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LEGALTICA GUIDE

Moving to Colombia: which visa you need and what it takes

US, Canadian, UK, Australian and most EU citizens can visit Colombia without a visa for up to 90 days, extendable to 180 days in a calendar year, but to live there you need a visa from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería): a visitor (V) visa for temporary stays, a migrant (M) visa to settle for up to three years at a time, or a resident (R) visa, which is permanent residence and usually comes after two to five continuous years on M visas. Many thresholds are set in Colombian minimum wages, COP 1,750,905 a month in 2026 (about USD 554), so a retiree needs a pension of about USD 1,660 a month and an investor more than about USD 360,000. Visas are discretionary and a refusal can’t be appealed, which is why the file matters more than the form.

The rest of Legaltica is in Spanish.

Legaltica editorial team
12 FIRMS
8 OFFICIAL SOURCES

THE GUIDE · FULL READ

Which route fits you

01 You want to spend a winter in Colombia no visa if your passport is visa-exempt; up to 90 days, extendable to 180 in a calendar year.
02 You work remotely for companies abroad V digital nomad visa, with income of at least 3 minimum wages (COP 5,252,715 a month in 2026, about USD 1,660). Only for passports from visa-exempt countries.
03 You are retired with a pension M pensioner visa, with a lifetime pension of at least 3 minimum wages (about USD 1,660). It doesn’t allow work.
04 You live on investments or rental income V rentista visa, with income of at least 10 minimum wages (COP 17,509,050, about USD 5,540). It doesn’t allow work or count towards residence.
05 You are married to, or the permanent partner of, a Colombian M spouse or M permanent partner visa, with no income threshold and an open work permit.
06 You have a Colombian child M visa for the parent of a Colombian by birth, with six months of bank statements and an open work permit; residence after two years.
07 You have a job offer M worker visa. The employer must show average income of 100 minimum wages a month over four months (about USD 55,400 a month) and explain why it is hiring a foreigner.
08 You set up or buy into a company M partner or owner visa, with paid-in capital of at least 100 minimum wages (COP 175,090,500, about USD 55,400).
09 You invest M investor visa, with registered foreign direct investment of more than 650 minimum wages (COP 1,138,088,250, about USD 360,300) or a property solely in your name worth at least 350 minimum wages (COP 612,816,750, about USD 194,000), registered as foreign investment with the Banco de la República.
10 You are a professional in a regulated field M independent professional visa, with your degree recognised in Colombia, a professional licence and bank income averaging at least 5 minimum wages (COP 8,754,525, about USD 2,770).
11 You are a national of a Mercosur or Andean Community country (for example Argentina, Brazil, Peru or Ecuador) M Mercosur or M Andean visa, valid for two years, granted once, with residence after two years.

Dollar figures use the official exchange rate of 24 October 2026 (COP 3,158.43 per US dollar). The 2026 minimum wage was set by Decreto 1469 de 2025; the Consejo de Estado suspended it in February 2026, the Government fixed the same amount provisionally, and the official compilation records that the suspension was later lifted. The annulment case is still open and the minimum wage changes every January, so thresholds are measured on the day you file.

Visiting first: what you can do without a visa

Citizens of the countries on Colombia’s visa-exemption list, which today includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and France, enter as visitors and get an entry permit from Migración Colombia at the airport. The usual permit is up to 90 days, extendable up to a maximum of 180 days in a calendar year. It doesn’t allow you to work for a Colombian employer or be paid by a Colombian company, and the time doesn’t count towards residence. You can work remotely for foreign employers during that stay.

If you want to stay longer, or settle, you need a visa. Applications are made online on the Cancillería platform: from abroad, through the consulate that covers the country where you legally live; from Colombia, if you are there legally, through the Bogotá office. Nationals of countries that need a visa for short stays and who entered on a visitor visa can’t switch to an M or R visa from inside Colombia.

Immigration lawyers in Colombia who speak English

Tell a firm about your move in English: they receive your message and your phone number, and you see theirs straight away. It’s free and you’re not committing to anything. Languages are taken from each firm’s profile. Firms marked “Registered with Legaltica” manage their own profile.

  1. Registered with Legaltica

    CITY
    Cajicá
    LANGUAGES
    DE · EN · ES · FR · IT · PT

    Abogados Sierra & Vasquez - Bufete Judicial Colombia

    5.0 · 25 Google Speaks English

    En Sierra & Vásquez Abogados — Bufete Judicial Colombia brindamos soluciones jurídicas especializadas y representación legal estratégica. Ubicados en el Centro Empresarial Sabana Park (Oficina 412, Cajicá), nuestra firma se distingue por su rigor técnico, absoluta confidencialidad y eficacia en la resolución de conflictos. Asesoramos a corporaciones y personas naturales mediante un enfoque multidisciplinario en las siguientes áreas de práctica: …

  2. Registered with Legaltica

    LANGUAGES
    ES · EN

    Mi Visa Colombia

    Speaks English

    Mi Visa Colombia es una firma jurídica especializada en derecho migratorio colombiano que ayuda a extranjeros, expatriados, familias, emprendedores, inversionistas, nómadas digitales y empresas internacionales a gestionar sus procesos migratorios en Colombia. Si buscas una visa colombiana, un abogado de inmigración en Colombia, obtener la residencia en el país o servicios profesionales para expatriados, nuestro equipo te brinda asesoría jurídica …

  3. CITY
    Bogotá
    LANGUAGES
    ES · EN · FR

    CALEC

    4.9 · 212 Google Speaks English

    CALEC ABOGADOS (fundada en 2015) ofrece en Bogotá y Ciudad de Panamá asesoría legal empresarial especializada para startups y empresas que escalan en LATAM. Sus servicios incluyen Movilidad Global (visas y permisos de trabajo), Asesoría Legal Empresarial (contratos, derecho laboral y societario, due diligence, gobierno corporativo), registro de marcas y protección de datos. La firma trabaja por paquetes de horas …

The three types of visa

01 Visitor (V)temporary stays without establishing a home in Colombia. It includes the digital nomad, rentista, student and several work-related visas. Time on a V visa doesn’t count towards permanent residence.
02 Migrant (M)for people who want to settle for a while. It lasts up to three years and counts towards residence. Work rights depend on the category: open for spouses, partners, parents of Colombians, Mercosur, Andean nationals and refugees; limited to the job or company for workers, business owners and independent professionals; none for pensioners.
03 Resident (R)permanent residence. It carries an open work permit (except for pensioners), must be transferred (traspaso) every five years, at least a month before it expires, and lapses if you are away for more than two continuous years.

A worked example

A retired couple from Texas receive a US pension of USD 2,100 a month for life. At COP 3,158.43 per dollar that is COP 6,632,703, comfortably above the COP 5,252,715 required for the M pensioner visa. The husband applies as the main holder and his wife as his beneficiary: he must show he can support her, with six months of bank statement averages. Their costs: USD 260 each for the visas, COP 294,000 each for the cédula de extranjería, plus apostilles, official translations and health insurance. After five continuous years on M visas they can apply for resident visas, and five years after that for citizenship.

The same couple with a pension of USD 1,700 would be 2% above the threshold today. A stronger peso or January’s minimum wage increase could push them below it, so with a thin margin it pays to file when the exchange rate leaves room.

Documents: apostille, translation and dates

  • The online form, a recent colour digital photo on a white background (under 300 KB) and a copy of your passport’s biographical page.
  • A passport valid for at least six more months, in good condition and with blank pages.
  • If you apply from Colombia, your latest entry stamp or entry permit; if you apply at a consulate outside your home country, proof of your legal residence there.
  • Documents issued abroad must be apostilled (or legalised) and officially translated into Spanish. Bank statements in English can be filed without apostille or translation.
  • Supporting documents other than your passport must be less than three months old when you file.
  • If you have two nationalities, pick one and use it every time: a visa issued on one passport can’t be moved to the other.

How long it takes: step by step

  1. Online application on the Cancillería platform, with every document as a PDF.
  2. Study fee: pay within 10 calendar days of getting the payment reference, or the application is treated as withdrawn. It isn’t refunded if the visa is refused.
  3. Assessment: up to 30 calendar days from a complete, paid file, longer if other agencies are consulted. The authority can ask for more documents up to three times, usually giving you 10 days to reply, or interview you in person, by video or by phone.
  4. Issuance fee: pay within 10 calendar days of approval. The electronic visa arrives by email within 10 business days of payment.
  5. Cédula de extranjería: register with Migración Colombia and apply within 15 calendar days of arriving with the visa (or of the visa being issued, if you were already in Colombia).

Adding up the legal deadlines, a clean application gets you the e-visa about six to eight weeks after you pay the study fee, and about two and a half months with one request for documents. If you apply from Colombia, you must stay legal throughout: filing doesn’t give you status, and the waiting time doesn’t count towards residence.

Visa fees in 2026

USD 194 V visa(USD 56 study and USD 138 issuance), or EUR 150 in the eurozone.
USD 260 M visa(56 and 204), or EUR 200.
USD 239 R visa(56 and 183), or EUR 185.
USD 112 Traspaso (transfer of a visa to a new passport, or the five-yearly R transfer): USD 112, or EUR 88.
· Spanish nationals pay nothing; Japanese and South Korean nationals pay only the study fee.
COP 294,000 Cédula de extranjería(about USD 93). Migration movement certificate: COP 89,000.

Visa fees don’t include stamp duty, which is charged separately, nor apostilles, translations or the health insurance most visas require.

From migrant to permanent resident

The resident (R) visa by accumulated time requires a minimum number of years as the holder of M visas, depending on the category:

01 2 yearsparents of a Colombian (by birth or by adoption), Mercosur and Andean migrants.
02 3 yearsspouses of Colombians.
03 5 yearspermanent partners of Colombians, workers, partners or owners, independent professionals, pensioners, investors, refugees and beneficiaries of an R visa.

The time must be continuous: a new visa has to be granted before the previous one expires, and a salvoconducto (a temporary permit from Migración Colombia) doesn’t keep the count going. If your visa was issued abroad, the clock starts on the day you entered Colombia with it. Meeting the time requirement doesn’t guarantee the visa. An M visa lapses if you spend more than 180 continuous days abroad within any 365-day period. Venezuelans with five years of PEP or PPT have their own route to an R visa.

After you arrive: the cédula de extranjería

If your visa is for more than three months, you must register with Migración Colombia and apply for the cédula de extranjería, the foreigner ID card, within 15 calendar days. You fill in an online form, book an appointment at a service centre for fingerprints and a photo, bring your original passport and pay COP 294,000. You get a digital version with a QR code on the spot; the card is usually ready about 10 business days later. Tourism, business, crew and event visas are exempt, and children under 7 only register their visa.

Changes of address, employer or occupation must be reported to Migración Colombia within 15 calendar days, and any change in the circumstances behind your visa (a divorce, the end of a job, selling the investment) must be reported to the Cancillería straight away. Missing these deadlines is fined.

Where moves go wrong

  • Entering as a visitor and assuming you can switch to any visa later from inside Colombia.
  • Letting a visa expire while waiting for the next one, which resets the time towards residence.
  • Spending more than 180 continuous days abroad on an M visa: it lapses automatically.
  • Working on a visa that doesn’t allow it, or for an employer other than the one on a work visa.
  • Old documents, missing apostilles or translations, and income proof that doesn’t match your bank statements.
  • Buying property without registering the money as foreign investment with the Banco de la República: the property then doesn’t qualify for the investor visa.
  • Filing at a consulate where you don’t legally live: the application is rejected.

If your visa is refused

There is no administrative appeal against a refusal, a rejection (inadmisión) or a cancellation. A rejection, for example for not answering a request for documents in time, ends the application but you can file again once the problem is fixed. A refusal (negación) comes by email without reasons: you must leave Colombia within 30 calendar days, you can’t apply again for six months, and the next application has to be made from your country of nationality or legal residence. A cancelled visa bars new applications for one to ten years. When a decision breaks up a family with Colombian children, a lawyer can look at court remedies such as a tutela action.

When it is worth talking to a lawyer

Because there is no appeal, a mistake costs months: a six-month wait, a forced departure or a broken residence count. A Colombian immigration lawyer reviews the file before it goes in, when it can still be fixed. It is worth it in these situations:

Your income, pension or investment is close to the threshold, or paid in a currency that moves.

You are buying property or a stake in a company and want it to qualify for a visa.

You have had a visa refused, an overstay, a fine from Migración Colombia or a criminal record anywhere.

You are moving with family members or children from a previous relationship.

Your current visa is about to expire and the next one isn’t ready.

You are planning the route to permanent residence and citizenship and need the years to count. The firms below say they speak English.

Talk to a lawyer who speaks English

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Frequently asked questions

Not for a visit. US citizens are visa-exempt and get an entry permit on arrival, usually for up to 90 days, extendable to a maximum of 180 days in a calendar year. To live, work for a Colombian employer or stay longer, you need a visa.

Up to 90 days on arrival, extendable up to 180 days in total in a calendar year, if your nationality is visa-exempt. Overstaying is fined and can lead to deportation and problems with future visas.

Most people first get a migrant (M) visa (spouse, pensioner, investor, worker and so on) and, after two to five continuous years depending on the category, apply for the resident (R) visa. There is no direct permanent residence by investment.

There is no visa sold for investment alone, but the M investor visa covers people who register foreign direct investment of more than 650 minimum wages (about USD 360,000) or buy property worth at least 350 minimum wages (about USD 194,000), registered with the Banco de la República. It lasts up to three years and leads to permanent residence after five continuous years.

The authority has up to 30 calendar days from a complete, paid application, plus time for any request for documents. Counting payment and issuance, plan on six to eight weeks, or about two and a half months with one request.

Yes, if you are there legally: you choose the Bogotá office on the online platform and must stay legal while it is studied. The exception is nationals of countries that need a visa for short stays who entered on a visitor visa.

There is no appeal. You must leave within 30 calendar days, can’t apply again for six months, and must reapply from your country of nationality or legal residence.

Most M and R visas, and some V visas such as the digital nomad and rentista visas, allow beneficiaries: your spouse or permanent partner and your financially dependent children under 25 (or older if they have a disability). Beneficiary visas don’t allow work and end when the child turns 25.

No, you can apply yourself online. A lawyer helps with investments, family members, past refusals or overstays and planning residence, and can deal with the Cancillería on your behalf.

Official sources

Resolución 5477 de 2022 (tipos de visa), arts. 3, 8, 11-13, 17, 20-24, 29, 46, 56, 64-79, 86-93, 97-100, 112, 116, 118 y 119, compilada con las Resoluciones 10434 de 2023, 9316 de 2024 y 12509 de 2024 Cancillería de Colombia · checked
Resolución 5488 de 2022 (nacionalidades exentas de visa de corta estancia), modificada por la Resolución 12189 de 2026 Cancillería de Colombia · checked
Resolución 3969 de 2026, art. 4 (tarifas de visa) Cancillería de Colombia · checked
Decreto 1469 de 2025 (salario mínimo 2026) Cancillería de Colombia, compilación jurídica · checked
Decreto 0159 de 2026 (salario mínimo transitorio y nota de vigencia) Cancillería de Colombia, compilación jurídica · checked
Cédula de extranjería Migración Colombia · checked
Tarifas vigentes 2026 (Resolución 0599 de 2026) Migración Colombia · checked
Tasa de cambio representativa del mercado (TRM), 24-10-2026 Superintendencia Financiera, datos.gov.co · checked

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and amounts change: check the official sources below or ask a lawyer about your own situation.