Colombian Visa Services

(Updated April 2024)

Are you looking to live in Colombia part or full time, then you’ll need to have a Colombian visa allowing you to do so.

As a foreigner in Colombia, few things are more complicated or inspire bigger headaches than the process of acquiring a visa to reside in the country. Tales of people getting their applications rejected more than 10 times are common. Colombia is far from alone in this boat. Every year, countries all over the world tighten borders, complicate regulations and make it harder for people to obtain a visa.

In 2022 Colombia changed its visa classifications to three types of visas:

  • Visitor (V)
  • Migrant (M)
  • Resident (R)

Visitor (V) Visa

If you are a citizen of one of these countries, and plan to spend less than 180 days per year in Colombia, you do not need a visitor’s visa to enter the country:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, France, Germany, Granada, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela. A visitor’s visa is not required for those who have a Hong Kong – SAR passport. A visitor’s visa is not required for citizens of Ecuador, as it is a member of the Andean Community of Nations CAN. Citizens of the following countries do not require a business visa to enter Colombia: Ecuador, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.

If you are not from one of the countries mentioned above, then here is a list of the conditions that can help you get a visitor’s visa:

  • When being in transit in a Colombian airport and destined to enter a third country.
  • Visit Colombia for tourism or cultural purpose.
  • When developing business activities, market studies, plans or procedures of direct investment and constitution of commercial society, negotiation, conclusion of contracts or commercial representation.
  • Participate in an academic exchange program, advance training in art or trade, or undertake different studies in a primary, secondary or undergraduate higher education program, including in person or virtual.
  • Attend medical consultation, intervention or treatment or accompany the person who attends consultation, intervention or medical treatment.
  • To carry out administrative/judicial proceedings before entities/ authorities in Colombia.
  • Enter and work in Colombian jurisdictional waters as a boat crew member or offshore platform.
  • Participate in an event as a lecturer, exhibitor, artist, athlete, jury, contestant or logistical staff.
  • Perform an internship with a local company.
  • Volunteer in development cooperation projects or in the promotion and protection of human rights.
  • Perform audiovisual production or digital content.
  • Perform journalistic coverage or stay temporarily as a foreign media correspondent.
  • Provide temporary services to an individual or company in Colombia.
  • Hold a position in a Colombian branch of a company with presence abroad, by virtue of inter-corporate transfer of personnel.
  • Coming as a foreign government official or foreign government trade representative, on a mission that does not imply accreditation to the Colombian government.
  • Visit Colombia under holiday-work programs agreed by Colombia with other States through treaties in force.
  • Coming to work as a Digital Nomad.
  • Annuitants that own properties in Colombia, in other countries or both.

Migrant (M) Visa

The Migrant visa is valid from 1-3 years and in order to apply, you will need to comply with one of the following conditions.

  • Be a Colombian national’s spouse/permanent companion.
  • Be a Colombian national’s parent by birth/adoption.
  • Be a national of one of the States party to the “Agreement on Residence for nationals of Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile”.
  • Be recognized as a refugee in Colombia.
  • Have permanent employment in Colombia or long-term, by virtue of a labor relationship or contracting of services rendered with legal person domiciled in Colombia. Documenting monthly income valued at least 100 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia as a Legal person employer for the last 4 months.
  • Have constituted or acquired participation in the capital stock in a commercial company valued at least 100 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia.
  • Have qualification or expertise to practice a profession independently. Documenting monthly income.
  • Come to Colombia as religious, missionary or religious in formation of a church or religious denomination, duly recognized by the Colombian State.
  • Have registered foreign direct investment in Colombia (with the Central Bank) for real estate valued at least 350 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia.
  • Have registered foreign direct investment in Colombia (with the Central Bank) for real estate valued at least 650 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia.
  • Receive a pension for retirement or receive periodic income from a creditable legal source. A pension must be at least three 3 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia.

Resident (R) Visa

The following are the conditions where you can apply for a permanent resident visa:

  • Returning Colombian – If you were a Colombian citizen who renounced your citizenship in order to become a citizen of another country.
  • For accumulated time:
  • After holding a M visa for 3 years as a spouse of a Colombian national.
  • After holding a M visa for 2 years as a parent of a Colombian national by birth/adoption.
  • After holding a M visa for 2 years as Mercosur/Andino/Apátrida Migrant.
  • After holding a M visa for 5 years as a permanent companion of a Colombian national.
  • After holding any other type of M visa category continuously and uninterrupted from two to five years.

Application Process

All visa applications get processed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogota. They are trained in rejecting your application even for tiny errors like typos or misspellings. Every day, foreigners deal with filling out this form correctly, and sometimes they end up paying for visa study two or three times just to get it right, and spend their entire day just to have their application rejected.

Adding up your time wasted and money spent, you may be better off hiring a professional to help you through the process.

At Cali Capital, we’ve been helping foreigners obtain their Colombian visas for several years. We navigate the bureaucracy, take care of the initial application online, and have a trusted, dedicated team member who has been working with visa applications in Colombia for more than 10 years. Wherever you are, we manage your application before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia or at any Colombian Consulate in the world. We promise to work on your behalf, saving you time, headaches, and wasted money.

Please expect approximately 30 calendar days from the beginning of the application process to receiving your electronic visa.

Be aware of the new health insurance requirement for visas starting in 2020. If you are applying for the first time, your travel insurance is not sufficient, and you will need to obtain private insurance. If you are renewing your existing Colombian visa, ensure that you are paying for EPS (mandatory insurance in Colombia) based on your income.

Cédula de Extranjería – your Colombian ID

Any visa with a duration longer than 3 months qualifies for a Colombian ID – the Cédula de Extranjería. Open receiving your visa you may visit any local Migración and request your Cédula which costs $246.000 COP.

Work with me to get your visa

I work with different models depending on how much your want to be involved in the application of your visa.

The complete visa application service with cédula application included:

  • I organize all of your documents and potential translations / apostille legalizations.
  • I make both your visa and cédula applications on your behalf, handling any extra requirements.
  • I prepare you for the potential interview (spousal visa).

Price 

We have different rates depending on the type of visa you wish to apply for. We recommend that you initiate the process with a consultation where you can clear any doubts you may have and get an overview of the different applications types and costs involved. This consultation costs $100 USD.

  • The government fees for application study ($16-54 USD)
  • Visa issuance ($52-400 USD), depending on the type of visa you apply for.
  • Fees to pay for the apostille legalization if needed
  • Fees to pay to the official translator if needed

Visa application service

  • Assistance with your Migrant visa application costs $500 USD
  • Assistance with your Residency visa application costs $800 USD

Extensions (prorrogas), Salvoconductos, Migratory Certificates

We handle your application, and get you the appointment at the nearest Migration Office. Price $150 USD.

Government fees range from $20-50 USD.

ONLY the application for the Cédula de Extranjería

Price $100 USD.

If you have overstayed the time you were allowed to stay in Colombia, we can assist you in becoming regular again.

Call/Whatsapp Yessika Marin on (+57) 315-556-0314 or write to jessy@calicapital.com to get started.