Latin America: Consular Processing and Travel Disruptions due to Situation in Venezuela

• Argentina. Venezuelan consular posts in Argentina and Argentinian consular posts in Venezuela have indefinitely suspended all consular services. Diplomatic personnel in the Venezuelan embassy in Argentina have been ordered to depart Argentina on July 31, 2024. 
• Chile. Venezuelan consular posts have indefinitely suspended all processing and all diplomatic personnel have been removed from the Venezuelan embassy in Chile. Chilean consular posts in Venezuela have suspended in-person services until further notice (applicants may email their inquiries to the consulate). 
• Dominican Republic. Venezuelan consular posts in the Dominican Republic and Dominican consular posts in Venezuela have indefinitely suspended all consular services. UPDATE August 21, 2024: The government of the Dominican Republic has announced that applicants in Venezuela seeking consular services for the Dominican Republic, including visas, can submit applications at the Dominican Consulate in Colombia.
• Panama. The Venezuelan embassy in Panama has indefinitely suspended all consular services. Diplomatic personnel are expected to depart within the next two days. It is not yet clear if Panama’s consular post in Venezuela will also close. 
• Peru. The Venezuelan consulate in Lima has suspended all consular services and Venezuelan diplomatic officials have been ordered to depart Peru by August 1, 2024. 
• Venezuela. Government offices in Venezuela reportedly remain open (including immigration departments and other government agencies involved in immigration processes), but challenging conditions in the country are limiting access to government and other offices, preventing the completion of services. UPDATE August 27, 2024: Immigration processes in Venezuela, including visas and work permits, are significantly delayed (up to double or triple the standard processing times) due to the recent dismissal of many government officials. Additionally, the National Registry has closed to the public until a new director is appointed (a timeframe is not currently known).

Though not yet confirmed, it is expected that the Venezuelan consular posts in Costa Rica and Uruguay, and the Peruvian and Uruguayan consular posts in Venezuela will soon close, following the personnel removal order. 

• As of July 31, at 20:00 local time, all commercial flights to and from Venezuela and Panama, and to and from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are suspended until further notice.
• LATAM Airlines has suspended flights between Lima and Caracas until further notice.
• UPDATE September 27, 2024: According to media sources and airport officials, commercial flights to and from Venezuela and Chile are suspended until further notice. 

The July 28, 2024 Venezuelan election has been contentious as both incumbent President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González have claimed victory. There are ongoing protests over the contested election results. 

• Consular disruptions. Individuals with applications pending in Venezuelan consular posts in the affected countries, and these countries’ consular posts in Venezuela should expect processing disruptions until further notice. These include applications for Venezuelan visas, apostille and legalization services and services for Venezuelan nationals (e.g., passports). 
• Alternative application methods. The government of Venezuela has not yet announced any specific alternative routes for affected applicants. Where possible, these applicants should request the return of their documents directly with the relevant consular post and should contact other Venezuelan consular posts in the region for service availability. Countries whose consular posts were closed in Venezuela may announce alternative routes or measures for individuals in Venezuela in the coming days. UPDATE August 27, 2024: The Venezuelan consular posts in Colombia are currently accepting applications from individuals in the following countries seeking consular services for Venezuela, including visas and, in some cases, passport renewals: Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, United States, and Uruguay. Applicants will typically need to travel to Colombia to complete these processes. 
• Travel impacts. Travelers in the region should check with their airline for specific impacts on suspended or affected flight schedule and/or availability.
• General processing delays in Venezuela. Although government offices (including immigration departments and other government agencies involved in immigration processes) in Venezuela reportedly remain open, foreign nationals and employers should expect processing delays for all immigration-related applications processed in Venezuela, including notarization and legalization of documents, while widespread protests restrict mobility within Venezuela and until the situation stabilizes. UPDATE August 27, 2024: Immigration processes in Venezuela, including visas and work permits, are significantly delayed (up to double or triple the standard processing times) due to the recent dismissal of many government officials. Additionally, the National Registry has closed to the public until a new director is appointed (a timeframe is not currently known). As a result, individuals should expect processing delays for procurement, notarization and legalization of Venezuelan documents until further notice. 

Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the regional and international community remain fluid and may lead to additional immigration disruptions.

Fragomen is working with affected clients on a case-by-case basis. We will continue to monitor the situation and will report on relevant developments.