Overview
The maximum length of a tourist visa in Colombia is 60 days. You can go to a DAS office and get a 30 day extension, which costs about $40 USD in fees and a boatload of hassle and paperwork. The goal of this walkthrough is to make the process clearer and reduce the amount of pain and confusion involved in getting a renewal.
Before You Go - Getting the Deposit Slip
The extension fee cannot be paid at the DAS office. You need to go to a Davivienda and deposit the money into the DAS checking account and then present proof of payment at the DAS office. Go to a Davivienda branch and say you need to "consignar" or make a "consignación" into the DAS account. At the time of this writing, you must deposit $72,350.00 COP into business account 056-99020-3, Código 103, account name "Fondo Rotatorio DAS."
It's probably a good idea to first check the DAS web site for the current account information and deposit amount. It'll be tricky because it's in Spanish and not well organized, but today you can find the current information by going to the DAS Web site > Servicios de Informacion > Preguntas frecuentes. The information is under the question "¿Cuáles son los requisitos para prorrogar la permanencia como turista en el territorio nacional?" I don't know how much you can trust the site, however, as it currently lists fewer requirements than they actually demand at the office (e.g. says you need just one photocopy of your passport picture page). The best bet is to go down to the DAS office and pick up the check-list in person, but this is a hassle.
Before You Go - Makin' Copies
You need photocopies of the following:
Passport picture page - 2 photocopies.
Passport visa stamp page - 2 photocopies.
Davivienda Deposit slip - 2 photocopies.
I got color copies because I read on another forum that color copies are better, but I'm not sure if it makes a difference and none of the DAS instructions specify color or B&W.
Renewal Timing
The official documentation for the visa process always talks about the visa time in terms of days rather than months (i.e. "60 days" rather than "2 months") but in practice, they seem to go by months. I arrived in Colombia on May 9th, 2011 and so 90 days should have brought me to August 7th, but they gave me a stamp until August 9th, which is 92 days.
Lonely planet and other forums I've read say you can get the extension at any time, but I went to DAS about a month after I'd arrived and they told me that they only do visa renewals within 2 days of the visa expiration, so I had to come back a few weeks later.
Visiting DAS Office - Day 1
The DAS Office in Medellin is located at Calle 19 No. 80A - 40 Barrio Belen. It's open Monday - Friday from 7 AM to 3:30 PM.
Checklist:
Original Passport
2 photocopies of passport photo page
2 photocopies of passport visa stamp page
Davivienda deposit slip
2 photocopies of deposit slip
3 photos sized 3cm x 4cm (you can get these in advance, but it's easy/quick/cheap to just get them right around the corner from the DAS office the day of)
Something to read while you sit and wait (Optional)
Note: Cell phones (or any electronics) are not allowed in the DAS building. You can check it at the front gate and retrieve it when you leave, but it's easier just to leave it home.
Note: The DAS staff does not speak English, so if you don't know Spanish, you need to bring someone who does or hope that another foreigner waiting there can translate for you. The guards won't let a translator past the front gate unless you pretend he's just a foreigner that needs a visa.
I think most cabbies know the DAS office ("la oficina de DAS") by name and it's simpler just to say that than the address. They'll probably drop you off at the correct foreigners' entrance, which is just a guard gate leading to a small office labeled "extranjería." If you see a gigantic line of Colombians, you're at the wrong entrance.
If you haven't gotten your photos yet, there are a bunch of little shops that will do it for you around the corner from the DAS building. Just ask anyone and they'll point it out to you. It's quick and costs about $6,000 COP, if I recall.
When you enter the DAS office, the guard will ask you if you have any cell phone or electronics and if you do, you'll check it at the gate and retrieve it when you leave. Then you enter the office and tell the receptionist you're there for a visa extension. She'll ask to see all of your paperwork and give you a form to fill out. The requirements technically call for a photocopy of this completed form, but she let me just fill out two copies by hand instead. The form asks the usual name, DOB, nationality questions but also asks some strange questions like blood type, physical build, and distinguishing scars or attributes.
Once the receptionist verifies that all your paperwork is in order, she'll tell you to sit and wait. There's no organized system of order among the people there so the burden is on everyone waiting to organize themselves into correct first come, first served order. when I was there, people who were on deck would move to the front row, but it was still kind of just ad-hoc who's been waiting longest. Pay attention to who's there when you get there and who arrives after you.
Prepare to be waiting a long time. I waited about an hour, but I've heard horror stories of people waiting 4-5 hours. That's why I recommend a book or something to occupy your time (remember you won't have your cell phone to play with).
Once you're up, you hand in all your documentation and photos and the DAS guy makes it into little booklets. Then they take you to a room in the back and take mugshots (head-on face photo, profile of both sides). Then they scan all of your fingerprints... twice. Finally they tell you they're set and ask you to return tomorrow for your extension stamp.
Visiting DAS Office - Day 2
Returning for your visa extensions stamp is thankfully very straightforward and quick. Just explain to the receptionist when you arrive that you turned in your documentation already and you just need the stamp in your passport. She'll take the passport to the back and ask you to sit and wait. After about 5 minutes, someone will call your name and give you back your stamped passport and you're done.
The maximum length of a tourist visa in Colombia is 60 days. You can go to a DAS office and get a 30 day extension, which costs about $40 USD in fees and a boatload of hassle and paperwork. The goal of this walkthrough is to make the process clearer and reduce the amount of pain and confusion involved in getting a renewal.
Before You Go - Getting the Deposit Slip
The extension fee cannot be paid at the DAS office. You need to go to a Davivienda and deposit the money into the DAS checking account and then present proof of payment at the DAS office. Go to a Davivienda branch and say you need to "consignar" or make a "consignación" into the DAS account. At the time of this writing, you must deposit $72,350.00 COP into business account 056-99020-3, Código 103, account name "Fondo Rotatorio DAS."
It's probably a good idea to first check the DAS web site for the current account information and deposit amount. It'll be tricky because it's in Spanish and not well organized, but today you can find the current information by going to the DAS Web site > Servicios de Informacion > Preguntas frecuentes. The information is under the question "¿Cuáles son los requisitos para prorrogar la permanencia como turista en el territorio nacional?" I don't know how much you can trust the site, however, as it currently lists fewer requirements than they actually demand at the office (e.g. says you need just one photocopy of your passport picture page). The best bet is to go down to the DAS office and pick up the check-list in person, but this is a hassle.
Before You Go - Makin' Copies
You need photocopies of the following:
Passport picture page - 2 photocopies.
Passport visa stamp page - 2 photocopies.
Davivienda Deposit slip - 2 photocopies.
I got color copies because I read on another forum that color copies are better, but I'm not sure if it makes a difference and none of the DAS instructions specify color or B&W.
Renewal Timing
The official documentation for the visa process always talks about the visa time in terms of days rather than months (i.e. "60 days" rather than "2 months") but in practice, they seem to go by months. I arrived in Colombia on May 9th, 2011 and so 90 days should have brought me to August 7th, but they gave me a stamp until August 9th, which is 92 days.
Lonely planet and other forums I've read say you can get the extension at any time, but I went to DAS about a month after I'd arrived and they told me that they only do visa renewals within 2 days of the visa expiration, so I had to come back a few weeks later.
Visiting DAS Office - Day 1
The DAS Office in Medellin is located at Calle 19 No. 80A - 40 Barrio Belen. It's open Monday - Friday from 7 AM to 3:30 PM.
Checklist:
Original Passport
2 photocopies of passport photo page
2 photocopies of passport visa stamp page
Davivienda deposit slip
2 photocopies of deposit slip
3 photos sized 3cm x 4cm (you can get these in advance, but it's easy/quick/cheap to just get them right around the corner from the DAS office the day of)
Something to read while you sit and wait (Optional)
Note: Cell phones (or any electronics) are not allowed in the DAS building. You can check it at the front gate and retrieve it when you leave, but it's easier just to leave it home.
Note: The DAS staff does not speak English, so if you don't know Spanish, you need to bring someone who does or hope that another foreigner waiting there can translate for you. The guards won't let a translator past the front gate unless you pretend he's just a foreigner that needs a visa.
I think most cabbies know the DAS office ("la oficina de DAS") by name and it's simpler just to say that than the address. They'll probably drop you off at the correct foreigners' entrance, which is just a guard gate leading to a small office labeled "extranjería." If you see a gigantic line of Colombians, you're at the wrong entrance.
If you haven't gotten your photos yet, there are a bunch of little shops that will do it for you around the corner from the DAS building. Just ask anyone and they'll point it out to you. It's quick and costs about $6,000 COP, if I recall.
When you enter the DAS office, the guard will ask you if you have any cell phone or electronics and if you do, you'll check it at the gate and retrieve it when you leave. Then you enter the office and tell the receptionist you're there for a visa extension. She'll ask to see all of your paperwork and give you a form to fill out. The requirements technically call for a photocopy of this completed form, but she let me just fill out two copies by hand instead. The form asks the usual name, DOB, nationality questions but also asks some strange questions like blood type, physical build, and distinguishing scars or attributes.
Once the receptionist verifies that all your paperwork is in order, she'll tell you to sit and wait. There's no organized system of order among the people there so the burden is on everyone waiting to organize themselves into correct first come, first served order. when I was there, people who were on deck would move to the front row, but it was still kind of just ad-hoc who's been waiting longest. Pay attention to who's there when you get there and who arrives after you.
Prepare to be waiting a long time. I waited about an hour, but I've heard horror stories of people waiting 4-5 hours. That's why I recommend a book or something to occupy your time (remember you won't have your cell phone to play with).
Once you're up, you hand in all your documentation and photos and the DAS guy makes it into little booklets. Then they take you to a room in the back and take mugshots (head-on face photo, profile of both sides). Then they scan all of your fingerprints... twice. Finally they tell you they're set and ask you to return tomorrow for your extension stamp.
Visiting DAS Office - Day 2
Returning for your visa extensions stamp is thankfully very straightforward and quick. Just explain to the receptionist when you arrive that you turned in your documentation already and you just need the stamp in your passport. She'll take the passport to the back and ask you to sit and wait. After about 5 minutes, someone will call your name and give you back your stamped passport and you're done.