Cédula de Extranjería: Who Needs It, How to Get It, What It Costs (2026)

Last verified: Oct 19, 2026

General information, not legal advice. Medellín Basic is an independent guide, not a law firm or visa agency, and is not affiliated with the Colombian government. We summarize official sources; we don't know your situation, and this page is not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. Rules change and officials decide each case. Before you apply, travel or pay, check the official source linked below and, for your own case, ask a licensed Colombian immigration lawyer (abogado).

Información general, no asesoría legal. Medellín Basic es una guía independiente; no somos una firma de abogados ni una agencia de visas, y no tenemos relación con el Gobierno de Colombia. Resumimos fuentes oficiales, no conocemos su caso y esta página no reemplaza la asesoría de un abogado. Las normas cambian y cada autoridad decide caso por caso. Antes de solicitar, viajar o pagar, verifique la fuente oficial enlazada y, para su caso particular, consulte a un abogado colombiano.

Short answer (checked Oct 19, 2026): The cédula de extranjería is the ID card Migración Colombia issues to foreigners. It identifies you in Colombia and shows your immigration status is regular. Source: Migración Colombia, Cédula de Extranjería page.

What is the cédula de extranjería?

The cédula de extranjería (CE) is the ID card Migración Colombia issues to foreigners. It identifies you in Colombia and shows that your immigration status is regular. (Migración Colombia, Cédula de Extranjería)

Who needs a cédula de extranjería?

Foreigners aged 7 and over who hold, as main holder or dependent, a visa valid for more than 3 months. (Migración Colombia)
Exempt regardless of visa length: holders of V visas for Tourism, Business, Crew and Events, plus the courtesy V visas for visiting diplomats and international agreements. They don't register as foreigners and don't get a CE. (Res. 5477/2022, art. 118, as modified by Res. 9316/2024)
Digital nomad visa holders are not on that exempt list. If your nomad visa is valid for more than 3 months, plan to get a CE.
Children 0–6: only the visa is registered; no CE is issued. Ages 7–17: a CE is mandatory, and a parent or legal guardian must attend. At 18: apply for a new CE within 15 calendar days of the 18th birthday. (Migración Colombia)
Visa-exempt visitors on a 90/180-day entry permit do not get a CE.

The deadline: 15 calendar days

Apply within 15 calendar days of entering Colombia with your visa, or of the visa being issued if you got it inside Colombia. (Migración Colombia) The US State Department also warns that visas valid for over 3 months must be registered within 15 days of arrival "or face fines." (travel.state.gov)

Rule last checked Oct 19, 2026 on Migración Colombia – Cédula de Extranjería. If the official page says something different, the official page is right.

How do you apply the first time?

Fill in the online FUT (Formulario Único de Trámites). Attach one PDF with images of your valid passport and visa.
Book an appointment at a Centro Facilitador de Servicios Migratorios (CFSM) through Migración's online scheduling system.
Attend in person with your original passport, your valid visa and the FUT reference number. Your fingerprints and photo are taken.
Pay at the appointment by debit or credit card, or with a bank deposit slip issued at the CFSM. Migración staff never accept cash.
Get a digital "contraseña" with a QR code at the end of the appointment, valid immediately while the card is printed.
Collect the card at the same CFSM after about 10 business days from payment.

Source: Migración Colombia, Cédula de Extranjería.

Cost (2026)

Item	Fee	Source
Cédula de extranjería, first issue	COP 294,000	Migración tarifas vigentes (Res. 0599 of Feb 10, 2026)
Duplicate	COP 293,000	same
Ecuadorian nationals, first issue	US$5	same
Pacific Alliance scholarship holders	COP 0	Migración, CE page

Rule last checked Oct 19, 2026 on Migración Colombia, tarifas vigentes. If the official page says something different, the official page is right.

COP 294,000 is about US$93 at the Oct 19, 2026 TRM of COP 3,174.67 per US$ (BanRep).

Other rules

Validity: a Migración Colombia citizen-response letter says the CE is valid for as long as your visa (PQRSDF 181428, May 20, 2026). See the box below.
Errors on the card: request a correction within 30 calendar days of receiving it. After that you must apply and pay for a new card. (Migración Colombia)
Banks may not accept the contraseña. Bancolombia, for example, states that the cédula de extranjería contraseña "is not valid for any procedure" and cannot be used to open an account. (Bancolombia FAQ) Expect to wait for the physical card. See banking as a foreigner.
No intermediaries required. Migración Colombia says none of its procedures require intermediaries, and that any charge outside official channels may be fraud. (Migración Colombia, Feb 20, 2026)

What we couldn't confirm

CE validity equals visa validity. This comes from a Migración Colombia citizen-response letter (PQRSDF 181428, May 20, 2026) that we saw only as a search excerpt. We did not read it in full, and it is not stated on the main CE page.

Fine amounts for late registration. We did not find an official 2026 figure.

Appointment availability at the Medellín CFSM. Real wait times can make the 15-day deadline hard to meet. We have no official data on what happens if appointments are full.

Whether a CE is needed for a nomad visa valid for exactly 3 months or less. The rule covers visas "valid for more than 3 months". Shorter visas may get a CE voluntarily, per the same PQRSDF excerpt, which we did not read in full.