Resident visa for marriage in Colombia

The resident visa for marriage in Colombia could be of interest to you if you are a foreigner and you are married or have a permanent cohabitation with a Colombian national. The resident visa or type R is for those who wish to settle permanently or want to establish their domicile in the country.

Preliminary question

Before applying for a resident visa for marriage in Colombia, you should have a visa for spouse or permanent partner of a Colombian national, type M, which is valid for 3 years.

In order to acquire the M type visa you must attach the following documents to your application:

• In case of marriage, a copy of the Colombian Civil Registry of Marriage is required. If it is a de facto marital union, the Public Deed, Judicial Ruling or Act of Conciliation where the existence of this is declared.
• Letter of application for the visa, which must be signed by the Colombian national. This will have to be presented with a simple copy of the citizenship card and the special power of attorney granted by the foreigner to apply for the visa.

After staying in the country for 2 years you will be able to start the application process for the R type visa.

General requirements

There are documents required for all visas. These are:

• Valid passport or travel document. It must be in good condition and with free space for visa.
• Copy of the main page of the passport or travel document. The purpose of this is to have the biographical data of the person.
• If you are in Colombia, you will have to prove that you are in regular migratory status in the country and show the last entry stamp, exit stamp or safe-conduct, depending on your case.
• If you are outside the Colombian territory and intend to apply for the visa abroad, you will have to attach a copy of the document that proves your regular stay in that country.
• Recent document type photograph, 3×4 cm, in color, with white background and front view. It must be in JPG format and weigh no more than 300 KB.

To take into account:

• The documents must be dated less than 3 months before the application is filed. This applies to all documents except identity and travel documents.
• Foreign documents must have an apostille or legalization.
• The documents must have an official translation into Spanish when they are not in Spanish. The translation must be apostilled or legalized.
• The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs may request judicial background information.

Specific requirements

In addition to the general requirements, for the resident visa for marriage in Colombia, which requires a length of stay, the following is required:

1. Copy of the visa for the determined time of stay in the national territory.
2. Document issued by the Special Administrative Unit Migration Colombia of migratory movements.
3. Certificate of occupation and/or source of income.
4. Accreditation or certificate that establishes the validity of the conditions that allowed the granting of the last visa.

Checklist of requirements

The documents that you must have for the presentation of the application for a resident visa for marriage in Colombia are:

Costs of resident visa by marriage in Colombia

These procedures have two rates.

First of all, a payment must be made at the moment the application is made, this is the study cost and may vary depending on the place where the procedure is carried out.

If the application is made from Europe and Cuba the cost is €40.00 and if it is from Colombia and the rest of the world the cost will be US$52.00.

If you are an Ecuadorian national, the cost is €23.00 if you apply in Europe and Cuba and US$30.00 in the rest of the world. For Spanish nationals there is no cost for the study of the application.

Second, when the application is approved, a fee equivalent to the cost of issuing the visa must be paid.

If the visa is paid in Europe and Cuba the cost is €301.00 and if it is in Colombia and the rest of the world it is US$391.00.

For nationals of the Republic of Peru who settle in the Amazon and Putumayo river basins, Ecuadorians, Spaniards, Japanese and Koreans, the visa is free of charge.

Methods of payment

There are different methods for the payment of visas in Colombia:

• In public attention offices, which can be located in Bogotá and abroad in the Colombian consulates.
• On the chancellery’s web page with PSE or VISA and MasterCard credit cards.
• SERVIBANCA ATM located in Colombia.
• Branches of Banco GNB Sudameris.

Duration of the process for the resident visa for marriage in Colombia

In order to know the duration of these processes, it is important to know its two moments: when the application is made and when the e-visa is issued.

Initially, the application is filed and after making the payment, the visa authority has a term of up to 5 working days to issue a concept. However, this time may be up to 30 calendar days when additional information is required.

Finally, after payment of the visa issuance, the authority has up to 3 working days to issue and send the e-visa.

Online application

To complete the online process, you must enter www.cancilleria.gov.co. Next, you will have to identify the “procedures and services” and “visa” options and finally enter “online visa application”.

It is advisable to read the previous indications and then fill in the personal data as they appear in the passport. The “application registration number” box will be filled in with the application number that was sent to the e-mail, when it was a previously registered application. If this is a first time application, this part is left blank.

At the end of the form, the system will assign a number that you will receive in your e-mail.
Next, you must choose one of the options shown in the drop-down menu in each box, for example: type of visa, type of application, etc. It is important that no box is left blank.

Afterwards, you must continue to complete all the requested information with truthful information and avoiding typing errors.

A recent document type photograph, in color, with white background and front view, in JPG format and weighing a maximum of 300 KB, must be attached below.

After this, the supporting documents are uploaded in order, as listed. Remember that the documents required are those required for the type of application and must be in PDF format.

Finally, you must select the office where you will apply for the visa study and choose the means of payment.

It is essential to check the e-mail address, since there you will receive the application number and all the notifications concerning the procedure.

How long must the passport be valid to apply for this visa?

The passport must be valid for at least 6 months prior to the registration of the application.

How long must the person stay?

In order for a spouse or permanent partner of a Colombian to obtain a resident visa, he/she must have been in Colombia continuously and uninterruptedly for 2 years and must do so as a holder of an M type visa.

It is important to remember that a continuous stay implies that he/she has not been absent from the country for more than 180 continuous days.

Can I apply if I am in an irregular status in Colombia?

No. The paragraph of Article 21 of Resolution 6045 of 2017 establishes that the applicant who has an immigration sanction for irregular stay will not have his application admissible, i.e., for the required period of stay, it is required that this has been regular.

Is it possible to apply from abroad?

The visa application process can be done online through the Foreign Ministry’s web page. Also, you can go to a Colombian consulate.

Is it the same for foreigners from all countries?

The requirements to apply for the visa are the same. On the other hand, the costs of the procedure do vary.

What is the validity of the R type visa?

The resident visa for marriage in Colombia or type R visa is valid indefinitely.

Does this visa allow me to work in Colombia?

With this visa you can work and perform all types of legal activities within the Colombian territory.

At Servicio Legal, we have lawyers with expertise in Immigration LawWe offer you the legal advice you need for the processing of a resident visa for marriage in Colombia.

Contact us, our lawyers are ready to help you.