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I applied for the Colombia tourist visa twice, once in Ecuador and the other time in India. In this article, I will write about my experience and how it went both times. Although the Colombia visa application process was similar in both countries, there were some differences.
But before I get to that, I will brief you on things to see in Colombia.
Things to Do in Colombia
Colombia has everything, be it pristine islands or gorgeous small towns, or rain forests. While a lot of tourists throng popular destinations like Cartagena, Cocora valley, Tayrona National Park, Medellin, and the coffee country, there are so many off-the-beaten-path places in Colombia.
And if you are planning to learn Spanish in Latin America, Colombia is probably one of the best places to learn Spanish as Colombians are known to have one of the most neutral Spanish accents.
And traveling in Colombia is probably the fastest way to learn Spanish.
but to see this, you might need a Colombian tourist visa
What’s your visa status?
1. Are you from a country that’s not visa-exempt for Colombia? Then you are at the right place. You need to apply for a tourist visa prior to your entry. Examples- India, China, Nigeria, South Africa.
2. Are you from a visa-exempt country? It means enter without any tourist visa and receive an entry stamp with the number of days you can stay at the immigration. Usually 90 days. Examples- USA, Canada, Philippines,EU.
Sometimes many tourists refer to this as a Colombia e visa. The thing is the visa is emailed to you in an electronic format, which you don’t need to get stamped on your passport if you are planning to stay in Colombia for less than 3 months.
By the way, it does not matter whether you enter Colombia visa-free or with a tourist visa. You have to fill in the Check Mig Colombia form.
Table of Contents
Do You Need a Visa to Go to Colombia?
Citizens of many countries don’t need a visa for Colombia if the purpose of their visit is tourism or sightseeing etc. Examples- EU countries, the U.S.A, Canada, Australia, Japan, etc.
Now do Indians need visas for Colombia? Yes, they do. So do the Chinese. And a lot of others.
And if the purpose of the visit has to do anything other than tourism, everyone except for citizens of Mercosur countries needs a visa for Colombia.
To check who needs a visa for Colombia, check this article on Colombia visa requirements and types.
My Experience Getting Colombia Tourist Visa
I applied for the Colombia visa online twice. The first time was in Ecuador and the second time in India.
Colombia Visa Application in Ecuador, the First Time
Since arriving in Ecuador, I had been confused about whether to extend my tourist stay in Ecuador for 90 days or get a Colombia tourist visa and leave Ecuador.
Note: Indians need an Ecuador tourist visa nowadays.
Although a Colombia visa for Indians like me is easier to get in the Colombian embassy in Delhi, I hadn’t tried it there. I wasn’t sure whether I could get a visa for Colombia in Ecuador, but I had to give it a try.
I taught English in a public school in Quito, thanks to a program called Time to Teach Ecuador. I stayed with a local family and learned Spanish. Things were good. And if it was up to me, this life would have gone on for long.
However, the program was an administrative mess and most volunteer teachers like me took the heat. So once I was sure that my days in Ecuador were numbered, I decided to get a visitor visa for Colombia since I was so close to it.
Applying Colombia Visa in India, the Second Time
Even if you apply from India, the Colombia visa application process is exactly the same as getting it anywhere else. You can get it from the Colombian embassy in Delhi. While you might need to show a couple more documents, everything else will be the same.
I applied for the Colombian e visa online in India after being married to a Colombian for a few years. While I thought, it would be a piece of cake, they actually asked for more documents.
Do you have a USA or Schengen Visa?
And if you are from the following countries, you will be able to enter Colombia with a USA visa or Schengen visa valid for at least 180 days from the day of your arrival in Colombia.
- India
- China
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Myanmar
- Cambodia
- Macau
Ok, now let me tell you how to get the tourist visa for Colombia starting from the application process.
Colombia Visitor Visa Application Process Step by Step
Step 1: Apply Colombia Tourist Visa Online
Colombia has a centralized website(SITAC) where you can apply for any kind of Colombia visa online. Find out whether the country where you are applying for a visitor visa for Colombia has a consulate or embassy of Colombia.
If you go to the visa section of the website of the Colombian embassy, you will be forwarded to the website below where you would need to fill out your details. The SITAC Colombia portal would be the same no matter which country you are applying from.
Step 2: Document Checklist for Colombia Tourist Visa
Colombia visa requirements are not very straightforward. For instance, do you know what they don’t tell you when applying for the Colombia tourist visa? That you should get the documentation ready before you start the application process on the portal.
Unless you upload all the documents once you start the Colombia visa application process, you wouldn’t be able to complete the process and submit it.
Here is the list of requirements for Colombia tourist visa from the official website.
Colombia Visa Requirements in Ecuador
As usual, I booked my refundable flight tickets on Orbitz.com.
The onward flight was from Quito to Bogota, a couple of months from the date of application of visa, whereas the return flight from Bogota to Delhi with a date 5 months after the date of my arrival.
I used booking.com to make refundable reservations in different hostels starting from Bogota to Santa Marta, Cartagena, and a few other places, with my stay ranging from a week to 3 weeks at each hostel. To keep things simple, I saved the reservations in Spanish.
Booking.com allows you to save the application in Spanish and it’s quite useful if you are applying for a visa for any Latin American country.
And to show ’em da money, I downloaded the statements from my HDFC bank account in India for the last 6 months. I had a balance of more than 6000 USD at that time.
On top of it, I decided to scan a couple of my Credit cards and save them in PDF format.
Although they don’t mention the flight tickets and hotel reservations, you would need to upload them in the ‘additional documents’ section.
Along with all this, I also uploaded the pages of my passport with the entry stamp from Ecuador. As an Indian citizen, I had 90 day limit in Ecuador and by that time, I had consumed 3 weeks out of it.
Colombia Visa Requirements in India
So when applying for the Colombia visa online in India, I sought it as the spouse of a Colombian citizen. I provided all the standard documents like
Round trip flight ticket
I booked refundable tickets on Orbitz for both my wife and myself.
Hotel booking
I did the refundable reservations on booking.com for a week in Bogota.
Employment Documents
I provided the salary slips for the last 3 months and a no-objection certificate(NOC) from my employer.
Entry/Exit Stamps from Colombia
Since I had already been to Colombia, I had to upload the last entry stamp in the Colombia visa application portal online.
Proof of Funds
I had to provide the bank statements for the last 3 months from my Indian bank account.
Cover letter for Colombia tourist visa
I wrote a cover letter explaining my intent to visit Colombia, how long I would be there and the places I would be visiting in detail. Although you could write this in English, it is better to do it in Spanish if you speak it.
Invitation Letter for Colombia
After I submitted all the documents, they provided a comment that I needed to provide an invitation letter from my wife, inviting me to Colombia. Yes, as weird as it may sound, that’s what they asked for.
Do note that all these are not asked to you at the time of submitting the visa application for Colombia, rather through email notifications later.
Step 3: Pay Colombia Visa Fees for Visa Study
Ok, this might sound super weird, but to get a visa for Colombia, you always have to pay up first for them to go through your documents. That’s how it is.
Payment for visa study fees in Ecuador
After saving the application, you need to choose the nearest consulate and the medium of pay. It’s different for every consulate. I chose Quito and then visited the consulate of Colombia in Quito with my application number.
They asked me to visit the nearest Banco de Pichincha branch with the bank account number of the embassy. I paid 52$ and went back to the consulate with the receipt.
I submitted a printout of my application along with all the documents that I had submitted online, and the original receipt. It’s not necessary to submit the physical documents but I decided to just do it anyway.
I received automated emails every time the status of your application is changed. You can check the status of your Colombia visa application on the website of the Ministry of Foreign affairs as well.
Payment for visa study fees in India
In India, I made the payment online through a credit card. To do this, you could visit the payment link : https://tramites.cancilleria.gov.co/pago.aspx
You would need to provide the application number and then choose the option, and then make the payment.
Step 4: Visa Interview & Payment of Visa Processing Fees
Once the status of your visa application moves to APPROVED or to the Interview stage (REQUIRED, for: ENTREVISTA EN OFICINA), you would receive an emails stating the same. The email would always contain the text in Spanish and then in English.
The English sometimes would contain traces of Spanish but you can make sense of it.
Interview in Ecuador & Visa Fee Payment
In Ecuador, after a week, I received an email that my visa has been approved.
Although technically there was no need for an interview in my case, I still had a short, informal one at the consulate. The interview happened in Spanish as my Spanish had improved a lot by then.
The consular officer was real nice and quite surprised with my Spanish. He asked me some generic questions like 1) Why do I want to visit Colombia? 2) What all places do I want to visit there? 3) Do I know anyone in Colombia?
I answered accordingly. Then I was asked to pay the visa processing fees (82$) in the same bank with the same account number and bring them the original receipt. I did that and then they asked me to leave my original passport there.
Visa Fee Payment in India
In India, I didn’t have to do an interview. Rather, I got the email to pay the fees for Colombia tourist visa. I was also able to check Colombia visa online status for the same.
I ran into some issues when trying to make the payment through a credit card from India. While making the payment, I closed the browser window accidentally and after that when I retried, it simply didn’t work.
So I had to call up a friend in Colombia to make the payment on my behalf through the PSE option, which allows someone to make payments through Colombian payment apps or bank account.
I also wrote to the email addresses for help in the mean time, but I had already made the payment by the time they responded.
Step 5: Colombia Visa Stamping
Stamping in Ecuador
After a couple of days, I received an email from the embassy that my passport was ready with the visa stamp. I received an Electronic visa in my email as well.
Receiving the Colombia Electronic Visa in India
When I recieved the Colombia visa in India, I did not go for stamping in the consulate of Colombia in Delhi as it was simply too far. And I could simply do the registration in Colombia.
Celebrate with some Aguardiente. Or Canelazo.
Colombia is often ranked as the happiest country in the world. So, now that this happiness is gonna be a part of you, it’s time to listen to some Latin music and have some Aguardiente, the national drink of Colombia.
Colombia Visa Processing Time
Here is the thing about Colombia visa processing time: It is limited to 30 days. This means, if you don’t get a decision within 30 days, you would need to reinitiate the whole thing.
You would need to file a fresh application, pay the study fees, wait for them to review the documents.. you get the picture.
That being said, it shouldn’t take that long in most cases. In my case, the Colombia visa processing time in India was close to 3 weeks while the same took 2 weeks in Ecuador.
Colombia Visa Online Status
You can check the Colombia visa status online at any time during the visa processing by visiting the cancilleria link.
Understanding the Colombia Electronic Visa or eVisa
When your Colombia tourist visa is issued, you get an email containing the visa in Electronic format. You can use this as a backup in case you are unable to make a visit to the consulate for the visa sticker.
You can enter Colombia with a Colombia e Visa in your email without the visa sticker on your passport. Make sure to carry a printout.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. But if it’s for more than 3 months, you need to get it printed in the Bogotá VISAS office.
And you should do that within 2 months from the date the visa is issued.
Visa fees: – 134$ in total ( 52$ for study + 82$ for processing)
Visa duration :- Even though I had applied the visa for 4 months, I got it for 5 months in total. You can get it for 180 days maximum.
Visa validity :- The visa was valid from the day it was issued.
No. of entries :- Multiple
Colombia Visa Policy: F.A.Q.S
Is It Possible to Convert Colombia Tourist Visa to any other Visa?
Yes. And the good part is that you can convert your tourist visa to another visa while being in Colombia, without needing to leave the country. While I was there I converted my tourist visa to a volunteer visa for Colombia easily.
Later, I got a job teaching English and converted the volunteer visa to a Colombia work visa.
Do I Need to Apostle or Translate Any Documents for a Colombia Tourist Visa?
As the official language of Colombia is Spanish, you might need to get some documents translated and apostiled to apply for the visa. You need to check with the particular consulate about the same.
Although, lots of times documents in English just work fine.
A Friend in Colombia Invited me to Come to Colombia. What All Documents Do I Need For This?
If you are visiting Colombia through a tourism agency or a friend, you can get a letter of invitation from them and upload it in the documentation section. You also might need to upload a copy of their national identity card or Cedula.
How Can I Apply for a Colombia Tourist Visa if There is no Embassy of Colombia in my Country?
If Colombia doesn't have an embassy or consulate in your country, check out the nearest consulate and ask them how to pay the fee. If you can pay it online, well and good. If not, you should make the arrangements first and then apply for the visa.
Can I Extend Colombia Visa in Colombia?
As long as you don't exceed the maximum 180 days stay limit, you can extend your Colombian visa. So if for example, your Colombia visa duration is 120 days, then you can extend it for 60 more days.
Note that your Colombia visa extension experience can be totally different from people who enter Colombia without a visa and with a simple entry stamp on their passport. Anyone who enters Colombia as visa-exempt would simply be extending stay in Colombia, rather than an actual visa.
Is There a Tourist Visa Colombia for a Longer Duration?
You can get a Visitor(V) visa for Colombia for up to 180 days. However, it's possible to get a tourist visa for up to 2 years as well. But, you shouldn't try it the first time you visit Colombia. They would normally deny it.
The Visa Project quick tip:
Once you apply online, the application is valid for 30 Calendar days. If for some reason, your case takes longer than that, you go back to square one and start out with a new application and upload all the documents and pay the visa fees to study it one more time. So make sure you can get it done in 30 days.
The Visa Project’s Comprehensive Visa Series: Guides & Experiences
Visa requirements are always changing. Here on The Visa Project, they are kept up-to-date and should answer most visa questions.
And not just guides and tips, we also rely on real people’s experiences on visas, coz’ we know how much visas change based on your nationality, financial status, age, ethnicity, etc.
South America Visa Series: Experiences
- Tourist Visa for Bolivia
- Extend Bolivian Tourist Visa: A US Citizen’s experience
- Peru Visa for Indians: Peru Tourist Visa in Bolivia
- Peru Visa Extension Online
- Peru Visa Extension in Immigration Office: A US citizen’s experience
- Tourist Visa for Brazil: How I got it in Ecuador
- Ecuador Professional Visa: An Indian’s experience
- Ecuador Visa for US Citizens: Ecuador temporary residency visa
- SENESCYT Ecuador Registration : Register your degree in Ecuador
- Colombia Work Visa: Teach English in Colombia
- Colombia Tourist Visa Extension: A US Citizen’s perspective
South America Visa Series: Complete Guides
Have you applied for Colombia tourist visa?
If you applied for a tourist visa for Colombia, was the whole process smooth? Please let us know in the comments. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Should You Move to Colombia? Living in Colombia- Magic Realism & Everything Under the Table
How to Fill in Check Mig Colombia Form in 3 minutes like a Pro?
Thailand Long Stay Visa- How to Stay Longer as a Thailand Digital Nomad, Travel Restrictions & More
This is a simple easy-to-follow article on applying for a Tourist Visa. I’m bookmarking it whenever I’m going to apply for a Visa in South America. I plan to visit South American when this pandemic is over.
Thanks Sayed. I am planning for it as well.
I have not visited Colombia yet but it is definitely on my bucket list 😇 thanks for the informative post 😅
Glad to help.
I am planning to come to Columbia after April 2021 & hopefully use my TEFL DIPLOMA to gain employment teaching English! If a company hires me on what is the longest legal length of stay! I am an American citizen? Thank you kindly for your help! My gmail is danielcm1956gmail.com !
Hi Daniel. You need to make sure is that the company that hires you, also sponsors your work visa. Many employer don’t. That being said, it’s common to get a visa for a year since the contracts are renewed every year.
Here is the article on Colombia work visa.
Hi there- I was wondering if US citizens get 180 days in a year? Or does it reset if I leave and enter Colombia again?
Hi Melissa, yes US citizens do get 180 days in a calendar year. The limit starts from the day you enter Colombia, rather than the beginning of a year. Reentering won’t reset your limit.
Sir i need invitation letter for Colombia tourist visa did you provide that
Hi Shahab,
You can do reservations in a hotel or hostel. That should be enough.
Hello, great post!
I have a question, I booked by return flight from Orbitz but had to cancel it within 24 hours to be refunded.
Now I have a copy of a confirmed ticket pdf, which is actually cancelled in the system (if its checked by anyone). Can you let me know if the pdf will work
The confirmed ticket can work. But if you want to play a little more safe, you can try to rent a ticket for 15 days https://thevisaproject.com/recommends/visa-reservation/
Hello, thank you.
I have to reach Colombia in the 1st week of February and hence I thought about starting the process.
Do Colombian authorities check the current status of the said ticket?
Thank you for sharing the reference, I wanted to understand if renting it for 15 days is a good idea as the Visa process may take 25-30 days?
Also, has anyone you know used their service? Thanks in advance for answering the questions, Deb!
If everything goes well, the visa process shouldn’t take more than 15 days. The idea behind renting it for 15 days is that it will have a confirmed PNR and in case anyone checks, it will be valid. If the process takes longer, you can explain them that it was a refundable reservation and you can extend them.
I have used their services and know friends who have.
Great article
Thanks, Kevin.
Hello, thank you Deb.
I am planning to arrive Colombia in the 1st week of Feb and the Visa process from India can take up to 25-30 days.
Given that I need to submit all this while filling the online application, would this be the right time to get a fresh ticket, hotel reservations and medical insurance?
For medical insurance, what this company creates for me will still apply?
For hotel, they have some days limitation and I can try to book it externally and have them take care of ticket and medical insurance?
Colombia is open and people are traveling there. But you should definitely do the homework before traveling there. PCR test etc. And as far as insurance is concerned, we strongly recommend Safetywing. Cheap and covers lots of things including COVID, and you can extend it later. https://thevisaproject.com/recommends/safety-wing-nomad/
Hotel reservation- you can do it on Booking.
Hello, I am currently filling the form online. The documents seem to be accepted only one file per line and when I verify, it only shows the 1st document that was posted in the checklist item
Should I merge the PDF files into one document per line?
I am assuming that you are seeing the same screen that I have uploaded in the article. All the necessary documents such as hotel reservations, flight tickets should be uploaded as separate PDF files. You can upload any documents for which you don’t see an option in the additional documents section.
Hello, yes I am referring to the same checklist, but it only lets you submit one document per line. If more documents are added, it picks up the last document posted and the previous one disappears. I checked that in the next page after continuing.
For example, in the line which requires you to put a coverletter and bank statements, I wasn’t able to attach 2 documents. It would pick up the Bank statement only when checked in the next page ‘documento suporte’. Hence I merged them into one PDF which was the only option.
Same goes with the rest of the documents.
Its been a couple days I paid and applied, hope the visa is not rejected because of this. I really had no other choice and I work in technology, so I guess I checked all other alternatives.
What do you think?
I understand. Yeah, I think that should be fine. And if they need something, they will notify you to upload any other documents.
Hello, I submitted and paid on 12/29 and its been 5 working days since then. The last email I got was from ‘tramite_estado@cancilleria.gov.co’ on 12/29 itself
Which says –
“Estimado usuario,
Nos permitimos informarle que se ha registrado exitosamente el pago de la referencia 113999000011056.
Adjuntamos soporte de pago”
Wanted to know if it can take longer, and whats is the protocol if I dont hear back?
They simply want to inform you that they received your payment. What is the status now? Drop an email n ask them about it. You can also visit the embassy but not sure whether that’s possible now.
Hello, my visa was rejected. Even when all my documents were completed and I provided them all the things they asked for.
I have sent an email to check further details
Sorry to hear that Shobhit. That is strange. Did they provide any reasons?
Nothing yet, it said I can’t reapply for another 6 months.
I wanted to check if I can rather go for Ecuador and if it will be any easier to go as a tourist?
Or if its better to apply a student visa for either countries?
Hello what are the alternatives I have?
Is that easier to go for Equador, Bolivia, Surniname or another region?
I just need to meet my gf from the USA and see if we both like to live outside US
Bolivia is easy. You can also get a visa on arrival.
https://thevisaproject.com/experience/bolivia/bolivia-tourist-visa/
Sorry it got rejected Shobhit.
What do you think prompted them to do so, if you don’t mind me asking? Bank account balance?
Thanks!
I will look into that.
I hope the process once you reach Bolivia is hasslefree?
Anything you suggest to carry/keep to avoid any issues?
I may have more questions for you in coming days 🙂
I did. Sure Shobhit.
Hi, is there a minimum bank account balance threshold you recommend?
At least 1500 USD.
Hi Deb. Great article. I’m South African and will be applying for a Colombian visa. You mentioned that the visa was valid from the date it was issued. My question is: if you get a 3 month visa to stay in Colombia, does the 3 months start from the date the visa is issued or from the date you enter Colombia? Thanks!
Hi Guy,
It would start from the day it’s issued, not from the day you enter.
Hi Deb. Thank you for this highly informative article. I am a fellow indian who lives in the US, however, my current H-1B visa stamp has validity of less than 180 days from my upcoming travel to Colombia hence I will be applying for a visa.
I was wondering if they need the picture to be of certain specifications or this is something that you just took yourself ? Thank you in advance for your response!
Hi Raj,
Thanks for stopping by.
If I remember correctly, it should be a 4 X 3 Color photograph with a white background. The photo should be of a maximum of 300 kb and in jpg format.
hello Deb.
Thanks for the article sir, it helped a lot.
Am a Somali citizen who legally stays in turkey as a TOURIST( I have residence permit) and I am planning to go to Colombia next month.
1. What advice could you give me?
2. Rather than the documents required on the list, what additional documents will increase the % of my visa approval?
3. Is there a need for a power attorney if I’m applying for the visa myself?
P.S: THERE IS A COLOMBIAN EMBASSY IN TURKEY
THANKS!
Hi Abdirahman,
Since you have a residence permit in Turkey, you can surely apply for a Colombia visa there. Apart from the usual documents, I think what would help you a lot are the bank statements and if you are employed. Do upload bank statements, credit card statements and anything that demonstrates that you have money. The more, the better.
No need for power of attorney as you are doing it yourself.
Hello, I am an India and I applied on Thursday 24th Feb for Colombian Tourist e-visa. The status has gone to no. 3 – Formalised as of today.
Do you know how long it usually takes for the visa to arrive? I have to fly on Friday 4th March 2022 so I know I am cutting it quite short. Very nervous!
(PS – I had a valid Schengen visa but only for 30 days. I didn’t realise I needed 180 days validity, hence I had to suddenly make a last minute application. Really worried!)
Hi Angad,
I guess you have flown by now and hopefully got the visa. The visa sometimes takes 2 weeks or more.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE VISA TO BE REJECTED,,IS IT DURING THE PROCESSING OR AFTER 30 CALENDAR DAYS?
Hi Anthony,
In case it is rejected, they would let you know within 30 days. But it is also possible that you don’t get selected/rejected within 30 days. In that case, you would need to reapply.
So I live in the US and got the Tourist e-visa by email, valid for two years. So, should I go to the Consulate to get it stamped on my passport? Or can I travel to the country without getting it stamped? I am only staying in Colombia for eight days.
Could you explain what steps/processes I should do in this scenario? Can I get by without getting stamped, or should I go to Consulate or Visa Office In Bogota?
Hi Ashwin,
You don’t need to get it stamped. Just the e Visa is fine. However, Indian citizens with valid US visas don’t need a visa to enter Colombia.
Hi deb!
I am from India and I applied for evisa. I have uploaded invitation letter of my friend who inviting me.
But I didn’t upload tickets because they didn’t ask in documents list.
Is it mandatory?
Hi Gorav,
Yes, you should upload the tickets/reservations and the other relevant documents even if they don’t ask. They will most probably come back to you asking for this.
Hi Deb,
What does the visa expiration mean ? I got my Colombia tourist visa with a valid date from December 1 , 2022 – February 20, 2023. Does that mean that I can stay in Colombia for 90 days even if I enter Colombia in February 19 and leave the country after the expiration date ?
Hi John,
No, that means your visa gets activated on 1st Dec and expires on 20 Feb. So you can stay in Colombia during that period only.
Your site really gave me an inside of the whole process, yes, I have applied for Colombia visa and am still waiting on it. However, they require me send some documents via a link. I was unable to attach those documents successfully, but I end up send those documents via the email link as an attachment. I don’t know if it will be accepted.
The application is now in stage 3, how long more will i wait to get the visa decision.
Lastly must he visa process necessarily goes through the step-by-step process ?
Hi Ruben,
Yes, this happens sometimes. I guess you sent the documents to the email of the consulate of Colombia in your country. They should get back to you, but do follow up.
The applications should always be processed within 30 days. And yes, it always goes through that step-by-step process.
All the best,
Deb