Colombia signs $240 million passport contract with Thomas Greg

Colombia's Foreign Ministry signed a contract worth COP 240 billion with Thomas Greg and Sons on October 27, 2026, to resume passport production. The agreement runs for 13 months and was awarded under the figure of manifest urgency.

The urgency declaration was announced in September by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Revolving Fund. It sought to guarantee uninterrupted supply, personalization, custody, and distribution of passport booklets and Colombian visa labels.

“Cuenta en el país con la planta de producción y personalización en operación, con personal capacitado y proveedores de insumos ya vinculados.”

The immediate background is a September 2 precautionary measure by the Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca. The tribunal provisionally suspended execution of instruments linked to the new passport model and ordered measures to ensure continuity and regularity of the service.

The previous model had been implemented under former President Gustavo Petro and involved the National Printing Office, the Portuguese Mint, and the Foreign Ministry. Petro had sought to remove Thomas Greg from public contracting.

The government of Abelardo de la Espriella declared manifest urgency on September 18. Contacts leading to the agreement began a month after the tribunal's suspension, and the ministry concluded Thomas Greg was the only company able to assume the work without setbacks.

The Palacio de San Carlos said passport booklet inventory runs out in November 2026. The company can restart operations within a maximum of twenty business days, as it already operates production and personalization plants with trained staff and linked suppliers.

The contracting process had the accompaniment of the General Procurator of the Nation. The amount and duration correspond to the contract and not to a new fee citizens must pay for their travel document.