Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Decisions made by civil registrars can have legal consequences and it is important that the system includes a process of appeal or review of those decisions. Individuals should have the right to appeal civil registration decisions to the courts. Prior to filing an appeal in the courts, some countries require that the appeal against a local civil registrar's decision be filed before a higher administrative level, up to the national level. The exhaustion of remedies serves a dual purpose of allowing a civil registration agency the opportunity to correct its mistake without burdening the courts, and creates an administrative record for court to review in a judicial appeal.
Colombia
Legal Analysis
Yes. Decisions taken by civil registration authorities in Colombia are treated as administrative decisions and can be challenged through the standard administrative remedies (“administrative reconsideration” and, when applicable, an “appeal” to the superior authority) before going to court. For example, the Single Circular on Civil Registration and Identification (Version 9, 7 Nov 2025) explains that certain civil registration decisions (such as administrative annulments handled by the National Civil Registration Directorate within the National Civil Registry Office, RNEC) are issued by formal resolution and are subject to administrative remedies under the general administrative procedure rules (Law 1437 of 2011). Where an administrative remedy is available, it must be used and decided before filing a judicial challenge in court (that is, the person must exhaust the available administrative remedies first).
