What you need for Colombia
Why people send Canadian documents to Colombia
Each situation has its own requirements. Here are the ones we see most often, with the detail that avoids a refusal.
Registering a Canadian-born child as Colombian
A child born in Canada to a Colombian parent is entered in the Colombian civil registry (registro civil de nacimiento) through a Colombian consulate. The Toronto consulate asks for the long-form Canadian birth certificate, apostilled in Canada, with an official Spanish translation. According to that consulate, the apostille itself does not need translating.
Marrying before a notary in Colombia
Most civil weddings in Colombia take place at a notaría. Under Decrees 2668 of 1988 and 1556 of 1989, each partner provides a birth certificate and proof of single status issued within the last three months. Canadian documents need an apostille and an official Spanish translation, and a divorced partner adds proof of the divorce.
Migrant visas for spouses and retirees
Colombian visas are filed online with the Cancillería. Resolution 5477 of 2022 says every document issued abroad needs an apostille and an official Spanish translation, and supporting documents must be no more than three months old. The M retiree (pensionado) visa asks, among other things, for proof of your pension and police records from every country you lived in over the past three years.
Recognizing a Canadian degree (convalidación)
To practise a regulated profession or continue studying in Colombia, a Canadian degree often has to be recognized by the Ministry of National Education (convalidación). Resolution 10687 of 2019 asks for the diploma with its apostille, plus an official translation of any document not in Spanish.
Which Canadian authority apostilles your document
The authority depends on where in Canada the document was issued or notarized, never on where you live now or where the document is going. We confirm it at the free pre-check, before you send anything.
| Document | Canadian authority | Notary first? |
|---|---|---|
| Birth, marriage or death certificate | The province that issued it (Québec, Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan), or Global Affairs Canada for all others | No |
| RCMP criminal record check | Global Affairs Canada | No |
| Degree, diploma, transcript | The province of the institution | Often, depending on the province |
| Power of attorney, statutory declaration, affidavit | The province of the notary or lawyer | Yes, the notarial act is what gets apostilled |
| Corporate documents | The province of the registry, or Global Affairs Canada for Corporations Canada | Sometimes, depending on the document |
Do you need a translation for Colombia?
In Colombia, a traducción oficial is done by a traductor oficial, someone accredited under article 33 of Law 962 of 2005, usually after a university exam. The Cancillería says it does not appoint or register these translators itself. A translation done outside Colombia must be apostilled or legalized in the country where it was made to take effect in Colombia, according to the Cancillería.
To be honest about what we offer: our sworn Spanish translation is done by a translator appointed by Spain, for Spanish authorities, and is generally not the right product for Colombia. A translation done in Canada can sometimes work if the translator's signature is authenticated and then apostilled, but every Colombian office remains free to insist on a Colombian traductor oficial. The safest route is an apostille in Canada, then an official translation by a Colombian traductor oficial. Tell us at the pre-check which office will receive the document, and we will tell you which route it accepts.
Three mistakes that delay a file for Colombia
Avoid this
Documents that are too old
Visa, notary wedding, registering a foreign marriage: the three-month rule shows up everywhere in Colombia. A certificate ordered too early can expire while the apostille and translation are in progress. Order it last and move straight through the steps.
Avoid this
A foreign translation filed as is
According to the Cancillería, a translation done outside Colombia must be apostilled or legalized in its country of origin. A Canadian or Spanish translation filed without that step risks refusal, and the office can still ask for a traductor oficial.
Avoid this
A short-form record or names that do not match
Colombian offices want to see parentage, so a short-form certificate without the parents is often refused. Colombians carry two surnames, so check that your names are spelled the same way on the certificate, the passport and the forms.
Useful guides: RCMP fingerprints from abroad · Birth certificates · Marrying abroad · RCMP criminal record check · Degrees and transcripts
Does Colombia accept Canadian apostilles?
Is your sworn Spanish translation accepted in Colombia?
Does a translation done in Colombia need an apostille?
Do Colombian consulates in Canada require an apostille?
How long do my documents stay valid?
Does my RCMP criminal record check need an apostille?
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