On September 25, 2023, Colombia's Congress enacted Law 2332. What the Diario Oficial published that Tuesday in nineteen articles was not a reform — it was the complete abrogation of Law 43 of 1993 and a total rewrite of the legal framework governing Colombian nationality by adoption. Thirty years of jurisprudence, procedural criteria, and exceptions: replaced. Any article, guide, or immigration advisor still citing the previous law is operating from a framework that no longer exists.
The most consequential change is not technical. It is practical and financial. Under Law 43, a Latin American national could naturalize in one year. Law 2332 eliminated that advantage entirely. Today, the standard pathway for any foreigner — regardless of nationality — is five years counted from the date of the resident visa, not from any other visa category. A European citizen who has spent seven years in Colombia on a digital nomad visa has zero accumulated time toward naturalization if they never obtained a resident visa. In practice, this resets the clock for thousands of foreigners who believed they were on track to citizenship.
replaces Law 43/1993
from resident visa
or reciprocal treaty (Spain)
Art. 9, Law 2332
The Exact Timelines of Law 2332: Who Qualifies for What
Article 9 of Law 2332 establishes four categories of required residency time. They are not negotiable, they have no exceptions based on length of time in the country, and the clock does not start from any document other than the resident visa:
- Five years of continuous residence — The general rule. Applies to any foreigner who does not qualify for the reduced pathways below.
- Two years — For the spouse or permanent partner of a Colombian citizen; a child of a Colombian born abroad; or a national of a country with which Colombia has a reciprocal treatment agreement. Spain is the only country currently in this category.
- One year — Exclusively for stateless persons. Law 2332 also exempts them from the knowledge exam (see below).
The Interruption Rule: What Article 9 Paragraph 2 Actually Says
This is the point that generates more errors than any other in the naturalization process. Paragraph 2 of Article 9 states clearly: an absence of one year or more on a continuous basis interrupts the residency count. Not 20%. Not six months. One year.
The word "continuous" is operative. A foreigner who leaves Colombia on January 1, 2025, and returns January 15, 2026 — 365 days later — has interrupted their count. The clock resets to zero from the date of return. An absence of 11 months and 29 days, by contrast, interrupts nothing. This distinction carries consequences of up to five years in the overall process.
The Naturalization Exam: At the Gobernación, Not Cancillería
Law 43 of 1993 placed the entire naturalization process within the Cancillería. Law 2332 distributes responsibilities. The knowledge exam — mandatory for the vast majority of applicants — is taken at the Gobernación (departmental government office) of the applicant's place of residence, not at the Cancillería or at a consular office.
The exam is designed, administered, and graded by universities authorized through a contract with the Cancillería. In 2025, Universidad de Antioquia was the contracted institution. The content evaluates knowledge of the Political Constitution, Colombian history, fundamental rights and duties, and basic Colombian geography.
Exam exemptions (Article 13, Paragraph 4)
- Persons aged 60 or older at the time of application
- Persons with a certified cognitive disability that prevents them from taking it
- Indigenous people of border communities
- Foreigners who obtained a university degree in Colombia — The exemption applies to the Colombian degree, not to foreign degrees homologated in Colombia (which expressly do not generate an exemption under Paragraph 5 of the same article)
- Stateless persons
Two attempts, six months between them
An applicant who fails the exam has the right to one second attempt. The second attempt cannot be taken fewer than six months after the first failure. If the second attempt also fails, the naturalization application is denied and the process must restart from the beginning — including the residency time count.
The Complete Process: From Resident Visa to Cédula de Ciudadanía
| Stage | Where | Estimated Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Resident visa obtained | Cancillería | Before residency clock starts |
| Continuous residence (Art. 9) | Colombia | 1, 2 or 5 years by category |
| Formal naturalization application | Cancillería | Requirements review |
| Knowledge exam | Gobernación of residence | Subject to availability |
| Naturalization resolution | Cancillería | Variable |
| Cédula de ciudadanía | Registraduría Nacional | ~15 business days |