Getting a Colombian visa is the part of moving here that almost no one enjoys. I went through it for the first time in 2019 and the process did not love me back. The system sent me to Bogotá for an in-person interview, then promptly broke down and forced me to reschedule. On my next application, in the middle of the pandemic, my file disappeared inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I came close to being deported before I assembled enough paperwork to prove the application had been filed in the first place. Both visas eventually came through. But the experience taught me three lessons that run through the rest of this guide: start early, keep every document, and assume the process will go sideways once.
That said, plenty of foreigners get through Colombian immigration without drama, and the system is more accessible than it looks from outside. This guide covers what is available, what the current thresholds are, and the parts most likely to trip you up. Where money figures appear, they are current as of 2026 and tied to the Colombian minimum wage, which is the moving piece in most of these calculations.
Colombian Visa Overview
If You Are Just Visiting
Most travelers do not need a visa to enter Colombia. Citizens of the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and many other countries get a 90-day tourist permit on arrival, extendable for another 90 days, for a maximum of 180 days per calendar year. This is a permiso, not a visa, and you cannot work or sponsor anyone on it.
To extend the initial 90 days, apply through Migración Colombia’s online portal. The form is called Permiso Temporal de Permanencia para Prorrogar Permanencia, and the process is straightforward. If you overstay even by a few days, you will face a fine on departure. If you need to leave urgently within 15 days of an overstay, request a salvoconducto from Migración Colombia.
If 180 days is not enough, you will need a proper visa.
Visitor Visas (Type V)
V visas are for stays of up to two or three years for a specific purpose, with no path to permanent residency. They are the bridge between a tourist permit and a longer-term migration plan.
The Digital Nomad Visa has become the most popular option for foreign remote workers. It requires proof of remote employment or self-employment, plus a monthly income of at least three Colombian minimum wages (around COP 5.25 million, or roughly USD $1,200 to $1,400 a month at current exchange rates). Valid for up to two years.
The Student Visa is available to anyone enrolled at an accredited Colombian institution with a course load of at least ten hours per week. In Medellín, the main accredited universities are EAFIT in El Poblado, UPB in Laureles, and Universidad de Medellín in Belén. Smaller language schools also qualify, but the licensing landscape has shifted in recent years, so verify the school is currently accredited before paying tuition. Valid for up to two years.
The TPA (Trade Promotion Agreement) Visa is open to citizens of countries with which Colombia has signed a free-trade agreement, including the US, Canada, the EU, the UK, EFTA states (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland), South Korea, Israel, and Mexico. It allows stays of up to two years and is designed for entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
The Business Visa covers foreign nationals coming for business activities, market research, investment, commercial representation, or company formation. Valid up to two years.
The Medical Treatment Visa is for patients receiving long-term care in Colombia and their accompanying companions. Valid up to one year. Common for cosmetic surgery, dental work, and longer-term oncology or cardiology cases.
The Rentista Visa is for foreigners with steady passive income, such as rental income or annuities. The threshold is ten Colombian minimum wages per month (around COP 17.5 million, or roughly USD $4,000 to $4,700). Note this is much higher than the Pensionado pension threshold below. Valid up to two years.
The Religious Visa is for missionaries and clergy formally affiliated with a recognized religious organization.
Migrant Visas (Type M)
M visas are the most common long-stay route. They permit you to live and work in Colombia for up to three years, accumulate time toward permanent residency (you can apply for an R visa after holding an M visa for five years), and bring family members under beneficiary visas.
The Marriage Visa is for foreigners married to Colombian nationals. Valid for up to three years. The Colombian government may interview both spouses separately to confirm the marriage is genuine.
The Civil Union Visa is the equivalent for partners in a registered unión marital de hecho (common-law marriage) of at least two years’ standing. Duration depends on the length of the registered union.
The Employee Visa is for foreigners with a job offer from a Colombian company willing to sponsor them. The employer must demonstrate financial solvency equivalent to 100 SMMLV (around COP 175 million) over the previous six months. Valid up to three years.
The Founder/Shareholder Visa is for foreigners who establish a company in Colombia or buy shares worth at least 100 minimum wages, currently around COP 175 million (roughly USD $40,000 to $46,000). Valid up to three years.
The Independent Professional Visa is for foreigners working in a regulated profession (architecture, medicine, law, engineering) or an unregulated activity considered useful to the country. Valid up to three years.
The Investor Visa is for foreigners who have invested at least 350 minimum wages in Colombian real estate or in the Colombian stock market. The current threshold is around COP 613 million (roughly USD $140,000 to $165,000 at current exchange rates). Valid up to three years.
The Pensionado (Retirement) Visa is for retirees with a foreign government pension of at least three Colombian minimum wages per month, currently around COP 5.25 million (roughly USD $1,200 to $1,400). Valid up to three years. This remains one of the most accessible visas for older expats.
The Parent of Colombian Child Visa is available to foreign parents of Colombian children, and is one of the fastest routes to longer-term residency once a child has Colombian citizenship.
Resident Visas (Type R)
R visas are five-year permits that establish permanent residency in Colombia and put you on the path to citizenship.
Accumulated Time. You can apply for an R visa after holding an M visa continuously for five years, or two years if you are on a Marriage, Civil Union, Parent-of-Colombian-Child, or Refugee M visa.
Nationality Renunciation. Former Colombian nationals who renounced their citizenship can apply for an R visa to re-establish residency.
A critical rule that catches many people: M visas expire if you spend more than six months continuously outside Colombia, and R visas expire after two years outside. Both count, even if you are in good standing the rest of the time.
The Path to Citizenship
R visa holders can apply for Colombian citizenship after five years of continuous residence, reduced to two years for spouses of Colombians, parents of Colombian children, and Latin American or Caribbean nationals under the iberoamericano clause. Applicants must demonstrate Spanish proficiency, basic knowledge of Colombian history and civics, financial stability, and good character.
Colombian citizenship is worth having. The passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to well over 130 countries, including Russia (90 days), Belarus, most of Latin America, and a useful list of destinations in Asia and Africa where US or European travelers face heavier visa requirements. As an Associate Member of Mercosur, Colombians also get streamlined treatment for residency and work permits across Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru.
How to Apply
The process for most visas runs through the Cancillería (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) online portal. The general sequence:
- Determine the right visa category. Read the official requirements; do not rely on what someone in a Facebook group told you.
- Gather your documents. Most visas require a valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity, passport-style photos, proof of financial means, and category-specific paperwork (job contract, marriage certificate, business registration, etc.).
- Translate non-Spanish documents. All foreign documents must be officially translated by a certified translator.
- Apostille foreign documents. Documents issued outside Colombia must carry an apostille if your country is party to the Hague Convention, or be consular-legalized otherwise.
- Submit your application online through the Cancillería portal, with clear digital copies of all documents.
- Pay the fees. A non-refundable study fee at submission, and a separate issuance fee if approved. Fees vary by category and nationality.
- Attend an interview if required. Many applications are now reviewed remotely, but in-person interviews at the Ministry in Bogotá have resumed for certain categories.
- Track the decision. Most decisions arrive within five to ten business days, though it can be considerably longer.
- Register your visa. Once approved, you have 15 calendar days to register with Migración Colombia and apply for your Colombian ID card (cédula de extranjería) if your stay is over three months. Do not let this slip; the fines are real.
Common Mistakes
A few errors come up again and again. In rough order of cost:
Applying for the wrong visa category. The categories are specific. A digital nomad applying as a rentista gets rejected. Pick the visa that matches your actual situation.
Outdated documents. Most application documents (bank statements, criminal background checks, marriage and birth certificates) must be no more than three months old at submission. Get fresh copies.
Missing apostille or translation. Both are required for foreign documents, and there is no workaround. Build the time for both into your planning.
Bank statements in the wrong language or format. Migración sometimes requires Spanish-translated bank statements. Some immigration officers will request stamped originals; some will accept screenshots. Bring multiple formats to be safe.
Letting your visa lapse abroad. Six months out on an M visa, or two years on an R visa, and you start over. If you are traveling long-term, plan return trips accordingly.
Forgetting to register the visa within 15 days. Once approved, the clock starts immediately. Fines for missing the deadline can run into the hundreds of dollars.
Lying on the application. Immigration officers have seen every version of a slightly-fudged income claim or invented business. Misrepresentation can void the visa years later, even if it is initially granted.
Missing health insurance. Most visa categories now require valid international health insurance covering hospitalization, repatriation, and death. Check that your policy meets the specific requirements.
When to Hire Help
You can absolutely do this yourself, and many people do. The calculus is straightforward, though: a visa lawyer or accredited agency runs roughly USD $400 to $1,000 for a standard M-visa application, and a rejected visa can cost you a flight home and several lost months. If your case is straightforward (clean documents, clear income, simple category), going solo makes sense. If anything in your situation is unusual (mid-application country move, mixed-source income, prior visa rejection, family included on the application), pay someone. The peace of mind is worth it. I went through it twice and would pay for help a third time.
A final note. Colombian immigration policy has been updated several times in the past few years, and the income thresholds tied to the minimum wage shift every January. The figures above are current as of 2026; if you are reading this in a later year, treat them as a starting point and confirm against the Cancillería’s current published requirements.
