Issues with the Colombia Check MIG and How to Fix Them

Travelers don’t have to look online very hard to find out that there are a lot of problems with the Check MIG form for Colombia. The system Migracion Colombia is known for being buggy and both the website and the app experience frequent crashes. It’s clear that the whole system needs more work before it can function as designed.

Many of these have made it difficult, if not impossible, for travelers to fill these out, which can make traveling to Colombia harder than it needs to be.

Here’s what visitors need to know about the form so they can make their trip to Colombia as planned.

Problem 1: The Website is Unstable

The biggest problem with the Colombia Check MIG form is that the website is unstable. It can be difficult to get it to load and, once loaded, hard to keep it up for long enough to finish the form.

Filling out - or trying to fill out - some fields seem to crash the site for some users. Since the fields are required, this presents a major problem. This is frustrating and annoying for travelers. If they can’t fill out a required form, how can they make their trip to Colombia?

How to Fix It

There is no single workaround for this. The best options, as found by users who have tried everything, are outlined below. It’s best to start trying to fill out the Check MIG as soon as a traveler is eligible - within 72 hours of departing for Colombia.

That way, people who struggle with the form have a maximum number of tries before they have to leave for their trip.

Problem 2: Some Browsers Don’t Work

Most websites work on any browser that a person wants to use. However, the Check MIG form website is not one of these!

How to Fix It

Download and install Google Chrome, as this is the best browser for the form. You will also want to check for updates as more recent versions of the browser work better.

Download Chrome here.

There are versions of Google Chrome for any computer or device a traveler might use. This includes Apple, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and more. Anyone who needs to get Chrome should be able to do so, and this makes filling out the Check MIG much easier.

Problem 3: Some Arriving and Departing Flights Cannot be Found

The Check MIG form requires travelers to enter their arriving and departing flights by flight number. These must match flights that are in the website’s system.

Some travelers are finding that they are entering their flight number accurately, but the system cannot find it. Clearly, this is a major issue that prevents filling out and completing the form.

How to Fix It

Make sure to input only the flight numbers as the system does not accept letters. For example, if the flight number is AA1234, use 1234 for the flight number.

Many flights are serviced by different airlines - usually partner airlines. Travelers may purchase their tickets from one airline but take a flight served by another. 

Colombia usually has the flight noted by the airline that is serving it, not by every possible flight number under which it might have been booked. Check the itinerary and see if there is a different flight number.

Travelers who aren’t sure should contact the airline they purchased tickets through. They should be able to note all carriers and flight numbers for the flight, and the traveler can try each one. 

Note that, sometimes, the Check MIG form still will not work. Some valid flight numbers seem to simply not be included in the database.

Natvisa knows a workaround for this. Apply today!

Problem 4: The Approved Document Downloads as a Blank Page

After travelers fill out the paperwork and the form is approved, they are taken to the “Thank You!” page, where they are given the opportunity to download the document they need. 

However, some travelers are finding that the document they download is, in fact, blank. Clearly, they can’t present a blank page at the border!

How to Fix It

Most of the time, travelers who wait 1-2 minutes will not get a blank document.  

Alternatively, travelers can return to the main website and use the “Consult and download your check-mig” button to access the document they need. Those obtained this way are not usually blank.

Problem 5: Travelers Make Mistakes on the Check MIG Form

Most frequently, travelers will misspell a name or make a mistake entering a date of birth. Other times, airlines make changes to arrival dates and times after the Check MIG has already been completed. Either way, the form does not allow modifications. So what is a weary traveler to do?

How to Fix It

Travelers will need to submit a new Check MIG form with the right data. However, this can be confusing to the system, especially if it has already accepted one form.

Travelers whose arrival dates got moved up need to wait for the original arrival date to pass. This clears the form from the system and makes resubmission easier.

Occasionally, this wait will not be possible. Some airlines require travelers to have an approved Check MIG to board, for instance, and this may occur before the original arrival date clears. They may also need to show their previous approved Check MIG to board their flight. Natvisa knows a workaround this issue if the problem persists. 

Problem 6: The Websites Uses Confusing Language

Users who do not speak Spanish may find the website harder to navigate. Some fields may not be translated, even after travelers choose the language they want. Also, some of the translations are not very good. It can be hard to know what the site wants based on what it says for each field.

How to Fix It

There are online walkthroughs available to help people fill out the form accurately. Travelers can perform a simple online search to find these.

Most of the time, discerning travelers can figure out what the form wants. However, they may need to focus more on the form than they otherwise would.

Problem 7: Colombian Travelers Need Their Identity Card Number

Even Colombian-born travelers need to fill out a Check MIG to enter the country. When they do so, the form will ask for their Identity Card number.

How to Fix It

Colombian-born travelers need to make sure that they have their cards with them when they fill out the form.

If the card has been lost or stolen, the traveler will need to have it replaced before they travel to Colombia.

Problem 8: The Website Layout is Confusing

When people access the website to fill out the Check MIG, it’s not always clear where they need to click or what they need to do.

To make it worse, the text on the buttons does not always translate, so people who don’t speak Spanish may have to navigate in that language. 

As travelers progress throughout the process, the first steps are not always clear. It can be hard to even access the proper version of the form, let alone fill it out.

How to Fix It

Travelers should start by clicking on the big orange button on the site that says “Check MIG Migracion Colombia.”

After that, they should click on their language of choice - Spanish, English, or French. Once they’ve done that, they should click on “Make Your Check MIG.”

Finally, they will need to select the right version of the form, based on how they plan to arrive in Colombia. Options include Air, Land, Maritime, or River. After that, the website gets easier to follow. Travelers should have fewer problems from that point forward.

Problem 9: The App is Worse Than the Website

The Check MIG form also has an app that people can download on iOS and Android. However, this seems to function even worse than the website! 

First of all, there are some major differences between the app and the site. People who fill out both question whether they are using the same form! Occasionally, the app won’t load at all. When it does, it takes a long time and may time out.

This problem occurs across platforms, including on the iPhone, Android phones and tablets, iPad, and laptops. Sometimes, people cannot even register with the app because it has dropdown menus that don’t work. They either don’t drop down or they are empty when they do.

If people can register, they find that they can’t retrieve their registration later! Some travelers find that, while they can fill out the form okay on the app, they cannot submit it. The submit button doesn’t work or the app spins and spins without achieving anything.

At times, the app will act like it has submitted something, to the point of telling travelers they have completed the form when they know they have not. Finally, the app often does not always download the completed document. This can leave travelers thinking they are done when really they have achieved nothing.

How to Fix It

Avoid using the app for the Check MIG. While the website is bad, the app is much, much worse. Even travelers filling out the form on a mobile device should try to do so through a web browser, and not with the app.

Problem 10: The Check Mig Website Not Populating Entry Port

The Check Mig website sometimes does not populate the entry ports/ city of entry. Usually, the site generates a drop-down list of authorized immigration checkpoints/city of entry. 

Applicants cannot move forward if this list is not populated and will have to stop the application process. They can do nothing but wait for the issue to be resolved.

How to Fix It

There is no actual solution for this. Applicants can wait for the Colombian migration to resolve the issue. Usually, Colombia waives off the Check Mig for the day. Note that there needs to be an official message issued by the Colombian government.

Most travelers who need to will eventually be able to fill out a Check MIG for Colombia. While the process can be stressful, it’s worth it to get to take that trip!