Colombia Club Part II

[jpcanon 0]

Howdy- just wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a place to stay for like 3-4 nights for the interview at the embassy in Bogota? I found these in older posts: http://www.bogotacolombialodging.com/ and http://www.welovebogota.com/

Just wondering if anyone has stayed in any of these or have any other places to recommend?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe,

We stayed at the welovebogota place and really enjoyed it. It's an apartment in a very nice area and you can rent out the master bedroom, the guy rents it by rooms but the chances of other people renting a room at the same time as you are pretty slim to none, we paid I believe $230 for 10 days. It has a full kitchen, you have cable TV, a nice bathroom, clean sheets and towels every few days, etc. The only thing I didn't like and it may be because I'm from the US was how hard the matress was, my husband was ok with it but me, not so much. It wasn't a deal breaker though. Also, the place is a 5 minute walk from the embassy, there is a cafe internet across the stree as well as many restaurants like TGIF's and Crepes & Waffles and two shopping malls, Gran Estación which is great and Salitre.

Also, check out www.fernandosuites.com I haven't stayed there but I've heard they're pretty nice and very inexpensive.

Diana

Hi Diana,

I ended up booking the place you stayed at- maybe the exact apartment! It is called "Martha's Apartment" and is fairly close to the embassy I believe? Not sure how far it is to the Laboratory place or to Dr. Gonzalez office?

THANKS,

Joe

[Mononoke28 135]

Howdy- just wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a place to stay for like 3-4 nights for the interview at the embassy in Bogota? I found these in older posts: http://www.bogotacolombialodging.com/ and http://www.welovebogota.com/

Just wondering if anyone has stayed in any of these or have any other places to recommend?

Thanks,

Joe

Joe,

We stayed at the welovebogota place and really enjoyed it. It's an apartment in a very nice area and you can rent out the master bedroom, the guy rents it by rooms but the chances of other people renting a room at the same time as you are pretty slim to none, we paid I believe $230 for 10 days. It has a full kitchen, you have cable TV, a nice bathroom, clean sheets and towels every few days, etc. The only thing I didn't like and it may be because I'm from the US was how hard the matress was, my husband was ok with it but me, not so much. It wasn't a deal breaker though. Also, the place is a 5 minute walk from the embassy, there is a cafe internet across the stree as well as many restaurants like TGIF's and Crepes & Waffles and two shopping malls, Gran Estación which is great and Salitre.

Also, check out www.fernandosuites.com I haven't stayed there but I've heard they're pretty nice and very inexpensive.

Diana

Hi Diana,

I ended up booking the place you stayed at- maybe the exact apartment! It is called "Martha's Apartment" and is fairly close to the embassy I believe? Not sure how far it is to the Laboratory place or to Dr. Gonzalez office?

THANKS,

Joe

There you go, that's the same one and the owner's name is Alberto who's a really nice guy. It actually took us about 20 minutes to get to the lab but we took the bus everywhere, so if you go buy taxi you'll get there faster. I think it may take you just as long to get to Dr. Gozález's office but I'm not really sure since I'm not that familiar with Bogotá.

I got the apartment's info from several VisaJourney members who had stayed there and we really liked it. Also, you can just walk to the embassy which is just a couple of blocks away.

Diana

[Joe McGillicuddy 0]

Newbie here...Interview on 11 May...any hotel suggestions in Bogota? The fiancee and her daughter will be going up on Wednesday afternoon, blood test/x-rays on Thursday morning, physical exam Thursday noon, and I will be arriving on Friday morning.

I am looking for anything reasonable and near the embassy. Another (very helpful) member suggested I ask here as well.

Thanks in advance.

Joe

[james&adry 3]

Newbie here...Interview on 11 May...any hotel suggestions in Bogota? The fiancee and her daughter will be going up on Wednesday afternoon, blood test/x-rays on Thursday morning, physical exam Thursday noon, and I will be arriving on Friday morning.

I am looking for anything reasonable and near the embassy. Another (very helpful) member suggested I ask here as well.

Thanks in advance.

Joe

Hi Joe im sure the earlier posts will be able to help. The "We love bogota link" seems like a steal or "poorbuthappy" is a nice website too because they show the bottomline cheapest way to vacation in another country from other people's experiences traveling abroad.

On a side note. 8 days till i say 'I do'!

[SAVM 0]

Hi Everyone,

I have a few quick questions that I haven't yet been able to find the answers to by searching through VJ.

First, is the DAS migratory certificate/carta migratoria/certificado migratorio required if the beneficiary has never left Colombia?

Second, my fiancee is telling me that DAS wants 180k COP for said document. Is that about what you all paid?

Third, how recent does this document have to be when my fiancee goes to her interview?

Thanks so much in advance for all your help.

Steve

[Dillan 0]

Hi Everyone,

I have a few quick questions that I haven't yet been able to find the answers to by searching through VJ.

First, is the DAS migratory certificate/carta migratoria/certificado migratorio required if the beneficiary has never left Colombia?

Second, my fiancee is telling me that DAS wants 180k COP for said document. Is that about what you all paid?

Third, how recent does this document have to be when my fiancee goes to her interview?

Thanks so much in advance for all your help.

Steve

Steve,

My wife paid about 41,000 COP about a month ago in Cali.

Unless it's a scam, it sounds like the price you quoted was for someone to do las tramites for you but that would only double the cost. It might depend on the location but..........

DAS has what appears to be a decent website where you can get more information. In Cali, DAS has gone to a pico y placa system where you only can go to DAS during specific days and hours depending on the last digit of the cedula.

Also, in Cali, you have to pay for the migratory certificate/carta migratoria at a specific bank before they will process the transaction. After you pay and DAS processes the transaction, the migratory certificate/carta migratoria arrives by mail from Bogota a week later.

My response is based on my experience in Cali, March 2009.

[Mononoke28 135]

Hi Everyone,

I have a few quick questions that I haven't yet been able to find the answers to by searching through VJ.

First, is the DAS migratory certificate/carta migratoria/certificado migratorio required if the beneficiary has never left Colombia?

Second, my fiancee is telling me that DAS wants 180k COP for said document. Is that about what you all paid?

Third, how recent does this document have to be when my fiancee goes to her interview?

Thanks so much in advance for all your help.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Like Dillan said, it should not be that expensive. You can check out the fees in the DAS web site yourself:

Certificado Migratorio = $41.300 pesos.

Certificado Judicial = $20.500 pesos.

It should be just about the same in every city in Colombia, so if someone is asking for $140.000 pesos more... then you need to seriously look into it because someone is pocketing that extra money.

Oh and to answer your first question, the answer is YES. Every person needs to get the Certificado Migratorio from the DAS even if they have never left Colombia.

Diana

Edited April 24, 2009 by Mononoke28

[SAVM 0]

Hi Everyone,

I have a few quick questions that I haven't yet been able to find the answers to by searching through VJ.

First, is the DAS migratory certificate/carta migratoria/certificado migratorio required if the beneficiary has never left Colombia?

Second, my fiancee is telling me that DAS wants 180k COP for said document. Is that about what you all paid?

Third, how recent does this document have to be when my fiancee goes to her interview?

Thanks so much in advance for all your help.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Like Dillan said, it should not be that expensive. You can check out the fees in the DAS web site yourself:

Certificado Migratorio = $41.300 pesos.

Certificado Judicial = $20.500 pesos.

It should be just about the same in every city in Colombia, so if someone is asking for $140.000 pesos more... then you need to seriously look into it because someone is pocketing that extra money.

Oh and to answer your first question, the answer is YES. Every person needs to get the Certificado Migratorio from the DAS even if they have never left Colombia.

Diana

Thanks for the tips guys! It turns out there was some strange situation where the bank where my fiancee was trying to make the deposit (Sudameris, I believe it was) claimed that they would not be able to allow her to pay for the migratory certificate until she paid off some outstanding IVA interest or something on some loan that she crazily took long ago, so that was included in the price. So the 180k COP included that quantity.

Also interesting though for other folks, DAS told her today that the judicial certificate must be no more than 1 month old when she attends her interview. Details, details.

[jpcanon 0]

I am heading from LAX-BOG tonite at 9pm on Avianca. Got the big interview this Wed.- hell, I'm just throwin' it all to the wind and see what happens!!! Will keep you guys posted on things...

Joe

[Ken y Leidys 20]

New American Embassy Opening in Cartegena de las indias in 2010

Leidys told me this morning that this embassy will be processing visas for Americans. The office unfortunately, does not open until 2010.

Cartagena tiene una Oficina de EU

El embajador de Estados Unidos en Colombia, William Brownfield, y la vicecanciller de Colombia, Clemencia Forero, inauguraron la Oficina de la Embajada Norteamericana en Cartagena, que partir de 2010 se convertirá en consulado y facilitará el trámite de visas para ingresar a ese país.

Question: Leidys told me on the phone last night that the Cartegena U.S. Embassy is open and processing apps. Is this true??? This would be much more convenient than traveling to Bogota. I just mailed out my K-1 one week ago. What are my chances that we will have our interview in Cartegena versus Bogota???

[Matica 0]

Anybody knows if the interview will be in English? my boyfriend has to come to the interview too?

thank you

[Mononoke28 135]

Thanks for the tips guys! It turns out there was some strange situation where the bank where my fiancee was trying to make the deposit (Sudameris, I believe it was) claimed that they would not be able to allow her to pay for the migratory certificate until she paid off some outstanding IVA interest or something on some loan that she crazily took long ago, so that was included in the price. So the 180k COP included that quantity.

Also interesting though for other folks, DAS told her today that the judicial certificate must be no more than 1 month old when she attends her interview. Details, details.

No, the Certificado Judicial does not need to be that new when she goes to the interview. It is valid for a full year so as long as it's valid, she's good.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

I am heading from LAX-BOG tonite at 9pm on Avianca. Got the big interview this Wed.- hell, I'm just throwin' it all to the wind and see what happens!!! Will keep you guys posted on things...

Joe

Good luck with everything Joe! Hope you have fun.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

New American Embassy Opening in Cartegena de las indias in 2010

Leidys told me this morning that this embassy will be processing visas for Americans. The office unfortunately, does not open until 2010.

Cartagena tiene una Oficina de EU

El embajador de Estados Unidos en Colombia, William Brownfield, y la vicecanciller de Colombia, Clemencia Forero, inauguraron la Oficina de la Embajada Norteamericana en Cartagena, que partir de 2010 se convertirá en consulado y facilitará el trámite de visas para ingresar a ese país.

Question: Leidys told me on the phone last night that the Cartegena U.S. Embassy is open and processing apps. Is this true??? This would be much more convenient than traveling to Bogota. I just mailed out my K-1 one week ago. What are my chances that we will have our interview in Cartegena versus Bogota???

I haven't heard anything of the sort Ken. In fact, the NVC is still assigning cases with BGT, which means they are all going to the US Embassy in Bogotá.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

Anybody knows if the interview will be in English? my boyfriend has to come to the interview too?

thank you

The interview is conducted in either English or Spanish, whatever languange the beneficiary is comfortable speaking. However, the CO may question how both communicate.

No, your boyfriend does not need to be present at the interview but if the CO sees that he needs to go they may ask you both to schedule a second interview where he can be present.

Diana