[News] From this Wednesday Colombians will be able to live and circulate freely in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru

[Akrapovic]

The omission of the surcharge for cell phone service between these four countries is another of the provisions agreed upon in Decision 878 of the Andean Migration Statute

 

 

Starting this Wednesday, November 3, Colombians will have the possibility to live, work and move freely in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, as part of Decision 878 of the Andean Migration Statute. This was confirmed in the last hours by the Secretary General of the Andean Community (CAN), Jorge Hernando Pedraza.

The announcement came in the middle of an interview with La FM. “The Andean Immigration Statute allows the more than 111 million citizens of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to access temporary and permanent residence in the four countries. It is a true milestone in the integration process ”, Pedraza stated in the first instance.

Additionally, the official said that this agreement "strengthens the Andean identity" of the countries that comprise it, and to this are added socioeconomic benefits to counteract the effects of COVID-19. For example, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stated that, so far in 2021, there has been an 86% decrease in the arrival of foreign tourists to South American countries, with Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru being three of the four members of the CAN, those who registered the greatest losses.

RESIDENCE IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY:

"The free movement and establishment of people constitutes a central objective in the strengthening of the Andean community space and one of the visible elements that contribute to reinforcing the sense of belonging of the community citizen with the integration process," the entity pointed out in the public document.

In case you want to apply to access the benefit of an "Andean Temporary Residence", this may be managed and / or approved at the consular headquarters of the destination country: "If the Andean national is in the territory of the Immigration Country, it will be processed before the competent immigration authority regardless of the immigration status with which you entered or maintained at the time of submitting your application. In the latter case, the person would be exonerated from paying fines or other more burdensome sanctions.

For the “Andean Permanent Residence”, citizens must submit their application to the competent authority of the immigration country, within 90 days prior to the expiration of the “Andean Temporary Residence”.

CELLULAR SERVICE WITHOUT CHARGES:

Another key section is that, starting next year, the inhabitants of these four countries will be able to use their postpaid cellular service without international roaming surcharges, as explained last Saturday by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Society of the Information of Ecuador (Mintel), through its Twitter account.

“From January 1, 2022, postpaid international roaming surcharges will not be applied in the Andean Community, that is, you will be able to communicate without paying more. We are making progress in digital integration and are taking firm steps for the benefit of Andean citizens, ”he said. For its part, Mintel specified in a statement that the same prices should be applied in voice, data and SMS as in the country of origin. In other words, “users will not have to pay any additional surcharge for roaming in CAN countries”.

Finally, Decision 878, recently approved, "will facilitate the entry, stay and temporary departure of vehicles for private use of tourists in the CAN, which will contribute to the economic reactivation of the Andean region", as left in of course Jorge Pedraza to the aforementioned medium.

In this sense, vehicles can enter and leave the territory of the member countries free of taxes and through the official border customs control points. According to a statement from, the validity period of the authorization for the temporary departure and return of the vehicle to the country of origin will be one year from its issuance.

Regarding the period of stay granted to the vehicle by the customs authority of the country where the tourism will take place, this will depend on the permission that the immigration authority grants to the tourist, in accordance with the immigration laws of each country.

 

LINK: https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2021/11/02/desde-este-miercoles-los-colombianos-podran-vivir-y-circular-libremente-en-bolivia-ecuador-y-peru/