Colombian passport for a minor in the US: US$86, one parent suffices

A Colombian passport for a child or teenager is requested in person at a Colombian consulate, with the minor present and accompanied by just one parent: Cancillería, Colombia’s foreign ministry, states that “si el menor está acompañado por uno de los padres, no se requiere poder ni autorización del padre que no asiste al trámite” (no power of attorney or authorization from the absent parent is needed). The key document is an authentic copy of the birth registration with a notes space, and the fee is the same as for an adult: USD $86 ordinary and USD $175 executive (Cancillería’s fee table for abroad, checked October 3, 2026). The current rules come from Resolución 10927 of August 4, 2026, and differ in several points from an adult passport renewal.

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Key facts

ItemDetail (checked October 3, 2026)
Who accompaniesOne parent, the legal representative or an authorized agent (apoderado)
Minor’s documentAuthentic copy (fiel copia) of the registro civil de nacimiento, with a notes space
Fee abroadUSD $86 ordinary · USD $175 executive (Cancillería, rest of the world)
Validity10 years (32-page ordinary and 48-page executive, per Cancillería)
PhotosNot brought; taken at the office
Delivery8 business days once paid (Cancillería, checked October 16, 2026) · 15 business days (New York 2026 guide) · “más de 20 días hábiles” (New York passport page)
Pickup deadline6 months from issuance, or it is cancelled (Resolución 10927 de 2026)
Online passportNot available for minors

Who can accompany the minor

Cancillería explains that minors aged 0 to 17 “deberán estar acompañados por uno de los dos padres, su representante legal o apoderado.” The parent identifies with a cédula de ciudadanía in a valid format, which Cancillería defines as: “Amarillas con hologramas, cédula digital física y las contraseñas de duplicado, renovación o primera vez (excepto rectificación de datos)” — the yellow cédula with holograms, the physical digital cédula, and receipts (contraseñas) for a duplicate, renewal or first-time cédula, but not for a data rectification.

If neither parent can attend, they can authorize a third party with:

  • a special power of attorney granted by both parents before a notary public or judge, with copies of both parents’ IDs. Abroad, it is granted before the consulate, or before the competent local authority where there is no Colombian consulate, “debidamente apostillado o legalizado según sea el caso y traducido al español mediante traductor oficial” (apostilled or legalized and officially translated into Spanish);
  • the death registration (registro civil de defunción), if one parent has died.

To grant that power at a consulate, see power of attorney at a Colombian consulate.

Documents

  1. Authentic copy (fiel copia) of the minor’s birth registration, issued by a Notary, Registrar or Consul, with a notes space. Cancillería states: “No se aceptarán los certificados de registro de nacimiento o comprobantes de inscripción de los menores de edad expedidos por la Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, ni fotocopias autenticadas del registro civil de nacimiento.”
  2. Previous passport, if the minor had one. If it was lost or stolen, the parents or legal representative only need to report it “bajo la gravedad de juramento” (under oath).
  3. The accompanying parent’s cédula in a valid format.
  4. Tarjeta de identidad: for minors aged 7 to 17 Cancillería asks for the original tarjeta de identidad or its receipt, but clarifies that “si el trámite lo realiza en el exterior presentar la tarjeta de identidad no es un requisito obligatorio” (abroad, it is not mandatory).
  5. If the accompanying parent was a minor when registering the child: the Registraduría’s Certificado de Preparación de Cédula, showing that the tarjeta de identidad number they had then matches their current cédula.
  6. If the parent’s birth registration or cédula was late-registered (extemporáneo): the Colombian birth or death registrations needed to show how Colombian nationality was acquired.
  7. Adopted minors: a birth registration showing the adoptive parents’ surnames, as ordered by the adoption ruling.

No photos needed. Cancillería says both the minor and the accompanying adult appear in person for “la toma de la fotografía, el registro de huellas y la firma” (photo, fingerprints and signature).

If your child was born in the US and is not yet registered as Colombian, the registration comes first: see register a US-born child at the Colombian consulate.

Appointment or walk-in: it depends on the consulate

Cancillería describes the procedure with a prior appointment, booked “únicamente con el tipo de documento ‘CC’ del solicitante o el acompañante del menor de edad” (only with the cédula of the applicant or of the minor’s accompanying adult). Each consulate organizes its own service:

  • New York: its 2026 guide says “Para el pasaporte no requiere cita” (no appointment needed for passports). A consulate notice lists “Solicitud o renovación de pasaporte” among walk-in services “en horario de 8 a 12” and notes “No aplica los martes”; on Tuesdays, walk-in service is “solo para connacionales mayores de 62 años” (only for Colombians over 62).
  • Other consulates: check their website or use the consulate appointment tracker and the consulates by state list.

Fee and payment

Cancillería’s fee table for abroad (rest of the world) lists USD $86.00 for the ordinary passport and USD $175.00 for the executive passport (checked October 3, 2026). The Newark Consulate publishes those amounts as “NUEVAS TARIFAS DE PASAPORTES A PARTIR DEL 6 DE ABRIL DE 2026” (new passport fees from April 6, 2026), and New York’s 2026 guide lists $86 for minors.

  • Money order: Cancillería’s passport fee page lists these US consulates: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Newark, New York, Orlando and Washington. Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco are not on that list.
  • Card: the New York guide accepts “Tarjeta de crédito, débito o money order.”
  • PSE: requires “una cuenta activa en Colombia” (an active Colombian bank account).

Cancillería states that “la expedición del pasaporte está sujeta al pago del mismo” (the passport is issued only once paid) and that payment comes after the application is formalized.

Delivery and deadlines

Official sources give different delivery times for consulates:

SourcePublished delivery time
Cancillería (FAQ)8 business days, “de acuerdo a las condiciones operativas de cada oficina”
New York Consulate (2026 guide)15 business days
New York Consulate (passport page)“más de 20 días hábiles” (more than 20 business days)

Who collects it: per Cancillería, a minor’s passport “podrá ser solicitado y reclamado por el padre, madre, representante legal u apoderado, con quien el menor efectuó el trámite,” because the fingerprint taken at the start “será verificada durante toda la realización del trámite, incluida la entrega.” The New York Consulate’s passport page also asks the adult to show the minor’s tarjeta de identidad or birth registration at pickup. That page still lists Resolución 6888 of 2021, which Resolución 10927 of 2026 repealed, so its delivery time and pickup details are that consulate’s statements, not Cancillería’s current text.

Resolución 10927 de 2026 deadlines (quoted by Cancillería): there are 6 months to collect the passport once issued; if not collected, it is cancelled and a new one must be paid for. If the data page has an error, there is 1 month from delivery to request a replacement.

At ages 7 and 18

Cancillería states that, under Resolución 10927 de 2026, holders who turn 7 with a valid passport issued with the birth registration “no están obligados a cambiar su pasaporte” (are not required to replace their passport), and the same applies on turning 18, even if it was issued with the tarjeta de identidad. It adds that foreign immigration authorities “podrían requerir la actualización del tipo de documento,” so it recommends checking before travel.

If the minor’s previous passport holds a US visa, Cancillería explains that cancelling a passport does not affect the visas stamped in it: the cancelled passport is returned to the holder and the visas remain valid.

What you cannot do

  • Apply online: the online passport is “exclusivamente para personas mayores de edad” (adults only) holding an electronic passport issued on or after November 17, 2017.
  • Send someone else to collect it other than the adult with whom the minor made the application.

What Cancillería’s own pages say (checked October 16, 2026)

  • Delivery abroad counts from payment: “Una vez realizado el pago el tiempo de entrega será de 8 días hábiles” (once payment is made, delivery takes 8 business days). Cancillería also tells users to check delivery times with the consular office, “teniendo en cuenta las condiciones operativas de cada oficina” (given each office’s operating conditions).
  • Payment methods: Cancillería’s fee page says “verifique con el Consulado más cercano los medios de pago disponibles” (check the available payment methods with the nearest consulate).
  • ID at pickup: the parent, legal representative or apoderado who collects a minor’s passport must be “debidamente identificado, con la cédula de ciudadanía amarilla con hologramas, cedula digital en físico o contraseña de solicitud de cédula de ciudadanía por primera vez o por duplicado”. The accepted documents are:
    • the yellow cédula with holograms;
    • the physical digital cédula;
    • a receipt (contraseña) for a first-time or duplicate cédula.
    • For foreign adults: passport or cédula de extranjería, as applicable.
  • Identity check: the consulate “se reservará el derecho de verificar la identidad del acompañante del solicitante menor de edad ante la autoridad competente” (reserves the right to verify the accompanying adult’s identity before the competent authority).
  • Minors adopted by foreigners: the parents identify “con sus respectivos pasaportes o cédula de extranjería, si aplica” (with their passports or foreigner ID card, if applicable).

Emergency passport and pasaporte exento (checked October 16, 2026)

  • Emergency passport abroad: USD $129 (Cancillería’s fee table, rest of the world).
  • Pasaporte exento:
    • It is issued through Colombian diplomatic missions and consulates abroad.
    • It is valid to return to Colombia: “Será válido para regresar a Colombia.”
    • It has one sheet and is valid up to 30 days from issuance.
    • Cancillería states it has no cost: “No tiene costo”.
    • Cancillería “podrá expedir” (may issue) it to Colombians who are in one of these situations:
      • deported, expelled or repatriated;
      • stowaways;
      • a competent authority has ordered their current passport cancelled;
      • in a state of vulnerability or defenselessness;
      • force majeure, a fortuitous event or extraordinary situations “a juicio de la autoridad expedidora” (at the issuing authority’s discretion).
  • More detail: Emergency passport and pasaporte exento.

Dual nationality and your US immigration status

Cancillería quotes article 34 of Ley 2332 de 2023: Colombian nationality is not lost by acquiring another, and a dual national must always make their “ingreso, permanencia y salida” (entry, stay and exit) in Colombia as a Colombian. The requirement lists from Cancillería and the New York Consulate ask for Colombian documents and include no US immigration documents. If your family has an open immigration case, talk to a lawyer (see find pro bono legal help).

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Requirements, fees and timelines are set by Colombia’s Cancillería and each consulate, and can change. Verify directly with your Colombian consulate before you go. Not legal advice.