-residents are taxed only on Colombian-source income.
All tax rules for Colombia Tax records checked
Full official text
Children of a Colombian father or mother born abroad are Colombian nationals by birth once they register the birth at a Colombian consulate or take up domicile in Colombia. Registration at the consulate is free and needs the apostilled foreign birth certificate, a blood-group certificate and the Colombian parent's identity card. 1
Requirements
- Your father or mother is Colombian by birth and you were born abroad. 1
- The registration procedure has no cost. 1
- Full foreign birth record, legalised and apostilled (certificates are not accepted), and a blood group and RH certificate. 1
- Copy of the Colombian parent's current citizenship card, or the Colombian death record if the parent has died, and the foreign parent's passport or identity card. 1
- Deliver the documents to the consulate for review, then attend the appointment; the declarant attends with the person being registered. 1
- The civil registration is recorded by the Registraduría Nacional, after which an identity card, citizenship card or passport can be requested. 1
Stay
- Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Nationality
Open to people of any nationality born abroad to a Colombian parent by birth.
Work
A Colombian national may live and work in Colombia and benefits from Andean Community and Mercosur residence rights.
Family
Each child is registered individually by a declarant parent.
Official sources
- Pasos para el registro civil de nacimiento o nacionalidad por nacimiento (Ley 43 de 1993 y artículo 96 de la Constitución) · Consulado de Colombia en Quito (Cancillería) · checked 2026-10-11
Colombian nationality by descent and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombian nationality by descent | – | – | – |
| Mexican nationality by descent Mexico | – | – | Yes |
| Brazilian nationality by descent Brazil | – | – | – |
| Argentine nationality by option Argentina | – | – | – |
| PSA status (Surinamese descent) Suriname | – | 6 mo, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Colombian nationality by descent?
Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Can I work on the Colombian nationality by descent?
A Colombian national may live and work in Colombia and benefits from Andean Community and Mercosur residence rights.
Can I bring my family on the Colombian nationality by descent?
Each child is registered individually by a declarant parent.
How are Colombian nationality by descent holders taxed in Colombia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Colombian nationality by descent. The standard rules apply: Individuals, Colombian or foreign, who are tax residents are taxed on both Colombian-source and foreign-source income and gains and on assets held inside and outside Colombia; non-residents are taxed only on Colombian-source income. There is no new-resident exemption for foreign-source income.
More in Colombia
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 1 official source. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Pasos para el registro civil de nacimiento o nacionalidad por nacimiento (Ley 43 de 1993 y artículo 96 de la Constitución) · Consulado de Colombia en Quito (Cancillería) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.