In Colombia there are several types of visas granted to foreigners to allow them to enter and stay in the country for different reasons.
Each of the types will be described below and their nature will be explained:
Visa type V
It is the visitor’s visa, so they are intended for short to medium stay activities in the country.
This visa comprises 29 categories: airport transit, tourism, business, study, medical treatment, administrative and/or judicial procedures, crew memberseasonal farm worker, events, religiousreligious students/volunteers, volunteers or aid workers, film productions or large-format documentaries, digital nomadThe company’s activities include: journalistic coverage, permanent correspondent, technical assistance, TLC entrepreneurs, non-accredited officials, vacations and work, internships, service provider-work, and promotion of internationalization, rentiercourtesy diplomats, ICETEX program, courtesy international commitments, courtesy film law and complementary measure to the refuge.
Each of the above categories has different characteristics and requirements that can be consulted in detail on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/visas/larga-estancia )
Visa type M
It applies to foreigners who wish to settle permanently in Colombia and is valid for up to 3 years.
This type of visa comprises 14 categories of which 5 do not allow work, 9 do, 6 with a work permit that allows any lawful activity in the national territory and 3 have restrictions associated with the activity for which the visa was granted.
The 14 categories are: spouse of a Colombian national, permanent partner of a Colombian national, mother or father of a Colombian national by adoption, father or mother of a Colombian national by birth, Mercosur migrant, Andean migrant, refugee, worker, partner or owner, independent professional, pensioner, promotion of internationalization, investor, stateless person.
All of them allow accumulating time for the resident visa after a minimum time of permanence as holder, which varies depending on the category.
This type of visa may lose its validity automatically if the holder is absent from the territory for more than 180 continuous calendar days within a period of 365 days from the date of issuance of the visa.
Visa type R
_E_s the visa for foreigners who wish to settle permanently in Colombia, it has a work permit that allows them to carry out any legal activity in the national territory and must be requested to be transferred every 5 years through the digital platform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites%5Fservicios/visa. ).
It comprises 4 categories: for renunciation of nationality, for accumulated time of permanence in Colombia, for application of the Temporary Statute of Protection for Venezuelan Migrants, special peace.
This visa may automatically lose its validity due to absence from the territory.
In conclusion, in Colombia there are different options to legalize the stay in the country.
The most common are the tourist, work, student, investment and resident visas, each with its own particular requirements and procedures.
In this regard, it is important to obtain adequate information in order to obtain the visa corresponding to the particular situation of each foreigner.