Colombian Visa Types, Rules and Steps

Colombia has three visa types: Visitor (V), Migrant (M) and Permanent Resident (R). The stamp at the airport is an entry permit. It is not a visa. Most online arguments depend on which of the three types a document is. Cancillería set 31 October 2026 as the deadline for holders of older Permanent Resident (R) visas to transfer them (traspaso). After that date, check Cancillería for any later extension. The deadline does not cover every visa issued before October 2022. Details are below.

This guide states what the written rules say and what to ask. It does not say which visa fits any person. The source is Resolution 5477 of 2022 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería), as amended. The guide also uses pages of Cancillería and the migration authority (Migración Colombia). The links are below.

The airport stamp is not a visa

Many travellers enter with an entry permit (permiso de ingreso y permanencia). Migración Colombia says the permit allows up to 90 days. On request, the traveller can extend it by up to 90 more days. The total is no more than 180 days in the same calendar year. The calendar year is 1 January to 31 December. It is not a rolling window (frequently asked questions (FAQ) of Migración Colombia, version 47, 2025). The FAQ also says that a person who needs more time must apply for a visa with Cancillería. A stay past the limit has its own consequences. See our overstay fines guide.

A visa is a separate document. Cancillería issues it. People confuse three clocks. Do not mix them up: the entry permit days, the visa validity printed on the visa, and the time needed for residence status (below).

The three visa types

V, Visitor. For temporary activities without settling. Examples: tourism, the remote worker (digital nomad) visa and the rentista visa.
M, Migrant. For people who settle for a purpose. Examples: marriage to a Colombian, a pension or an investment.
R, Permanent Resident (Residente Permanente). Most holders get it after a set time as an M holder (see the residence section). Article 22 lists a few other routes.

Article 22 of the resolution sets the three types. Article 23 adds that living in Colombia as a visitor is not residence with intent to stay. Cancillería lists the categories on its visa types page.

Five common visas side by side

These are the published rules in short form. Amounts are in Colombian monthly minimum wages (salarios mínimos mensuales legales vigentes, SMLMV). The peso figure changes each year. Cancillería reviews each file and can ask for more. Meeting the list does not guarantee approval (Article 18).

Visa	Core financial test	Maximum validity	Counts toward Resident?
V Digital nomad / remote worker (Art. 46)	Bank statements that show income of at least 3 SMLMV over the last 3 months	Up to 2 years	No (V visa)
V Rentista (Art. 56)	Periodic income from a lawful source of at least 10 SMLMV	Up to 2 years	No (V visa)
M Pensionado (Art. 77)	Lifetime monthly pension of at least 3 SMLMV	Up to 3 years	Yes, 5 years
M Investor (Art. 79)	Registered foreign investment above 650 SMLMV, or property worth at least 350 SMLMV in the applicant's sole name	Up to 3 years	Yes, 5 years
M Spouse of a Colombian (Art. 67)	Marriage to a Colombian citizen and a statement of living together	Up to 3 years	Yes, 3 years

The table cannot show these points:

Remote worker visa. It is for work done remotely for foreign companies. It does not permit paid work for a person or company based in Colombia. The file needs a letter from the foreign company, the contract if there is one, bank statements and a health policy with coverage in Colombia. The applicant needs a passport from a visa-exempt country. The same article says nationals of visa-exempt countries may work remotely on an entry permit. This applies only if no Colombian company pays them. The 90 and 180 day limits above still apply.
Pensionado. The visa does not permit work. Article 77 also says the holder cannot join the Colombian social security system, except under bilateral or multilateral agreements. The pension certificate must be apostilled and translated. It can instead come through the diplomatic or consular mission of the country that granted the pension. Articles 56 (rentista) and 77 (pensionado) also ask for a criminal record certificate. It comes from the country where the applicant lived during the last 3 years. It must be apostilled or legalised, and translated. Our FBI background check and apostille guide covers the US version of that step.
Investor. The test uses the date of the application. The property must be registered as foreign investment with Banco de la República. The title must be solely in the foreigner's name. A second application must show that the applicant kept the investment during the earlier visa. The holder must report changes in the investment to Cancillería immediately. Our investor visa guide covers this route. Registering foreign investment and Formulario 4 explain the registration. The Cancillería investor visa page repeats the thresholds.
Spouse. The marriage certificate must be a Colombian one. It must be issued within 3 months of the application. The visa carries an open work permit.
Health policy. Most of these visas ask for coverage in Colombia against accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death or repatriation. The coverage must match the intended length of stay. The pensionado and investor articles also accept proof of health coverage in Colombia instead of a policy. Compare the exact wording of the policy with the wording of the article. For the difference between public and private cover, see public versus private health insurance.

How the application works

These steps come from Articles 11 to 13 and from the Cancillería ABECÉ guide to visa applications.

Fill in the online form on the Cancillería platform.
Upload the documents (PDF) and a photo.
Choose the nearest Colombian consulate. This step is for a person outside Colombia. A person inside Colombia must have a regular migration status.
Pay the study fee within 10 calendar days. If the fee is late, Cancillería treats the application as withdrawn. The study fee is not refundable (Article 11).
Wait for the decision. When the file is complete and the study fee is paid, Cancillería has up to 30 calendar days to decide. It can take longer if it consults other agencies (Article 13).
Send any extra documents that Cancillería requests. Cancillería gives up to 10 calendar days to answer. It can inadmit or deny a file if the request is not met.
If Cancillería approves the visa, pay the issuance fee within 10 calendar days. If the fee is late, Cancillería treats the application as withdrawn (Article 12).
Receive the electronic visa by email.
Check the visa for errors. Ask Cancillería to correct an error within 15 calendar days of issue.

According to the ABECÉ, decisions on approval, validity, inadmission, information requests, denial, termination or cancellation cannot be appealed administratively.

Documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalised, and translated where needed. Documents other than the passport must be issued no more than 3 months before the application. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months (Articles 20, 21 and 24). Visa type and nationality set the fees. Cancillería sets them. Use its costs page. Do not rely on a figure from a forum.

After approval: the foreigner ID card

The Migración Colombia FAQ (linked above) says visa holders and beneficiaries must request the foreigner ID card (cédula de extranjería). This applies to a visa valid for more than 3 months and to people aged 7 or older. The deadline is 15 calendar days after arrival in Colombia. If the visa was issued while the person was in Colombia, the deadline is 15 calendar days after the visa is issued. Article 118, as amended by Resolution 9316 of 2024, exempts some visitor visas. These include tourism, business, crew and events visas. Our foreigner ID card appointments guide covers the appointment step.

Which visas build toward Resident

Article 23 says Migrant visas held for at least 3 continuous years are proof of residence with intent to stay. Article 90, as amended in 2023 by Resolution 10434, sets the minimum time as an M holder before an R visa application. The time differs by category. It is 2 years for parents of Colombian nationals and for Mercosur and Andean migrants. It is 3 years for spouses of Colombians. It is 5 years for categories that include permanent partner, pensionado and investor. Visitor (V) visas do not appear in that table. These include the remote worker visa and the rentista visa. The Cancillería visa types page still gives 5 years for the spouse visa. Confirm the current figure with Cancillería. Meeting the time does not by itself guarantee the R visa (Article 90).

The 31 October 2026 transfer deadline

Article 123 says visas issued before the current rules took effect keep their validity.
Holders of Permanent Resident (R) visas granted under earlier rules must complete the transfer. Resolution 9316 of 2024 extended the deadline to 31 October 2026.
The Cancillería notice of 15 September 2026 says the obligation applies to people whose visa label has lost validity, is close to expiring or was issued with indefinite validity. It says the process is online. It says no intermediary is needed. It says the transfer is required to update the visa label. Migración Colombia then issues the foreigner ID card. The notice adds that the process is not for people who recently became permanent residents. The exception: one of the transfer grounds in Article 105 applies. The notice names no penalty.
After 31 October 2026, check Cancillería for any later extension.

What residents report

Reports from Colombia expat Facebook groups, October 2026. These are individual experiences, not official figures.

One spouse-visa applicant reported about three weeks between a status of requerida and one of en estudio. Another said a later application got a request for a document about the dissolution of a marital property partnership (liquidación de sociedad conyugal).
Members report that some remote worker applications were turned down when the file held only an employer letter. They report that contracts, payslips and bank statements were later requested.
Members report visas granted only for the length of the health policy. They report that policies are sold for one year at most.
Members report agency fees of about USD 550 for a spouse case. Many say they filed on their own.
One member said an agency told them a renewal can be blocked if property value falls below the investor threshold. The written rule measures the threshold on the date of each application, including a second one. It also asks for proof that the investor kept the investment during the earlier visa.
Members report that consulates steer frequent visitors toward visas. They also report attorney advertising that describes an October 2026 deadline for every visa issued before October 2022. The official notice above covers R visas.

Questions to ask a licensed professional

Which category does the file fall under, and which article lists its documents?
Does the health policy wording match the article, and for how long?
Which documents need an apostille and a translation, and how long does that take?
Does the visa carry work rights, and does it count toward residence?
If a Permanent Resident visa was issued under the older rules, was the transfer done before 31 October 2026?

Educational information, not legal or tax advice. For a specific case, ask a licensed immigration lawyer or an adviser accredited to handle visa files.

Frequently asked questions

Which Colombian visa is easiest?

The rules do not rank visas. Each category has its own test: pension income, remote work income, a registered investment, rent income or marriage to a Colombian. Compare the article for each visa with your own documents. Then ask a licensed adviser.

How long does a Colombian visa take?

The rule gives Cancillería up to 30 calendar days to decide. The time starts when the file is complete and the study fee is paid. Cancillería can take longer if it consults other agencies. Members report waits of a few weeks between statuses. These are individual reports.

Can I apply for a Colombian visa from inside Colombia?

Yes, according to Cancillería, if the migration status is regular. Select the Bogotá office option ("Oficina en Bogotá") in the online form. People abroad choose the nearest Colombian consulate. Apostilles and translations often take the most time.

Does the digital nomad visa lead to residency?

The Article 90 table (as amended in 2023) sets the time needed for a Resident visa. It lists only Migrant (M) categories. The digital nomad visa is a Visitor (V) visa. It does not appear in the table.

Do all visas issued before October 2022 have to be transferred by 31 October 2026?

No. Article 123 says earlier visas keep their validity. According to the Cancillería notice of 15 September 2026, the transfer deadline applies to Permanent Resident (R) visas granted under earlier rules.

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