Colombia Visas
Colombian visas under Resolución 5477: digital nomad, retirement, marriage, investment, and the R resident visa.
Latest updates
Minimum wage +23% — every visa threshold moved with it
January 1, 2026
Council of State provisionally suspends the 2026 wage decree — with deferred effects
February 13, 2026
Issuing Authority
Immigration to Colombia — at a glance
Colombia runs one of Latin America's most approachable immigration systems — and one of its most misunderstood. The entire visa framework lives in a single regulation, Resolución 5477 de 2022, which organizes everything into three families: V (visitor) visas for defined-purpose stays, M (migrant) visas for people building a life in the country, and the R (resident) visa for permanent settlement. Every application is filed online through the Cancillería's portal, visas are issued electronically by email, and there is no consular interview requirement for most categories.
The system's signature quirk is that nearly every financial requirement is expressed as a multiple of Colombia's minimum monthly wage (the SMMLV), which resets every January. A digital nomad or retiree needs income of 3× SMMLV per month; a real-estate investor needs a property worth 350× SMMLV. When the minimum wage jumped 23% for 2026, every one of those thresholds jumped with it overnight — which is why applications built on last year's numbers get rejected, and why every figure on this page carries a date.
The strategic question most applicants get wrong isn't "can I qualify?" — Colombia's bars are low by global standards — it's which category starts the clock toward what they actually want. Time on M visas accumulates toward the R resident visa (five continuous years, or two through the marriage route); time on V visas, including the popular digital nomad visa, generally does not. Choosing the convenient visa over the strategic one is the most common expensive mistake we see.
For most nationalities the practical first step requires no visa at all: around a hundred countries are visa-exempt for short stays under Resolución 5488, receiving 90 days on arrival, extendable to 180 per calendar year. That window is Colombia's built-in "try before you commit" period — and the right moment to sequence documents, apostilles, and (for investors) the central-bank registration that later filings depend on. Before choosing where to settle, you can compare Colombian cities by cost, climate, healthcare access, and connectivity.
Explore visa types
Find my visaVisa-Exempt Entry (Permiso de Turismo)
Nationals of roughly 100 visa-exempt countries receive a Visa-Exempt Entry (Permiso de Turismo) on arrival in Colombia. This isn’t a visa.
Digital Nomad Visa (Visa V — Nómadas Digitales)
The Digital Nomad Visa (Visa V — Nómadas Digitales) lets you live in Colombia while working remotely for clients or employers outside the country.
Retirement Visa (Visa M — Pensionado)
You use the government’s Form formulario-unico-visa and submit directly to the immigration authority.
Passive Income Visa (Visa M — Rentista)
The Colombia Rentista Visa requires proof of monthly passive income of at least 10× the Colombian minimum wage (SMMLV).
Marriage / Permanent Partner Visa (Visa M — Cónyuge o Compañero Permanente)
The Marriage / Permanent Partner Visa (Visa M — Cónyuge o Compañero Permanente) is an official application form issued by the Ministerio de Relaciones...
Real Estate Investor Visa (Visa M — Inversionista Inmobiliario)
You qualify for the Real Estate Investor Visa (Visa M — Inversionista Inmobiliario) by purchasing Colombian property valued at least 350× SMMLV.
Which Colombian route fits your situation?
Pick the situation that best matches you to see the most common starting point in Colombia
I want to test living in Colombia for a few months
Use the visa-exempt entry — 90 days free, extendable to 180 per calendar year. No filing needed beyond Check-Mig. If Medellín is on your shortlist, this guide to living in Medellín can help you evaluate neighborhoods, costs, and transportation before committing.
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FAQ
Colombia immigration FAQ
The questions readers ask most about applying to live, work, study, and visit Colombia
Generally no — it's a V (visitor) category, and V-visa time doesn't accumulate toward the R resident visa. It's excellent for one to two years of legal remote work, but people settling long-term usually transition to an M category (marriage, investment, pension, work) to start the residency clock.
A lifetime pension of at least 3× the Colombian minimum wage per month — COP 5,252,715 in 2026, roughly USD 1,400 depending on the exchange rate. The pension certification must be apostilled and officially translated. The threshold resets every January with the minimum wage.
Buy Colombian property worth at least 350× SMMLV (COP 612,816,750 in 2026, ~USD 161,000), hold it in your own name, and — critically — register the purchase funds with the Banco de la República as foreign direct investment when the money enters Colombia. That registration is very hard to fix retroactively and the visa filing depends on it.
The R visa requires five continuous years on qualifying M visas — reduced to two years for spouses/permanent partners of Colombians and parents of Colombian nationals. Large registered foreign investments (650× SMMLV) can qualify directly. The R visa is valid five years and renewable, but extended absences from Colombia can forfeit it.
No — they are SMMLV multiples that reset every January (and the 2026 figure is under litigation with a transitional decree possible). The multiples themselves come from Resolución 5477 and are stable; the COP values move. Always verify the operative figure on cancilleria.gov.co in the week you file.
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