Colombia passport issuances increased almost two-fold in 2012.
A total of 724,276 passports were issued in 2012 compared to 388,892 in 2011, an 86% increase.
According to Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, the increases reflect improvements in the efficiency and flexibility of processing payments, something that used to be notoriously slow.
It is now possible to process payments through one of four methods, and applicants are no longer required to submit photos.
In 2012, the Foreign Ministry opened a modern headquarters in the center of Bogota. Its improved public facilities, which include 18 additional box offices for serving applicants, provides greater access for travel-bound Colombian citizens.