Overview

The Colombia-Venezuela border is an ongoing international border of 2,219 kilometers that separates the territories of both countries, with a total of 603 milestones that demarcate the line. It is the longest border that both nations share with any other. 

There are several border crossings between Colombia and Venezuela. One of them is in Paraguachón located in the village of Maicao, department of La Guajira, which is also part of the Venezuelan territory. A Land Immigration Check Post is located in the area.

Daily Capacity

The border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela can operate up to 132,000 vehicles per month, an average of almost 4,300 vehicles per day. Border closings have led to a decrease of 27% in imports from the neighboring country, while exports to Venezuela have fallen by 73%. At the time of this analysis, this land border crossing is ranked second in terms of volume of people movement. This city is known for binational trade and manufacturing, footwear and leather industries.

Due to the economic crisis in Venezuela, most Venezuelans buy food and medicine in Colombia and return to Venezuela the same day. Its Free Trade Zone is the most active in the country and all of Latin America, largely due to the fact that Venezuela is Colombia's second-largest trading partner. Although the official currency in Colombia is the peso, due to its proximity to Venezuela, the bolivar is widely accepted by most businesses.

Information provided by a Maicao DIAN official revealed that only freight vehicles are allowed to cross the border, as per the schedule above.

Customs Guidance

Contact Person: DIAN Maicao Sectional Directorate, Paraguachón border crossing.

 Phone Number: 3204909825. 24/7 service

According to Article 90 of Decree 1165 of 2019, all means of transport arriving in the national customs territory must pass through the posts enabled by the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Approximate times

Decree 1165 of 2019 establishes that the types of controls for customs procedures are as follows:

• Physical inspection: This inspection lasts 1 working day, i.e. if cargo arrival is on Monday, the vehicle will depart to its destination on Tuesday.
• Documentary inspection: This inspection lasts between 1 and 3 days maximum.
• Automatic inspection: On the same day.

Supporting documents

All documents are specified in Article 349 of Decree 1165 of 2019.

• Shipment authorization form
• Transport form
• Invoice
• Packing list (if applicable)
• Transport documents
• Approval (if applicable)
• Customs mandate

These documents must be kept for 5 years at the customs agency processing the transport operation.

In cases when the transportation does not involve any cargo, public or private service companies transporting passengers only, or when it is a technical stop or landfall, the transporter shall give notice of its arrival to the corresponding customs office, at least 1 hour in advance.

Upon arrival at the border crossing point, travel documents are received and registered right there to present goods to the customs authority. Presented goods are understood as those of foreign origin listed in the Bill of Lading, which is reported via the DIAN web platform and must include at least the following information:

1. Identity of the means of transport
2. Travel information
   1. Origin of goods
   2. Place of destination
   3. Total weight and number of cargo units to be transported
   4. Transport document number
   5. Number and weight of packages
   6. Consolidated cargo indicator

Transport document information submitted via the DIAN web platform. The following information must be included at least for transport and consolidation documents:

1. Consignee taxpayer ID (other than that of the temporary or customs warehouse)
2. Tariff subheading
3. Type of cargo
4. Number and date of the transport document or consolidation document
5. Number, weight and volume of packages, as applicable
6. Cargo unit identity, if applicable
7. Description of goods
8. Other transport contract specifications as required by the National Tax and Customs Directorate

The transporter must provide travel document information via the DIAN web platform before or upon the arrival of the means of transport.

Upon arrival of the means of transport to the national customs territory, the transporter or its authorized representative shall inform such information via the DIAN web platform. After receiving the arrival notice, the DIAN shall authorize the entry of the goods into the national territory. For customs purposes, the goods arrival date shall be the date of the acknowledgment of arrival notice receipt via the Electronic Data Processing platform.

For land transportation, there is no need to present the notice of completion of unloading. For consolidated cargo, the transporter is required to notify the international freight forwarder or multimodal transport operator immediately upon unloading to initiate their corresponding operations under their responsibility.

Finally, during the inspection, compliance between the cargo and the information provided in the bill of lading, as well as the documents supporting the business operation shall be verified, as well as compliance with the requirements set forth in special regulations, without prejudice to the power to conduct any good inspections, whenever DIAN deems it necessary.

At that moment, the import declaration (DUA in Spanish) is submitted via the DIAN web platform and accepted; then customs duties are calculated and paid at a bank or electronic transfer. After confirming declaration payment in the system, the release of goods is requested using the same platform. This release can be by physical or automatic inspection. In the first case, the DIAN inspector must verify that physical goods match the information in documents to finally issue the release and free disposition of goods. In the second case, the release and free disposition of goods are issued immediately.

Contact Person:

DIAN Maicao Sectional Directorate, Paraguachón border crossing. Phone Number: 3204909825. 24/7 service

DIAN Maicao Sectional Directorate Calle 16 San Jorge Military Base 

gestiondocumental@dian.gov.co

Customs operation management department

Head of the Department: José Fonseca Lindao

Additional Information

The crossing on the Colombian side of the border is less crowded. In Venezuelan territory, the Migración Venezuela fences are not as easy to pass as those in Colombia. Venezuelan guards are also on duty to check the entry and exit of people passing through.

Overview

The Simón Bolívar International Bridge is the main border crossing point between Colombia and Venezuela over the Táchira River, which forms the border between both countries. It is a key bridge for trade integration purposes among both countries as 80% of the exports from Colombia to Venezuela pass through it.

The bridge connects the Colombian municipalities of San José de Cúcuta and Villa del Rosario with the cities of San Antonio and San Cristóbal in the Venezuelan state of Táchira. Both countries share the bridge structure with a length of 315 meters, 2 lanes, and a width of 7.3 meters.

This border crossing currently has a large flow of people coming from Venezuela into the Colombian territory, mainly for food purchases, informal work, medicines and health care. There is enough supply in both Cúcuta and Villa del Rosario to provide all types of consumer goods, health care, etc. for both local citizens and migrants who can afford to pay for them.

Daily Capacity

About 90% of the people transiting through the border zone pass through this immigration check post. The current crisis in Venezuela, worsened by fuel shortages, has brought this border crossing point on the verge of humanitarian disaster, as thousands of people who want to leave the Caribbean nation mix with those who seek to return, driven by poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Informal trade also takes place due to the considerable number of illegal border crossings (17 illegal paths identified by October 2020) along the border, where people and consumer goods are moved without the proper controls of a duly recognized border crossing point.

Customs

According to Article 90 of Decree 1165 of 2019, all means of transport arriving in the national customs territory must pass through the posts enabled by the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Approximate times

Decree 1165 of 2019 establishes that the types of controls for customs procedures are as follows:

• Physical inspection: This inspection lasts 1 working day, i.e. if cargo arrival is on Monday, the vehicle will depart to its destination on Tuesday.
• Documentary inspection: This inspection lasts between 1 and 3 days maximum.
• Automatic inspection: On the same day.

Supporting documents

All documents are specified in Article 349 of Decree 1165 of 2019.

• Shipment authorization form
• Transport form
• Invoice
• Packing list (if applicable)
• Transport documents
• Approval (if applicable)
• Customs mandate

These documents must be kept for 5 years at the customs agency processing the transport operation.

In cases when the transportation does not involve any cargo, public or private service companies transporting passengers only, or when it is a technical stop or landfall, the transporter shall give notice of its arrival to the corresponding customs office, at least 1 hour in advance.

Upon arrival at the border crossing point, travel documents are received and registered right there to present goods to the customs authority. Presented goods are understood as those of foreign origin listed in the Bill of Lading, which is reported via the DIAN web platform and must include at least the following information:

1. Identity of the means of transport
2. Travel information
   1. Origin of goods
   2. Place of destination
   3. Total weight and number of cargo units to be transported
   4. Transport document number
   5. Number and weight of packages
   6. Consolidated cargo indicator

Transport document information submitted via the DIAN web platform. The following information must be included at least for transport and consolidation documents:

1. Consignee tax payer ID (other than that of the temporary or customs warehouse)
2. Tariff subheading
3. Type of cargo
4. Number and date of the transport document or consolidation document
5. Number, weight and volume of packages, as applicable
6. Cargo unit identity, if applicable
7. Description of goods
8. Other transport contract specifications as required by the National Tax and Customs Directorate

The transporter must provide travel document information via the DIAN web platform before or upon the arrival of the means of transport.

Upon arrival of the means of transport to the national customs territory, the transporter or its authorized representative shall inform such information via the DIAN web platform. After receiving the arrival notice, the DIAN shall authorize the entry of the goods into the national territory. For customs purposes, the goods arrival date shall be the date of the acknowledgment of arrival notice receipt via the Electronic Data Processing platform.

For land transportation, there is no need to present the notice of completion of unloading. For consolidated cargo, the transporter is required to notify the international freight forwarder or multimodal transport operator immediately upon unloading to initiate their corresponding operations under their responsibility.

Finally, during the inspection, compliance between the cargo and the information provided in the bill of lading, as well as the documents supporting the business operation shall be verified, as well as compliance with the requirements set forth in special regulations, without prejudice to the power to conduct any good inspections, whenever DIAN deems it necessary.

At that moment, the import declaration (DUA in Spanish) is submitted via the DIAN web platform and accepted; then customs duties are calculated and paid at a bank or electronic transfer. After confirming declaration payment in the system, the release of goods is requested using the same platform. This release can be by physical or automatic inspection. In the first case, the DIAN inspector must verify that physical goods match the information in documents to finally issue the release and free disposition of goods. In the second case, the release and free disposition of goods are issued immediately.

Contact Person:

DIAN Cúcuta Sectional Directorate, Simón Bolívar International Bridge.

Phone number: 3045233301 - 3008147213. Business hours: 24x7

Overview

The border between Colombia and Ecuador is approximately 600 km long with three exchange areas with vastly different geographic, socioeconomic and cultural characteristics:

• The Pacific coastal area connects the port of Tumaco in the Department of Nariño, Colombia with the Esmeraldas province in Ecuador mainly by sea due to the lack of roads.
• The Amazon area where the San Miguel Bridge and other river crossings connect the Department of Putumayo in Colombia with the Sucumbíos province in Ecuador.
• And the Andean region between the Department of Nariño in Colombia and the Carchi province in Ecuador is the most important area in terms of migratory flows and international trade, taking place through the Rumichaca International Bridge at the Tulcán - Ipiales Border Crossing.

The Rumichaca International Bridge is the main border crossing between Ecuador and Colombia over the Carchi River. Due to problems at the main border crossing (Cúcuta), Ipiales has become Colombia's main border city. In addition, there are more than 108 irregular crossings, such as Urbina, Calle larga, Capulí, Pulcaz, El Frailejón, Cerro de Troya, El Carmelo, La Verbena and Altamira, among others. These crossings are made on foot using low-capacity makeshift bridges.

Daily Capacity

An average of 236 vehicles pass through the Rumichaca binational bridge every day, making it the most used formal border crossing point in the area, accounting for 65% of all travelers. However, through the irregular crossings mentioned above, the migratory flow can reach 1,000 to 1,500 people per day under normal conditions.

International road cargo transportation in the region is of special relevance since about 65% of exports from Colombia to Ecuador and 90% of exports from Ecuador to Colombia are transported by this route.

Trade increase between the two countries, mainly due to the economic partnership agreements entered into under the CAN (Andean Community), which, among other benefits, set a zero tariff for selected products and the possibility of unrestricted international cargo transportation, has limited the efficiency of transportation on the Bogotá - Quito corridor through the Tulcán - Ipiales crossing point for two main reasons:

• Current congestion at existing customs facilities due to increasing cargo traffic.
• Mandatory cargo transshipment set up by transport operators of both countries, an informal practice from which only liquid and refrigerated cargoes are exempted.

Customs

According to Article 90 of Decree 1165 of 2019, all means of transport arriving in the national customs territory must pass through the posts enabled by the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Approximate times

Decree 1165 of 2019 establishes that the types of controls for customs procedures are as follows:

• Physical inspection: This inspection lasts 1 working day, i.e. if cargo arrival is on Monday, the vehicle will depart to its destination on Tuesday.
• Documentary inspection: This inspection lasts between 1 and 3 days maximum.
• Automatic inspection: On the same day.

Supporting documents

All documents are specified in Article 349 of Decree 1165 of 2019.

• Shipment authorization form
• Transport form
• Invoice
• Packing list (if applicable)
• Transport documents
• Approval (if applicable)
• Customs mandate

These documents must be kept for 5 years at the customs agency processing the transport operation.

In cases when the transportation does not involve any cargo, public or private service companies transporting passengers only or when it is a technical stop or landfall, the transporter shall give notice of its arrival to the corresponding customs office, at least 1 hour in advance.

Upon arrival at the border crossing point, travel documents are received and registered right there to present goods to the customs authority. Presented goods are understood as those of foreign origin listed in the Bill of Lading, which is reported via the DIAN web platform and must include at least the following information:

1. Identity of the means of transport
2. Travel information
   1. Origin of goods
   2. Place of destination
   3. Total weight and number of cargo units to be transported
   4. Transport document number
   5. Number and weight of packages
   6. Consolidated cargo indicator

Transport document information submitted via the DIAN web platform. The following information must be included at least for transport and consolidation documents:

1. Consignee taxpayer ID (other than that of the temporary or customs warehouse)
2. Tariff subheading
3. Type of cargo
4. Number and date of the transport document or consolidation document
5. Number, weight and volume of packages, as applicable
6. Cargo unit identity, if applicable
7. Description of goods
8. Other transport contract specifications as required by the National Tax and Customs Directorate

The transporter must provide travel document information via the DIAN web platform before or upon the arrival of the means of transport.

Upon arrival of the means of transport to the national customs territory, the transporter or its authorized representative shall inform such information via the DIAN web platform. After receiving the arrival notice, the DIAN shall authorize the entry of the goods into the national territory. For customs purposes, the goods arrival date shall be the date of the acknowledgment of arrival notice receipt via the Electronic Data Processing platform.

For land transportation, there is no need to present the notice of completion of unloading. For consolidated cargo, the transporter is required to notify the international freight forwarder or multimodal transport operator immediately upon unloading to initiate their corresponding operations under their responsibility.

Finally, during the inspection, compliance between the cargo and the information provided in the bill of lading, as well as the documents supporting the business operation shall be verified, as well as compliance with the requirements set forth in special regulations, without prejudice to the power to conduct any good inspections, whenever DIAN deems it necessary.

At that moment, the import declaration (DUA in Spanish) is submitted via the DIAN web platform and accepted; then customs duties are calculated and paid at a bank or electronic transfer. After confirming declaration payment in the system, the release of goods is requested using the same platform. This release can be by physical or automatic inspection. In the first case, the DIAN inspector must verify that physical goods match the information in documents to finally issue the release and free disposition of goods. In the second case, the release and free disposition of goods are issued immediately.

Contact Person

DIAN: 24x7Customs checkpoint - Rumichaca International Bridge

Phone number: (7734458) 3208306547

Additional information

A new direct Pasto-Rumichaca route is currently under construction to optimize connectivity and trade with Ecuador.

Contact Person

Migración Colombia:

Carlos Humberto García López

+57 2 316 740 2743

carlos.garcia@migracioncolombia.gov.co

ICA:

Aldemar Moncayo Castro

+57 2 7732055 - 7733945

Fax: + 57 2 7732055

paso.rumichaca@ica.gov.co

aldemar.moncayo@ica.gov.co

Overview

The José Antonio Páez International Bridge is a border crossing over the Arauca River that connects El Amparo (Apure) in Venezuela with the city of Arauca in Colombia. This is the only formal crossing point in the entire Venezuelan border territory with the department of Arauca in the Colombian territory.

The bridge connects the municipalities of Arauca and Páez in Colombia and the Apure State in Venezuela. Both countries share the bridge structure with a length of 200 meters, 2 lanes and a width of 7.3 meters.

Border crossers arriving in Colombian territory from Venezuela mainly seek to meet basic needs such as food and medicine, informal work and health care and usually return to their country of origin the same day.

Colombian border municipalities have enough supply to provide all types of consumer goods and healthcare services, among others, for both local citizens and migrants.

Daily Capacity

An average of 143 vehicles enter Colombia through the Rumichaca binational bridge and 149 leave the country heading to Ecuador every day.

The border is currently closed on the Venezuelan side for private vehicles. On the Colombian side, only freight vehicles with Colombian plates are allowed to cross the border up to the SAIME (Venezuelan Customs) border checkpoint located at 1 km distance from the international bridge. In addition, the entry of freight vehicles with Venezuelan plates is only allowed up to an informal unloading area located at 500 m from the Colombian side of the bridge. Bridge load capacity is 50 tons and no alternate routes are available for vehicle movement since the entire border area is located along a river (Arauca River.)

Customs

DIAN ARAUCA SECTIONAL DIRECTORATE

Contact Person Horacio Sierra

Phone number: 315 (865) 0515

email: hsierrae@dian.gov.co

According to Article 90 of Decree 1165 of 2019, all means of transport arriving in the national customs territory must pass through the posts enabled by the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Approximate times

Decree 1165 of 2019 establishes that the types of controls for customs procedures are as follows:

• Physical Inspection: This inspection lasts 1 working day, i.e., if cargo arrives on Monday, the vehicle will depart to its destination on Tuesday.
• Documentary inspection: This inspection lasts between 1 and 3 days maximum.
• Automatic Inspection: On the same day.

Supporting documents

All documents are specified in Article 349 of Decree 1165 of 2019.

• Shipment authorization form
• Transport form
• Invoice
• Packing list (if applicable)
• Transport documents
• Approval (if applicable)
• Customs mandate

These documents must be kept for 5 years at the customs agency processing the transport operation.

In cases when the transportation does not involve any cargo, public or private service companies transporting passengers only, or when it is a technical stop or landfall, the transporter shall give notice of its arrival to the corresponding customs office, at least 1 hour in advance.

Upon arrival at the border crossing point, travel documents are received and registered right there to present goods to the customs authority. Presented goods are understood as those of foreign origin listed in the Bill of Lading, which is reported via the DIAN web platform and must include at least the following information:

1. Identity of the means of transport
2. Travel information
   1. Origin of goods
   2. Place of destination
   3. Total weight and number of cargo units to be transported
   4. Transport document number
   5. Number and weight of packages
   6. Consolidated cargo indicator

Transport document information submitted via the DIAN web platform. The following information must be included at least for transport and consolidation documents:

1. Consignee taxpayer ID (other than that of the temporary or customs warehouse)
2. Tariff subheading
3. Type of cargo
4. Number and date of the transport document or consolidation document.
5. Number, weight and volume of packages, as applicable
6. Cargo unit identity, if applicable
7. Description of goods
8. Other transport contract specifications as required by the National Tax and Customs Directorate

The transporter must provide travel document information via the DIAN web platform before or upon the arrival of the means of transport.

Upon arrival of the means of transport to the national customs territory, the transporter or its authorized representative shall inform such information via the DIAN web platform. After receiving the arrival notice, the DIAN shall authorize the entry of the goods into the national territory. For customs purposes, the goods arrival date shall be the date of the acknowledgment of arrival notice receipt via the Electronic Data Processing platform.

For land transportation, there is no need to present the notice of completion of unloading. For consolidated cargo, the transporter is required to notify the international freight forwarder or multimodal transport operator immediately upon unloading to initiate their corresponding operations under their responsibility.

Finally, during the inspection, compliance between the cargo and the information provided in the bill of lading, as well as the documents supporting the business operation shall be verified, as well as compliance with the requirements set forth in special regulations, without prejudice to the power to conduct any good inspections, whenever DIAN deems it necessary.

At that moment, the import declaration (DUA in Spanish) is submitted via the DIAN web platform and accepted; then customs duties are calculated and paid at a bank or electronic transfer. After confirming declaration payment in the system, the release of goods is requested using the same platform. This release can be by physical or automatic inspection. In the first case, the DIAN inspector must verify that physical goods match the information in documents to finally issue the release and free disposition of goods. In the second case, the release and free disposition of goods are issued immediately.

Additional Information

Cargo handling areas are located within the perimeter urban block. These are private areas (primary zone) that are occasionally contracted for their services (weighing scales, goods loading and unloading.) There is not an area dedicated to cargo inspections.

Contact Person:

DIAN ARAUCA SECTIONAL DIRECTORATE - Contact Person: Horacio Sierra

Phone number: 315 (865) 0515

email: hsierrae@dian.gov.co

Overview

The department of Amazonas located in the extreme southeast of Colombia, with no road access is the largest territorial entity with the largest land area in the country. It is located in the southern hemisphere, covering an area of approximately 109,665 square kilometers (km2), almost entirely made up of virgin forest covering an area of 6,400 km2 in the Amazon rainforest, bordering the Republic of Peru to the south and west and Brazil to the east.

The border between Colombia, Brazil and Peru is represented by the "Three Frontiers" border milestone of the cities of Leticia in Colombia, Tabatinga in Brazil, and Santa Rosa de Yavari in Peru.

Note that the Amazon River is the main transportation route and tourism is the most important economic activity in the area, followed by fishing and cross-border trade. Neighboring countries, Brazil and Peru, are the main trading partners.

Daily Capacity

This border crossing between Colombia, Brazil, and Peru can operate up to 240 small boats per month, an average of almost 8 small motorboats per day. As for migratory flows, the border area does not have a dynamic flow of people.

Goods crossings are the most relevant flow in this border zone. The most sought-after products in Leticia from Brazil and Peru are rice, sugar, cooking oil, boxed milk, chicken, confectionery and biscuits, sausages, soft drinks, and building materials (iron, stone, sand, bricks, cement, wood).

Pendular Migration or Permanent Circular Mobility

This tripartite border is a migratory phenomenon in which the nationals of one country permanently move between their country of origin and neighboring countries for economic reasons, whether for work, food supplies, health purposes, or social and family networks living on both sides of the border.

Customs

Contact Person: DIAN. Leticia, Amazonas

Phone Number: 3208889639. 24/7 service

"FREE TRADE ZONE” Leticia Special Customs Regime Zone

According to Article 566 of Decree 1165 of 2019, all means of transport arriving in the national customs territory must arrive through the places enabled by the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Goods imported through the Port of Leticia, the Vásquez Cobo International Airport and the border crossing between Brazil and Colombia on the International Avenue, in the department of Amazonas, for consumption or use in the municipality of Leticia, shall be entitled to the benefits established by Section XII of Decree 1165 of 2019 and its amendments. However, the Ministry of Finance through Decree 2178 of 2007, stated that goods imported to the Leticia Special Customs Regime Zone may also be consumed in the municipalities of Puerto Nariño and the village of Tarapacá with the same benefits applicable to the municipality of Leticia.

All imports made to the Leticia Special Customs Regime Zone are exempt from customs duties and as they have preferential customs treatment, the importer must certify the documents referring to the special and general provisions that support it, considering the purpose for which the benefits are granted. A simplified import declaration must be filled out and submitted for the entry of goods over one thousand dollars (USD 1,000), without the payment of customs duties without prejudice to the controls that the competent authorities may exercise with respect to the different classes of goods. Goods under one thousand dollars (USD 1,000) shall not require the submission of the simplified import declaration.

To import goods to the Leticia Special Customs Regime Zone, the customs authority under its competencies shall not require any visa, authorization or certification when applying special conditions for importing goods to the entire department of Amazonas.

Supporting documents

• Commercial invoice, when applicable;
• Transport document;
• Packing list, when applicable;
• Mandate, when no customs endorsement is available and the Import Declaration is made through a Customs Agency or proxy and,
• Andean Value Declaration and supporting documents when applicable.

 Access to decree 1165 of 2019

https://www.analdex.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DECRETO-1165-DEL-2-DE-JULIO-DE-2019_compressed-1-comprimido.pdf

Contact Person:

Jose Omar Giraldo Valencia (A)

Contact Person: DIAN. Leticia, Amazonas

Phone Number: 3208889639. (098) 5927366 Ext. 386001 381001 3208889639 24/7 service

jgiraldov@dian.gov.co