See Also: Colombia Visa Experiences
Colombia is one of the most beautiful and most diverse countries and is the only country in South America that has access to both the Atlantic and Pacific ocean. Starting from beautiful beaches in Santa Marta and Cartagena to quaint little towns, coffee farms, world-class cites, it is big one tourism and immigration.
You may or may not need to submit a Colombia visa application if you want to visit it. But, should you want to immigrate, there are many Colombia visa types to choose from.
In this article, we will cover everything related to Colombia visa requirements, types, extension process, and Colombia visa overstay.
Table of Contents
Who Needs a Visa for Colombia?
Right now there are 99 countries whose citizens can enter Colombia visa-free. Citizens from these countries get 90 days visa-free when entering Colombia, and can extend their stay for 90 more days online.
| European Union citizens | Nationals of Mercosur Countries | Andorra |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | Azerbaijan |
| Bahamas | Barbados | Belize |
| Bhutan | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Brunei |
| Canada | Costa Rica | Dominica |
| Dominican Republic | El Salvador | Fiji |
| Georgia | Grenada | Guatemala |
| Honduras | Hong Kong | Iceland |
| Indonesia | Israel | Jamaica |
| Japan | Kazakhstan | Liechtenstein |
| Marshall Islands | Mexico | Moldova |
| Monaco | Montenegro | Micronesia |
| New Zealand | North Macedonia | Norway |
| Palau | Panama | Papua New Guinea |
| Philippines | Qatar | Russia |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Samoa | San Marino | Serbia |
| Singapore | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | Solomon Islands |
| South Korea | Switzerland | Taiwan |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Turkey | United Arab Emirates |
| United Kingdom | United States | Vatican City |
Visa-Free for Colombia with a Valid US Visa/Schengen Visa
Nationals of seven countries can enter Colombia visa-free and get a 90-day stay if they possess
- Any US visa except for a C1 or transit visa, valid for up to 180 days from the day of arrival.
- A C-Type or D-Type Schengen visa, valid for 180 days from the day of arrival.
- US green card.
Citizens of these countries don’t have to submit a Colombia visa application if they hold the any of the above-mentioned visas/ residence permits.
| Cambodia | China | India |
| Macau (180 days) | Myanmar | Thailand |
| Vietnam |
What Does Colombia Visa Look like?
Here is a Colombia visitor visa. Note that it is a visa with an older visa type called TP-11 which is a Colombia tourist visa or type V visa now.
Colombia Visa Types
There were many different types of visas prior to 2017. But starting from December 2017, Colombia changes its visa rules, reorganized all its visas, and changed the visa classification completely. Colombia has over 30 different categories of visas.
There are three main Colombia visa types now.
- Visitor Visa (V)
- Migrant Visa (M)
- Resident Visa (R)
- Special Resident Peace Visa(RES)
All these visas have their subcategories.
Colombia Tourist Visa- Visitor Visa
A foreign national can visit Colombia for different purposes by possessing a Colombia tourist visa. It’s a short term visa which can be issued for
- Tourism and vacation
- Studying Spanish
- Airport transit
- Business which involves events, conferences, seminars without the passport holder being employed.
- Short-term academic exchange program, training in arts, trades or graduate courses.
- Medical treatment
- Journalistic work
- Inter-corporate transfer
- Volunteering
- boat or cruise crew
The Colombia Tourist Visa for Colombia also referred to as a Colombian Tourist Visa, is issued to foreigners who will stay in Colombia for a short period. It is issued for the following purposes:
The Colombia Visitor Visa is usually issued for a maximum of 180 days, but can also be issued for up to five years in certain cases.
If you want to understand the detailed process for this, here is a step-by-step guide to getting a Colombia tourist visa.
Types of Colombia Migrant Visa
A Colombia Migrant (M) visa allows you to immigrate to Colombia by various means depending on the purpose. A migrant visa can be issued for up to three years.
There are 11 different conditions (categories) of Colombian M visas:
| Visa Name | Purpose |
| M1 – Spouse Visa | For a foreigner who has married or is in a permanent relationship with a Colombian citizen. |
| M3 – Mercosur Visa | For citizens of Mercosur countries. |
| M3- Refugee Visa | For a foreigner to be admitted to Colombia as a refugee. |
| M5- Work Visa | Foreign nationals who want to legally work in Colombia. |
| M6 – Business Investment Visa | For a foreigner who invests at least 100 times the minimum wage of Colombia. |
| M7- Expertise Visa | Have qualification or expertise to practice a profession independently. |
| M8 -Religious Visa | A foreigner who is a religious worker or missionary, coming to Colombia to perform religious activities. |
| M9- Student Visa | Foreigners who want to pursue academic degrees in Colombia. |
| M10 – Real Estate Investment Visa | For a foreigner who invests in real estate with an investment that’s at least 350 times the minimum wage of Colombia. |
| M11- Retirement/Pensioner/ Rentista Visa | Foreigners who want to retire in Colombia and can show the means to do so. They must be able to show proof one of these two. 1. Pension that’s at least three times the minimum wage. 2.Income from investments that’s at least 10 times the minimum wage. |
Types of Colombia Resident Visas
A Colombia resident visa gives the holder the previlege to be a permanent resident of Colombia, and a path to Colombian citizenship. If you leave Colombia for more than two years with an R visa, the visa expires and is no longer valid.
There are five categories of R visas:
1. Returning Colombian
For Colombian citizens who have renounced their citizenship to become a citizen of another country.
2. Parents by birth
Father or mother of a Colombian national by birth.
3. M visa holders
| M1, M3 | Held it for continuously for two years. |
| M4 to M11 | Held it for for five years continuously. |
4. Beneficiary Visa
Continuously held a beneficiary visa of type R for five years.
5. Investment
A foreigner who has invested at least 650 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia.
Colombia Visa Fees
For the majority of Colombian visas, there are two kinds of fees involved. When you submit the Colombia visa application, you need to pay for the visa study fees, and then if the visa is approved, you need to pay the visa processing fees.
Study Fees
| Applying from Cuba/ European countries | €40 |
| Applying from Colombia or from a non-European country | $52 |
Colombia Visa Processing Cost
The visa processing fees depend on the purpose for which you are putting in the Colombia visa application, and the type of visa. Depending on the purpose, you would need to pay more for the same type of visa.
1 . Colombia Tourist Visa /Visitor visa
| Purpose | Fees |
| Airport Transit | $67 |
| Tourism | $82 |
| Businees, Intra-coporate transfer, Official/commercial representative of foreign government, | $245 |
| Exchange student | $51 |
| Medical treatment, Administrative/Judicial purpose, Attending events, Internship, Volunteer, Audiovisual/digital production, Journalistic coverage, Temporary service provider, foreseeable activity under resolution 6045 of 2017 | $170 |
| Work-holiday program, Courtsey | $0 |
2 . Colombia Migrant Visa
| Type | Fees |
| Spouse, Parent/Child of Colombian citizen by adoption, Mercosur agreement, Work, Real Estate/Business Investment, Professional expertise, Religious, Retirement/rentista | $230 |
| Refugee | $0 |
| Student | $51 |
3. Colombia Resident Visa
All the Colombia resident visas have a processing fee of $230.
4. Special Resident Visa
The processing fees for the Colombia special resident visa are $246.
Notes:-
1. Nationals of Japan and South Korea don’t pay Colombia visa processing fees, although they pay for the study fees.
2. Spanish nationals don’t pay for study fees or processing fees.
3. Nationals of Ecuador can get the visas for free if applying from South America. If they are submitting Colombia visa application from any other parts of the world, they will pay much lesser fees.
There are various ways to pay the visa fees when you are turning in the Colombia visa application.
- If you are paying at a consulate, every consulate has its own way of receiving payment which can be a direct deposit in its bank account or an online payment or through a credit/debit card.
- If you are applying while inside Colombia, you can pay online via the PSE Electronic Service Provider or a Servibanca ATM or in Banco GNB Sudameris in Bogotá
You can check for the updated Colombia visa fees on the website of Colombia’s ministry of foreign affairs.
How to Submit a Colombian Visa Application
You can submit any Colombia visa application online. It’s a 7-step process.
- Choose the right Colombia visa type
- Fill in the application on the centralized website(SITAC)
- Upload the required documents in PDF format and photos in JPG format.
- Pay the study fee for the visa (if applicable).
- Wait for visa approval.
- Once the visa is approved, pay the visa fees and receive the Colombia eVisa in your email.
- If you are submitting the Colombia visa application in Colombia, get the visa stamped in your passport in Bogota. If you are applying through Colombian diplomatic mission in any other country, get the stamping done there.
Colombia Visa Requirements
Colombia visa requirements would vary depending on the type of visa you are applying for. If you are submitting a Colombia visa application for any visa other than a tourist visa, there is a big chance that you would need to get some documents translated and/or apostilled.
Here are the requirements for a Colombia Tourist Visa.
- Valid passport
- Roundtrip flight tickets
- Hotel reservations for your stay
- Bank statements for the last six months, as well as other proof of financial stability. You must prove that you have a balance that’s more than 5 times the minimum wage of Colombia for each month.
- Travel insurance
- 3 X 4 cm color photo in JPG format not exceeding 300 kbs.
For minors:
- Birth certificate.
- If travelling unaccompanied: Letter of consent from the parent/s or legal guardian/s.
If invited:
- Letter of Invitation to attend an event or seminar, conference etc.
If you are visiting a family member/friend
- Proof of family relationship or an explanation of your relationship.
If visiting for an event or activity
- Details of the the program or the event, and letter of participation or invitation letter etc.
If travelling for business
- The letter of invitation from the company where you will be conducting business, mentioning your activities as well as the company’s registration documents.
Colombian Embassies/Consulates
In the U.S., Colombia has eleven consulates. They are in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Newark, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.
Colombia has consulates in a lot of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
If there is no consulate of Colombia in your country, check with the consulate in the closest country and ask them whether you can put in your Colombia visa application there.
How Do I Receive my Colombian Visa?
Once your Colombia visa application has been approved and you have paid the corresponding approved visa fees, an email will be sent to the email address registered on the application.
The visa stamping can be done at the Consulate of Colombia where you filed your application or at the Office in Bogotá at Avenida 19 No. 98-03, Edifice Torre 100.
What is Colombia eVisa or Electronic Visa?
When your Colombia tourist visa is issued, you get an email containing the visa in Electronic format. If your visa has been issued for less than three (3) months, you can enter, stay, and leave the country showing your electronic visa, without printing it over the passport. Make sure to carry a print out when entering/exiting Colombia though.
But if it’s for more than 3 months, you need to get it printed in Bogotá visas office or from a Colombian consulate. And you should do that within 2 months from the date the visa is issued.
If you ask me, it’s much better to get it stamped to avoid any future mishaps. So if you got some time, just do it.
How to Extend a Colombia Visa?
If you entered Colombia visa-free, you must have received a stamp on your passport to allow you to stay in Colombia for 90 days. It’s not a sticker visa.
You can extend your stay in Colombia online for 90 more days, before your initial limit is over.
Colombia Visa Overstay
Unlike some other countries in latin America, Colombia doesn’t cut you slack if you overstay. In many other countries like Peru, you can simply pay a little fine and leave like nothing happened.
You will have to pay a fine before leaving the country. It’s better to pay the fine at the Migración office at least three days before your leave Colombia. Otherwise, you might get held up at the airport or land border crossing. Fines can start at 440,000 pesos and go up to 7 times the minimum wage of Colombia, depending on how long you overstay. There is no straight answer for this. And they might also ask you apply for a Salvo Conductado for 15 days.