Let me begin by pointing out to Americans…. Colombia the country is spelled with an O not a U…. Colombia! lol Ok…. the Cedula is the Colombian ID and it is probably the most important document to have in Colombia. I now have my Cedula number and the actual ID is in the mail!! So technically, I have a Colombian ID and one step closer to becoming Colombian!! lol Here is what the process for getting the Cedula was for me. I needed a photo copy of my Pensionado Resident visa, photo copy of my passport, 2 small 3cmx4cm photos with a blue background, medical certification of blood type, and $139,800 Colombian pesos ($69.90 USD). Getting the visa was not too difficult either… but reading the form sure made it sound more complicated than it was! I just needed verification of my income in English and Spanish, have it notarized that it was a letter verifying my income, then have the Secretary of State APOSTILLE the letter. Then fill out the form for the visa with 2 passport sized photos. The visa was actually sent via FedEx the next day! So the process of becoming a legal resident of Colombia was not all that difficult. I also feel many Americans should follow and look into making Colombia home!
Getting an apartment is a little more difficult without a Cedula, but I got lucky and found someone who knows the American difficulties renting and apartment in Colombia. I was also lucky to have some great friends help me in my apartment search.
Thomas Johnston 