Visas that foreigners can apply for in Colombia

Visas that a foreigner may apply for in Colombia. As of resolution 6045 of 2017, it is specified that Colombia changed the classification and rules regarding the regulation of Visas. The new classification establishes three types of visas:

1. Visitor visa or type V visa
2. Migrant visa or M type visa
3. Resident visa or R-type visa

*Previously, the following visas were available: Temporary (TP), Residency (RE) and Business Visa. The new R Visa types are the former RE Visas. The different categories of TP Visas now vary between M or V Visas.

Characteristics common to all visa applications

All types of visa have in common, the following characteristics according to article 8º and article 9º of resolution 6045 of 2017: multiple entries, exits or transits are allowed. In addition, with the exception of visas granted in the tourist category or for airport transit, all visas valid for 180 days or more will allow the holder to study during the authorized period of validity or stay.

Requirements common to all visa applications

1. Provide a copy of the main page (biographical data) of the passport or travel document.
2. If you apply for your visa in Colombia, you must prove that you are in a regular migratory situation and present the last entry stamp, exit stamp or safe-conduct, as the case may be.
3. If you apply for your visa at a Colombian consulate abroad, you must present a copy of the document that proves your regular stay in that country.

Which countries need a visa to enter Colombia?

This is the list of countries that require a visa to enter Colombia:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, China People’s Republic, Comoros, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lao PDR, Lesotho.

Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macao (SARG-China), Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Thailand, Tanzania, Tajikistan, East Timor, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Visitor Visa (type V)

This type of visa is designed for foreigners who wish to visit Colombia once or several times or stay temporarily in the country, with the observation that they do not seek to settle permanently in Colombia.

Who can apply?

This visa is exclusively for foreigners entering the country on a temporary basis to visit the country or to attend some type of event.

How long is it valid?

A type V visa may be granted for a period of up to 2 years, taking into account the activity that the foreigner intends to carry out in Colombia.

What activities can you perform in the country?

This visa allows the holder to perform:

1. Airport traffic. (In this case the visa will be valid for up to thirty (30) days for multiple transits and the authorized stay of the visa holder will be a maximum of 24 hours restricted to sterile or direct transit zones in airports).
2. Tourism. (In this case, the stay in the national territory authorized to the holder will be of a maximum of 180 continuous or discontinuous days, non-extendable for each 365 days of use of the visa).
3. Business transactions. (The stay in the national territory authorized to the holder will be of a maximum of 180 continuous or discontinuous days, non-extendable in each 365 days of use of the visa).
4. Academic exchange and studies in arts and crafts and postgraduate studies.
5. Medical treatment.
6. Administrative and/or judicial procedures.
7. Vessel or coastal platform crew member
8. Participation in events. The stay in the national territory authorized to the holder will be of a maximum of 180 continuous or discontinuous non-extendable days in each 365 days of use of the visa.
9. Internship or practicum.
10. Volunteering
11. Audiovisual and/or digital production.
12. Newspaper coverage.
13. Temporary service provider.
14. Transfer of intracorporate personnel within the framework of international instruments in force.
15. Official or commercial representative of a foreign government.
16. Visiting the national territory under vacation-work programs agreed by Colombia with other States through treaties in force. (In this case the term shall be one (1) year. The authorized stay in the national territory of the holder will be equal to the duration of its validity).

There is also a courtesy visa, which will be granted in the following cases:

1. To a foreigner, spouse or permanent partner of a diplomatic and consular career official of the Republic of Colombia.
2. A foreigner holding a diplomatic passport who enters the country temporarily to carry out activities other than diplomatic ones.
3. To academic participants of programs or events of the Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad “Mariano Ospina Pérez” Icetex.
4. Foreigner who enters and/or remains in the national territory in conditions, qualities or cases contemplated by law, or in development and compliance with international cooperation agreements or treaties in force or that contemplate the issuance of this type of visa.
5. Foreign artistic, technical and production personnel entering the country for the purpose of carrying out production projects and filming of foreign cinematographic works.
6. An alien who has not been granted refugee status following refugee proceedings but who, nevertheless, in the opinion of the Advisory Commission for the Determination of Refugee Status, his or her situation warrants the application of the complementary measure provided for by Article 2.3.1.6.21of Decree 1067 of 2015.
7. In other unforeseen cases, when the presence of the foreigner is of particular importance to the Colombian State for political, social, economic, cultural and other reasons.

Migrant Visa (type M)

This visa is designed for foreigners who wish to enter and remain in the national territory with the intention of settling in the country, and do not yet meet the conditions or requirements to apply for a type R visa.

Who can apply?

Persons who fall into one of the following categories may apply for this type of visa:

1. Spouse or permanent companion of a Colombian national.
2. Parent or child of a Colombian national by adoption.
3. Migrant under the Mercosur Agreement.
4. Refugee
5. Job
6. Entrepreneur
7. Exercise profession or independent activity.
8. Religious
9. Elementary, high school, middle school and undergraduate students.
10. Real estate investor.
11. Retired
12. Renter

How long is it valid?

The validity of the type M visa is three years. The authorized time of stay in the national territory for the holder of the type M visa will be equal to the time of validity of the visa.

What activities can you perform in the country?

It is granted mainly to permanent partners of Colombians, to those who have a permanent job in the country and to those who arrive as refugees. Also entrepreneurs who wish to incorporate or invest in Colombian companies, as well as invest in real estate.

What types of M Visa are there?

Visa Type M Spouse with Marital Union. This type of visa is available to a foreign spouse who marries or enters into a common-law marriage with a Colombian national.. This type of visa entitles its holder to stay in the country for a period of up to 3 years, during which time he/she will be able towill allow you to work.

Visa Type M Spouse without Marital Union. This visa is available to a spouse who marries a Colombian national. It is valid for 3 years. The foreigner who completes two years with this type of visa may then apply for a resident visa, valid for 5 years.

Visa Type M Mercosur. It is a permit granted for a maximum period of 3 years to citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay. Once this term has expired, they may apply for Colombian residency.

Visa Type M Work Visa. For a foreigner who wants to carry out his profession, occupation, work activity or trade in the country as an employee.

Visa Type M Member / Owner. The foreign partner or owner of a commercial company in Colombia may apply for an amount not less than one hundred (100) legal monthly minimum wages in force. For a term of 3 years.

Visa Type M Self-Employed Activities. Foreigners interested in practicing their profession or developing independent professional activities in the national territory may apply. The term will be 3 years.

Visa Type M Religious. The foreigner who wishes to come to Colombia as a religious, missionary or religious in formation may apply for this type of visa. church or denomination recognized by the Colombian State. The “M” visa will be valid for three years.

Visa Type M Property owner. This type of visa M allows the foreigner to stay in Colombia to obtain the benefits of owning real estate in the country. In order to apply for this type of visa, the foreigner must make an income of foreign currency destined solely and exclusively to the purchase of real estate or real estate in the National Territory.

Visa Type M Pensionado. The Colombian retirement visa or pension visa is intended for retired persons who receive retirement income from their country of origin. This type of visa is valid for 3 years. It should be taken into account that its validity will be lost if it remains outside Colombia for more than 6 consecutive months.

Visa Type M Rentista. A foreigner who receives a retirement pension or receives a periodic income, all of which must be creditable, may apply. The validity of this type of visa is 3 years.

Type M Student Visa. Foreigners admitted by an educational institution in Colombia for primary, secondary, high school and undergraduate studies may apply. The type M visa will be valid for 3 years. However, when the duration of studies is less than 3 years, the type M visa may be valid for a shorter period of time.

Resident Visa (type R)

This type of Visa is for those who aspire to establish themselves or fix their permanent domicile in Colombia by virtue of one of the following reasons: having renounced Colombian nationality; being the parent of a Colombian national by birth; accumulated time of permanence; direct foreign investment.

Who can apply?

This permit is for those who wish to settle permanently in Colombia and in order to apply for it, the foreigner must have been in the country for at least two uninterrupted years.

How long is it valid?

The validity of this visa is indefinite. The authorized time of stay in the national territory for the holder of the type “R” visa will be equal to the time of validity. Resolution 6045 of 2017 article 25 states that the validity time of the label of this type of visa will be 5 years, and the holder has the possibility of requesting the renewal of this document for equal periods through visa transfer proceedings.

What activities can you perform in the country?

For those who aspire to settle or fix their permanent domicile in Colombia for having renounced Colombian nationality, being the parent of a Colombian national by birth, accumulated time of permanence or to make direct foreign investment.

What types of R visas are there?

Visa Type R Mercosur: those foreigners who have completed a minimum continuous and uninterrupted period of two (2) years as holders of Visa M Mercosur may apply.

Visa Type R Spouse/Permanent Companion: foreigners who have completed a minimum continuous and uninterrupted period of two (2) years as holders of the M Spouse Visa may apply.

Visa Type R Accumulated timeThe main holder of a Type M visa may apply for two (2) years as spouse or permanent partner of a Colombian national, parent or child of a Colombian national by adoption or Residence Agreement for nationals of the Mercosur member states, Bolivia and Chile, or on the other hand, the main holder of a Type M visa for five (5) years as a refugee, worker, businessman, independent professional, religious, student, foreign direct investment, retiree or annuitant.

Visa Type R Colombian child. The foreigner parent of a Colombian national by birth may apply, either because one of the parents is a Colombian national or because the parents, being foreigners, were domiciled in Colombia at the time of the birth. The validity will be indefinite, as well as the time of authorized permanence in the national territory.

Visa Type R Foreign Investment. This type of visa, forThe foreigner who has registered before the International Exchange Department of the Bank of the Republic, foreign investment whose amount exceeds six hundred and fifty (650) legal monthly minimum wages in force, may apply. The term will be indefinite, as well as the time of permanence.