- Migración Colombia suspended in-person services at seven immigration centers following a major seven point four magnitude earthquake.
- The closures affect registrations and identity cards in cities including Cali, Medellín, and Pereira starting August eleventh.
- Authorities confirmed one hundred eighty-one casualties as infrastructure inspections continue across the western Chocó region.
Migración Colombia suspended in-person services at seven immigration centers on August 11, one day after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia. The closures affect foreign national registrations, local identity cards, status regularizations and travel permits in Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Armenia, Manizales, Popayán and Quibdó.
The agency called the shutdown a “precautionary measure to verify the safety conditions of its facilities.” Appointments at the affected Migration Service Facilitation Centers, known as CFSMs, face indefinite delays.
Free toolREAL ID Requirements Checker tool
The disruption comes as U.S. visa services for Colombian nationals remain subject to a separate suspension that began earlier this year. The combined developments have left some foreign nationals waiting on local immigration documents while U.S.-related processing shifts toward online filings.
Air travel has also been interrupted. Commercial flights remain suspended at airports serving Pereira, Armenia and Popayán as authorities inspect infrastructure.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá said it was tracking the effects of the disaster and transportation disruptions. In a Natural Disaster Alert issued August 11, the embassy said:
“The U.S. Embassy is continuing to respond to reports of affected U.S. citizens, as well as monitor reports of airport and road closures. Colombia has declared a natural disaster and is deploying first responders to the areas most affected.”
The earthquake was centered in San José del Palmar, Chocó. At least 181 casualties had been confirmed as of August 12.
Closures now cover seven migration centers
The closures reach beyond the three cities highlighted for travelers and foreign nationals. The affected locations are:
| City | In-person services affected |
|---|---|
| Cali | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
| Medellín | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
| Pereira | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
| Armenia | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
| Manizales | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
| Popayán | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
| Quibdó | Registrations, cédulas de extranjería, regularizations and salvoconductos |
The closures stop physical registration work, including the issuance of cédulas de extranjería. Status regularizations and salvoconductos are also affected.
Digital visa applications through Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or Cancillería, continue operating normally. Physical registration remains stalled, however, creating a split between online applications and documents that require an in-person step.
U.S. processing is moving online as local offices close
The Department of Homeland Security introduced an interim final rule on August 10 requiring electronic filing for certain immigration forms. The rule does not address the earthquake directly, but it adds an online route for people who cannot reach a physical office.
Applicants handling U.S. immigration matters should use the USCIS Online Account where the new mandatory e-filing rules apply. The shift does not reopen Colombian migration centers or resolve appointments already scheduled there.
The U.S. Department of State paused all immigrant visa issuances for Colombian nationals on January 21, 2026. The department linked the pause to a dispute over repatriation flights.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized a suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá earlier in the year. He described the move as an “America First” policy response to actions by the local government.
Those diplomatic measures predate the earthquake. The office closures are a separate response to building safety and transportation conditions.
Flights and appointments require separate checks
People with appointments in Cali, Medellín or Pereira should prepare for delays while officials assess the facilities. Reopening announcements will determine when in-person services resume.
Airline schedules may change as inspections continue. Avianca has offered no-fee changes for flights to and from Cali and Pereira through August 16, 2026.
Travelers should contact airlines directly before going to an airport. A confirmed immigration appointment does not guarantee that the route to the city or the airport will be operating.
The U.S. Embassy Bogotá Newsroom and the agency’s account, @MigracionCol, are the designated places to monitor reopening information. The official migration portal also remains a reference for local service updates.
A visa or cédula expiration date may arrive during the closure period. Digital visa applications continue through Cancillería, but applicants who still need physical registration must wait for the affected centers to resume service.
The U.S. Embassy’s disaster alert also covers reports of airport and road closures, not only immigration appointments. Authorities are deploying first responders in the areas most affected by the quake.
Officials had not announced a reopening date as of August 12, 2026. Avianca’s no-fee change window runs through August 16, giving some passengers a defined date for adjusting travel while local offices remain closed.
