General Info

[MongerHunger]

My girlfriend of Bogota is a very serious STEM major in the Nat'l University with a 4. 6 GPA.

How can she have a 4. 6 GPA when the maximum GPA is a 4. 0?

[LatinaLover#1]

I have been in and out of Colombia Gazillion times in the last 14 or so years. I can't remember ever being asked how much cash I have with me. On entry I am rarely directed to the x-ray machine of my bags. My girlfriend of Bogota is a very serious STEM major in the Nat'l University with a 4. 6 GPA. She quickly got approved for a 10 year visa and She never gets questioned and depending on the arrival airport she sometimes just breezes thru the Kiosk. One time I was bringing back a friend from Costa Rica who has a questionable past was sent to secondary.

My personable opinion is when they scan your passport on arrival to Colombia or on my return home in the States. Only basic questions, reason for travel, how many days and welcome home! When they scan your passport they ALREADY know 90 % about you. So never lie because they will know it.

[Elvis 2008]

All I can say is, you travel your way and I'll travel my way. This discussion started from you posting "It will be interesting to see what happens to guys entering Colombia now and how we are treated." I posted my experience which had never happened before. Some people on here are antagonists and are almost always proclaiming their way is the right way or finding faults with a post. I guess that's to be expected from an anonymous chat site.

What happened to you has nothing to do with the recent incident in Colombia. I have been asked once or twice how much money I had on me way before any of this happened. And Jack Taggart has had it happen. And Mr. E says not only has it happened to him, he knows people in customs where it has happened.

Some people on here are antagonists and are almost always proclaiming their way is the right way or finding faults with a post. I guess that's to be expected from an anonymous chat site.

It is not some people. It is one person, and his attempts at virtue signaling, customs likes me more than you all, are nothing new. Why you are virtue signaling at the same time you are talking about banging hookers and drinking like a fish is beyond me.

The reason I told you what I did is that I do not want your money taken from you or from anyone here. What was going on was theft, plain and simple. Charging your money with a potential crime is bullshit. Why the legislatures, Congress, and courts have allowed this to happen is beyond me. IMO it is clearly a 4th amendment violation.

The purpose of this forum, for most of us anyway, is to share information and avoid pitfalls. That is all I was doing.

[Fun Luvr]

FL, in the future, I would not carry that much cash through. If you had more money on you, even a legal amount under $10,000, the agents may have kept it.

All I can say is, you travel your way and I'll travel my way. This discussion started from you posting "It will be interesting to see what happens to guys entering Colombia now and how we are treated." I posted my experience which had never happened before. Some people on here are antagonists and are almost always proclaiming their way is the right way or finding faults with a post. I guess that's to be expected from an anonymous chat site.

[Huacho]

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[Huacho]

I'm white as hell. Been in and out of Bogota 20 times at least the last 3 years. I got asked how much money I had on me at the customs desk right before the exit one time 2 years ago. I don't understand ya'lls absolutes. Sometimes things just happen.

Not dealing in any absolutes but merely relating my own experience. Not saying others haven't had different experiences. Just reporting cold, hard facts.

[JackTaggart]

I cannot state with any accuracy how many times I have entered a foreign country and gone through customs but over a hundred for sure. It does not ask on the customs form how much money you are bringing in. We all know that's bullshit so why did you say that? It asks if you have more than $10 k US or its equivalent. And I personally have never, not once, ever been asked how much money I was carrying. Nor have I ever been taken to a little room. I've entered Colombia mmm 15 times? If you get that a lot it's because you're black ha ha.

I'm white as hell. Been in and out of Bogota 20 times at least the last 3 years. I got asked how much money I had on me at the customs desk right before the exit one time 2 years ago. I don't understand ya'lls absolutes. Sometimes things just happen.

[Mr Enternational]

I cannot state with any accuracy how many times I have entered a foreign country and gone through customs but over a hundred for sure. It does not ask on the customs form how much money you are bringing in. We all know that's bullshit so why did you say that? It asks if you have more than $10 k US or its equivalent. And I personally have never, not once, ever been asked how much money I was carrying.

They do not have to ask you verbatim. There are different ways of asking the same question, just like a personality test. I have been asked many times how much money I was carrying. I even have friends who US Customs have made count their money in the jetway as they were leaving the country.

I have never lied on this site. I have been saying for over 1 year that it is not mandatory to do that checkmig. How many people have not done the checkmig since then and have had no problem entering Colombia? Give bullshit information is something that I do not do sir.

I also can not state with any accuracy how many times I have entered a foreign country and gone through Customs, but with 2 valid US passports (one that has only 4 pages left and is still valid until 2030), I can assure you that it is much more than 100 in only the last few years.

[Huacho]

Do you have all of your bags / How many bags do you have and how much money are you carrying are 2 normal customs questions in every country. They have been on paper customs forms since time immemorial. As a matter of fact, that is the main purpose of customs, to know what you are bringing into the country.

I cannot state with any accuracy how many times I have entered a foreign country and gone through customs but over a hundred for sure. It does not ask on the customs form how much money you are bringing in. We all know that's bullshit so why did you say that? It asks if you have more than $10 k US or its equivalent. And I personally have never, not once, ever been asked how much money I was carrying. Nor have I ever been taken to a little room. I've entered Colombia mmm 15 times? If you get that a lot it's because you're black ha ha.

[Elvis 2008]

Just flew back through Miami. No difference than usual. Colombians weren't being singled out and I think maybe your girl may have been exaggerating for some reason?

Or maybe it was just going on for a day or two. Whatever the reason, that is good news Davinci, and I am glad to hear it.

As for entering Colombia I also see no difference.

That is more good news. Thanks for sharing!

I was really hoping that this would be a forgettable incident, and it looks like it was.

[Elvis 2008]

I arrived Friday evening. The immigration officer was the same as always, very fast processing and no questions. The baggage inspection person was different. She asked if I was traveling alone, and I told her I was. She then asked "You have two bags for one person? I told her yes. She then asked how much money I was carrying. I told her I had pesos that equaled about 3 thousand USD. I had taken a chance with getting pesos during my last trip when the exchange rate was more than 4400/1. She then called to a guy and he took me to a little room and counted the pesos and filled out a form. Then they told me I could go, without even scanning my bags. That type of questioning had never happened before, and I have made many trips to Medellin.

https://www.fedagent.com/news/deas-c...er-ig-advisory

The issue was thrust into the public eye by a series of investigative reports from Atlanta News First which "uncovered how drug agents have been seizing anything over $5,000 if airline passengers can't prove on the spot that their own money didn't come from drug trafficking. ".

The program used civil asset forfeiture to allow DEA agents to seize cash if the passenger was suspected of carrying illicit funds tied to the drug trade. The onus was then put on the passenger to prove it was not drug money, to get the funds back.

In addition, most airport seizures did not result in criminal prosecutions. DEA even paid one airline employee tens of thousands of dollars in proceeds from cash seized as a result of tips.

End of link.

FL, in the future, I would not carry that much cash through. If you had more money on you, even a legal amount under $10,000, the agents may have kept it.

[Mr Enternational]

Please show a customs form that asks for the amount of amount you are carrying.

You are splitting hairs. Are you carrying over a certain amount and how much are you carrying are pretty much the same question. One is open end and one is closed end. It is like if they asked you to write your last name first, you would argue but my last name is not my first name so it should not go first.

[Fun Luvr]

Do you have all of your bags / How many bags do you have and how much money are you carrying are 2 normal customs questions in every country. They have been on paper customs forms since time immemorial. As a matter of fact, that is the main purpose of customs, to know what you are bringing into the country.

For 14 years that I've been going to Colombia, no form I filled out asked for the amount of money I was carrying. I can agree that the purpose of customs is to check what comes into a country, but those people didn't check my bags. They didn't even put my bags through the scanner. I don't recall ever being asked how much money I was carrying, only if I was carrying over a certain amount. I vaguely remember Costa Rican customs asking how much I planned to spend or how much I spent.

Please show a customs form that asks for the amount of amount you are carrying.

[Fun Luvr]

Not untypical. And in any society it would be out of the ordinary to carry 3 k in cash. Typically for non run of the mill cash amounts coming in the cash is quickly counted to ensure you're honest and not carrying more than $10 k and you're on your way.

It was untypical because in more than 50 times entering Colombian, I had never been asked either question. When they had the paper immigration form and now on the Check-mig form, there's a question asking if you are carrying more than $10,000 USD or equivalent. I had never been asked how much I was carrying. I had never been asked why I had a number of bags.

[DaVinci40]

Just flew back through Miami. No difference than usual. Colombians weren't being singled out and I think maybe your girl may have been exaggerating for some reason? There are 3 lines: global entry, us citizens and non citizens. No one was going through the non citizen line pulling people out, etc. There was also no line specifically for any target country. Additionally global entry is still available for Colombian citizens. Maybe something your girl may want to do if she visits regularly.

As for entering Colombia I also see no difference. You're either staying there for the allowed 90 days or whatever the number is or not and you either have cash funds to cover that stay or not and you have a return flight booked with a hotel or your accommodation address provided as done through checkmig. Not here to argue about the checkmig. I get it that some people don't do it. Get it that the website is glitchy af. I just do it anyways because why not. If you don't want to do it then good for you. No different than usual. In addition there are only 3 lines at immigration. Colombianos, non citizens and diplomats / flight crew and no lines singling out specific countries.

All in all to summarize. Business as usual.

Talked to my Colombian gal tonight. Apparently, Colombians are being put at the back of the line in Florida customs per her and being verbally grilled.
It will be interesting to see what happens to guys entering Colombia now and how we are treated.

I hope our trips to Colombia stay smooth.