Chet Hanks Says He’s Stranded in Colombia After Passport Mix-Up
chet hanks says he is stranded in Medellín, Colombia after traveling on his Greek passport and being told he could not board a return flight to the United States without a green card. The actor posted an Instagram update that began on Feb. 27 and followed with another update on March 1 saying he is safe but unsure how to resolve the travel issue without visiting Bogotá.
Chet Hanks’ passport explanation
In an Instagram video, Chet Hanks explained he was traveling with a Greek passport because he has dual citizenship and his U. S. passport was “about to expire. ” He said he left his U. S. passport at home for that reason and then learned at the airport gate that using a foreign passport to re-enter the United States would require a green card. He stated he does not have a green card because he is an American citizen and therefore could not board the flight out of Medellín.
How the travel problem unfolded
Hanks said the trip began in Puerto Rico, where he attended a friend’s birthday, and he then decided to fly on to Medellín on a whim. He said he arrived at the airport several hours early to check in for his flight home but was informed at the gate that the airline would not allow him to travel to the U. S. on his foreign passport without presenting a green card. He told followers, “I don’t have my American passport with me. So I’m literally stuck in Colombia. I’m stuck in Medellín. ”
Embassy options and next steps
The post noted there is a U. S. embassy in Colombia that can help replace a passport, but that embassy is in Bogotá and Hanks said he did not want to travel there. U. S. nationals must use a U. S. passport to enter and leave the country, and the relevant agency requires travelers to contact and visit the nearest U. S. embassy or consulate in person to replace a passport while abroad. That set of requirements frames the practical options: either travel to the embassy location or pursue an in-person replacement process through consular channels.
Public reaction and updates
Chet Hanks asked followers to “free me” in the initial clip and acknowledged that “there’s worse places to be stuck, ” while also saying he had no clear plan for resolving the situation. He posted an update over the weekend indicating he is fine and captioned a later image “ESTAMO BIEN. ” Commenters offered lighthearted takes on his predicament, with one noting it was “the one time you should’ve pulled the ‘my dad is…’ card. ”
On March 1 he used Instagram Stories to share another update. A subsequent video indicated he remained in Medellín and touched on other personal topics; those clips suggest he was not in immediate crisis but still dealing with the logistical hurdle of returning to the United States without his U. S. passport in hand.
What happens next
Given the stated requirements for passport replacement while abroad and Hanks’ stated reluctance to travel to Bogotá, the immediate next step described in the posts would be contacting the embassy or consulate and planning an in-person visit. If he follows the described procedure for replacing a passport while overseas, that process would be the clear administrative route to regain valid U. S. travel documents and secure reentry to the United States.
