Visa for students in Colombia

If you are a foreigner and you are interested in coming to Colombia to study, you will need a visa type M. You should keep in mind that the visa for students in Colombia that is granted is designed for those who have been accepted in an educational institution.

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. This is in order 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 keep in mind:

• 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, in order to apply for a student visa in Colombia, the following is required:

1. Document that allows to prove the way in which the expenses of study and sustenance in the country will be covered, such as: scholarship certificate or bank statements of your own or of the person who will assume these costs.
2. Certification of admission or enrollment in an educational institution authorized by the Colombian government.

Checklist of requirements

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

Costs of visa processing for students 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 €12.00, and if from Colombia and the rest of the world the cost will be US$16.00.

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 €40.00 and if it is in Colombia and the rest of the world it is US$51.00.

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.

Duration of the visa process for students 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 Colombian Foreign Ministry 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 student visa issuance, the authority has up to 3 working days to issue and send the e-visa.

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 is the visa valid?

The migrant visa or type M visa is valid for three years; however, when the study time is less than this term, the visa will be valid for a shorter period of time.
In any case, the visa will be terminated early if the study conditions are extinguished.

Does this visa allow me to work in Colombia?

Foreigners arriving in Colombia for primary, secondary, high school and undergraduate studies are not granted permission to work in the national territory.

If the duration of the studies is longer than the three years granted by the visa, must the visa be renewed?

Colombia does not provide for the renewal of visas. For this reason, in these cases, a new application must be made. It is necessary to take into account that this procedure must be carried out prior to the expiration of the visa held.

At Servicio Legal, we have lawyers with expertise in
Immigration Law
We offer you the legal advice you need for the processing of your student visa in Colombia.

Contact us, our lawyers are ready to help you.