If you are one of the citizens who could not buy the Compulsory Traffic Accident Insurance (Soat) during the month of January when they allowed Venezuelan vehicles to cross into Colombia, carrying only the documents required in Venezuela, and now you want to acquire it and pass on to the nieighbring country without having to pay an expensive fine, here we explain the steps you must follow.
By La Patilla
Feb 28, 2023
After the reopening of the border between Táchira State (Venezuela) and Norte de Santander Department (Colombia) to the traffic of private vehicles, since last February 9 the Colombian authorities began to demand the “SOAT” and the techno-mechanical inspection so that Venezuelan cars can travel freely through Colombian territory.
To buy the SOAT, is required the ownership title of the car and the personal identity card, both documents must be originals, since they do not accept digital photos or copies of documents.
At this point is not necessary to present the vehicle. Prices vary depending on the model and year of the car.
In the city of Cúcuta, specifically on 4th avenue with 14th street, is the main headquarters of “Seguro La Previsora” (Insurance company), where the prices are those established throughout the country without any additional cost. There they only receive payments with Colombian debit cards or credit cards (even American ones).
If you do not posses any of these, you can make a cash deposit in a nearby bank in the name of the account number provided by the insurer.
It should be noted that at the main office they only work from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Colombian time), so it is recommended to go in the morning hours , that way one receives the document in less than an hour, because in the other points of sale where they work on weekends, the rates are higher and there exists a risk of not receiving the document the same day, so one would have to wait until Monday of the following week.
Other places
One can also buy the SOAT at the points of sale that are located next to the main headquarters of “Seguros La Previsora”, where there are large advertisements that offer the insurance.
However, in these places the prices vary, and they could cost between 60,000 and 100,000 pesos (from 13 to 22 dollars) depending on the model and year of the vehicle, plus an additional surcharge for not being the main venue.
At these points of sale they only receive pesos in cash, and the process can take up to more than 4 hours for the user to receive the document.
The attention hours in these premises are from Monday to Friday during office hours and on Saturdays until 2:00 pm.
In the “Éxito” supermarket (located at the entrance to the city of Cúcuta) it is the only place where there is a point of sale that works from Sunday to Sunday until 6:00 p.m., but users must pay an surcharge that exceeds 150,000 pesos (32 dollars) and do not receive the document the same day.
In all cases, users must wait 24 hours for the insurance to finally be enabled in the Single National Traffic Registry (www.runt.com.co)
Beware of scams
It is important to verify this step so as not to run the risk of driving your Venezuelan vehicle and receiving a fine for not having active insurance.
It is recommended not to buy insurance via WhatsApp, or in any unauthorized places, since both Colombians and Venezuelans have been victims of scams.
It should be noted that from the date the SOAT is issued, you only have three months to carry out the technical-mechanical review of the vehicle, which is mandatory.
In other words, whoever purchased the insurance on February 10th will have time to process it until May 10th. Anyone who fails to comply with this step can receive fines that exceed up to two minimum wages (Colombian minimum wage).
When crossing over into Colombian territory, it is important to check the “pico y placa” plate numbers (mandatory stop day according to license plate terminal number), as this has been the main infraction regularly committed by Venezuelans, who have had to pay half the Colombian minimum wage, towing service and up to three days of parking, because the vehicle is retained by authorities.
Recently, the Mayor of the Villa del Rosario Municipality, Carlos Socha, authorized Venezuelan vehicles to transit through his municipality without the SOAT.
However, this is very limited, since this municipality ends at toll station at the entrance of Cúcuta.
Although the Colombian authorities do not always request the SOAT, Venezuelans should not blindly trust this and cross the border without this document, because on the international highway of Norte de Santander there is a camera system that can alert the traffic police, and fines could exceed up to three times the cost of the SOAT, in addition to impounding the vehicle for days.
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