I thought I'd provide the forum with a detailed list of the documents necessary for a foreign national to get married in Colombia and then apply for Spousal Visa by DCF (Direct Consulant Filing)... As we all know, the US Embassy in Bogota is doing away with the DCF, but all the paperwork is still needed for a K3, so this info is still useful... Most of the information I'm posting can be found by digging through a Colombian Consulate website and the US Embassy website, but it can be a little confusing... Since it's still fresh in my memory, I thought I would share...
You need 4 sets of paperwork... One for the Colombian Consulate to obtain a TS Fiance Visa (Temporary Special Visa for Marriage), the next for the Notaria who will perform the civil ceremony, and two sets for the US Embassy... One set for each visit to the US Embassy...
Marriage Visa Requirements
-------------------------------------
1. Valid Passport with at least 3 available pages
and valid for a minimum of 6 months...
2. Two Black & White, plain paper passport copies...
3. Completed Visa application form filled out in duplicate...
This document needs to be signed in the presence
of the Colombian Consulant staff member... If you
sign it ahead of time, you have to get it
notarized and Apostilled... Easier to just sign
it at the Consulate... You can donwload this
form as a PDF file from:
www.colhouston.org/English/visas/visaframe.htm
4. Three (3) color passport-type photograph (2"x2")...
5. Letter from the applicant (YOU) stating the purpose of the trip,
possible date and place of marriage, and name of future
Colombian spouse and his/her Colombian Citizenship ID number
(Número de Cédula de Ciudadanía); This letter must be
translated into Spanish if originally issued in a language
other than Spanish. Both versions (English & Spanish) must
be notarized and certified with an APOSTILLE from the
Secretary of State of the state where the notarization was
issued. If issued in Colombia, it must be notarized by a
Colombian Notary Public. An APOSTILLE is nothing more than
the Secretary of State certifying that the Notary that
witnessed you signing this document is a valid/legal
notary in this state.
6. Notarized letter from the Colombian citizen requesting visa
for future spouse. In Espanol...
7. Notarized copy of the Cédula de Ciudadanía belonging to
the Colombian Citizen. This is a copy of the Colombian
Citizenship ID Card duly authenticated as a true copy of
the original.
8. Certificate of Record Search. This is a police clearance
certificate showing applicant's criminal record (if any)
and is known as a "Certificate of Record Search."
This certificate must be updated (issued within the last
six months), translated into Spanish and both versions
(English and Spanish) must be notarized and certified
with an APOSTILLE from the secretary of state of the State
where it was issued. This certificate is required ONLY
if you do not hold a current Colombian visa.
Requesting Marriage Visa
------------------------------
Applicant (YOU) is required to appear in person at consulate's office
either when submitting the documentation or when approved visa is
ready for pick up... No exceptions...
Processing time of visa: 48 hours for US citizens and US Residents,
others may take up to 2 weeks. Complete documentation must be
received before 12:00pm. Pick-up time: 1:45pm to 2:00pm
Monday through Friday...
I'm lucky as I live less than 5 miles from a Colombian Consulate...
I stopped by one day during lunch and waited for the Visa to
be issued... Thirty minuted later they attached the Visa to my
passport... No questions, no interview, no fee for US Citizens...
Civil Ceremony by Colombian Notary Public (Judge)
---------------------------------------------------
Documents for You
1. Birth Certificate. If born outside of Colombia,
applicant must obtain a certified copy of his/her birth
certificate issued within three months prior to the wedding...
Orginal English version MUST be certified and Apostilled...
I used the following service to request my Birth Certificate:
www.vitalcheck.com
You can order & pay for your documents online and have them
delivered to you... They take care of the certification and
the Apostille too... Painless if you don't live in the same
city where you were born...
I had the original translated into Spanish and then had
the translated copy notarized and Apostilled...
2. Certificado de Soltería (Certificate of Bachelorshood):
The foreigner (YOU) must present a written statement,
executed by two family members or close friends who have
known him/her for more than ten years, stating that he/she
is not married at the moment. BOTH copies need to be
notarized and Apostilled...
3. Divorce decree. If the foreigner had previously been married,
a certified copy by the court of the divorce decree must be
presented. This is not a lawyer's settlement papers, but the
official court record of your divorce... I ordered this
document from VitalCheck too... Of course it must be
certified and Apostilled... Then translated into Spanish and
get the translated copy notarized and Apostilled...
4. The TS Fiance Visa that is placed in your passport...
Documents for your girl
1. Authenticated Birth Certificate issued within ONE month prior
to the wedding...
2. Authenticated copy of his/her "cédula de ciudadanía."
3. Authenticated Divorce Decree... If she's been married before...
Civil Ceremony
----------------------
You need to make arrangements with a Colombian Notary to perform
the civil ceremony... The US Embassy does not recognize a church
wedding as a legal marriage... You MUST have a civil ceremony
performed by a licensed Colombian Notary Public and recorded...
At the end of the day, it's a contract you're signing...
You need two witnesses to the ceremony...
If you are not fluent in Spanish, you need a certified translator
present during the ceremony to translate for you...
Say "I do" and kiss the bride... 
)
** Make sure you get several copies of the CERTIFIED Marriage
Certificate from the Notary after the ceremony... You will need
many copies, trust me... They're cheap and easy to replace while
your in Colombia... Not so once in the states...
US Embassy Visit # 1
--------------------------
Now for the most painfull part of the whole process, dealing with
the US Embassy...
Make sure that you get to get to the US Embassy before 1:00pm...
1. An original copy of the civil registry of marriage
(church wedding documents are not accepted).
** MUST BE CERTIFIED BY NOTARY THAT MARRIED YOU
Spanish is ok, no need to translate...
2. Your Certified Divorce Decree, if any...
No Apostille needed, English ok...
3. Her Certified Divorce Decree, if any...
No Apostille needed, Spanish ok...
4. Your Certified Birth Certificate.
No Apostille needed. English ok...
4. Her Certified Birth Certificate.
No Apostille needed. Spanish ok...
5. Her Baptismal Reocrds, Orginal copy from
church records books. With margin notes...
Spanish ok...
6. Original Birth Certificates of any children you will be
petitioning... Children must be 18 or younger at the time
the petition is filed...
7. Both of your passports...
8. All individuals you are petitioning for needed 2 Visa style
photos for preparing the visa...
10. Form I-130 completed for each individual you are petitioning.
There is a $130 fee for each I-130 filed... You can pay the
fee in Pesos or USD... No $100 dollar bills...
11. You have to be present for the first visit to the US Embassy...
12. If you have everything in order, you will receive packet
number 3 & 4... There are instructions in these packets
for additional documents you need, medical examination,
vaccinations and blood work...
US Embassy Visit # 2
--------------------------
You do not have to be present at the second interview...
1. Form I-864, Affidavit of Support... This form needs to be
completed in the US, signed and notarized...
2. Your last three years of 1040s... They are trying to establish
minimum income levels to ascertain whether you can take care of
your new bride or if she will wind up as a ward of the state...
For you and your girl, no kids, then minimum income level is
something like $15,750...
3. Last three years of W2's or 1099's... This is the tricky one...
As per the instruction for the I-864, you ONLY have to provide
W2's IF you filed JOINT tax returns in the last 3 years...
4. A recent letter from your employer stating your length
of employment, your annual salary and your position...
This document needs to be signed by a company official and
notarized...
5. Colombian Police Report for all individuals
18 years old and older...
6. Form DS-230 completed for each individual you are petitioning...
This is a 2 part form... All sections needs to be completed...
Section 1 can be signed no problem, but Section 2 must be
signed in the presence of a consular or notarized... Parent
can sign for children under 18...
7. Passport for each individual you are petitioning...
8. Medical Examination results envelope... Must be unopened
from the doctors office... All medical exams, blood work and
vaccinations run around 250,000 pesos...
9. YOUR last 5 bank statements...
10. Proof of property, stocks, deeds, titles...
I didn't include these... No problem...
11. Pictures, emails, proof of relationship...
If everything goes well with the second interview, you wife can
return after 3:00pm to pickup her visa...
As we all know, things change over time... This list/process worked for me in May... Who knows what curves the BCIS will throw in the future...
Your mileage may vary...
