The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Ambassador Francisco Coy, indicated that the country signed an agreement with Portugal and Argentina for the reciprocal recognition of driving licences.
This means that Portuguese and Argentine citizens will be able to have the document approved in Colombia and, Similarly, Colombians will be able to do so in Portugal and Argentina.
All this, with the purpose of strengthening international relations, promoting the cooperation of the parties in terms of traffic and road safety, as well as continuing with the task of digitizing procedures.
In the case of the signing with Portugal, Coy held a meeting in Lisbon with Francisco André, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal, in order to explore and promote the joint agenda.
After the meeting, the two countries They agreed on the mutual recognition of driving licenses aimed at tourists and visitors on stays of short duration, whose scope of application will be sought to be extended to permanent residents in a next phase.
Regarding the Agreement with Argentina, the document was signed between Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva Durán and his counterpart Santiago Cafiero, on behalf of the Republic of Argentina, in which each country will recognize the national driving licenses issued by the competent authority of the other party. .
This benefit, in favor of national holders of licenses residing in their territory or who are there for tourism purposes, will apply as long as they have the required minimum age. In the case of residents, the license will be valid until the date granted by the State of origin and for tourists, a maximum validity of 180 days.
The Minister of Transportation, Guillermo Francisco Reyes González, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement: “It is another of our early achievements and very important news for all Colombians. Thanks to the signing of the agreement, about 9,000 Colombians will benefit, who temporarily circulate on Argentine roads, as well as the 3,500 Argentines who travel in Colombia”.
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For his part, the Vice Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Enríquez Caicedo, expressed his commitment to continue working for Colombians abroad and recalled that negotiations are underway for this same agreement with Italy, France, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates.
It is important to mention that the reciprocal recognition of the driver’s license does not apply in three special situations.
When the applicant is not a national of the states party to the agreement, when the driver’s license has been issued or granted by recognition or exchange with a third State, when the format of the driver’s license does not correspond to the last one established by the country of origin and when the driver’s license is not valid in the category requested for recognition.