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Passport, Visa & Permits


This section is intended for reference only. We strongly recommend that you contact the embassy directly for the most up-to-date information that pertains to your specific situation.

Passport

A valid passport is necessary if you want to enter Colombia. People who hold the citizenship of any  country member of MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Guyana, Paraguay, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela) or of the Andean Community (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru) may enter Colombia as tourists for a maximum of 90 days by showing their national ID card. All people who intend to stay in the country for more than 90 days must do so on the basis of a passport.

Passports are issued by your home country government, and the process of obtaining one may last longer. Before moving abroad, start the procedures for getting the passport and the visa early. Your passport must be valid 6 months beyond your intended stay. Minors are allowed to travel on their parents' passports up until aged 15 years.

Visas for Colombia

A visa is a stamp or endorsement placed by officials on a passport that allows the bearer to enter the country. This permission is called "entry clearance". Visas are obtained from the Colombian embassy or consulate in your home country or from the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombia.

A major reform has been implemented in December 2017, and all visa regulation have been updated and simplified. There have been significant changes in the types of visa, as well as in the documents requested and the procedure of obtaining a visa.

Visas in Colombia should be requested online. A form should be filled in on the Cancilleria website, and all mandatory documents should be enclosed in "pdf" format.

Depending on your specific situation, you might be called for an interview at the Cancilleria or at your local consulate.

For the most complete and up-to-date information, refer to the official website of the Cancilleria del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.

Who needs a visa?

Citizens of over 90 countries may enter Colombia for tourism purposes for a maximum of 90 days (extendable to 180) without the necessity of a visa.

Refer to the Cancilleria website to check if your country is on the list. 

For any stays that exceed 180 days in any given 360-day period (not necessarily coinciding with a calendar year), as well as for visits that have a different purpose than tourism, a visa is required.

Following the 2017 migration reform, there are now three categories of visas that foreigners may apply for:

  1. Visitor visa
  2. Migrant visa
  3. Resident visa

Additionally, a special peace resident visa has been implemented for UN staff working in the implementation of the country's current peace deals.

Complete information on all visa categories can be found on the Cancilleria website.

All visa applications must be submitted online.

Visitor Visa

A visitor visa ("V type") is granted to foreigners who intend to visit Colombia for various purposes without planning to become permanent residents. The visitor visa allows the owner to perform the following activities:

Specific requirements for a V type visa depend on the type of activity to be performed, but generally includes:

A visitor visa is granted for a maximum of 2 years.

The costs of a visitor visa (for medical treatment, administrative procedures, internships, volunteering, event participation, audiovisual and digital production, journalistic coverage and temporary services provider) are:

Exceptions may apply.

The cost of other visas depends on the type of activity performed.

Resident Visa

A resident visa ("R type") is granted to foreign nationals who intend to reside permanently in Colombia and meet one of the following criteria:

Requirements for a Resident visa include:

Resident visas are granted indefinitely.

The costs of a resident visa are:

Exceptions may apply.

Migrant Visa

Migrant visas ("M type") are granted to foreign nationals that have the intention of becoming permanent residents of Colombia, but do not meet the criteria for an R Type visa.

The following situations qualify for a migrant visa:

M-type visas are granted for a maximum of 3 years.

Requirements for a migrant visa depend on the type of activity to be performed or situation applicable. Some of the most common situations are as follows.

M-type visa for work purposes:

M-type freelance visas:

M-type entrepreneur visas:

M-type real estate investor visas:

M-type student visas:

The costs associated with migrant visas (for work, investment, entrepreneurship, freelance and marital purposes) are as follows:

The costs for student visas are:

Registration

All holders of a visa valid for more than 90 days have the obligation of registering it with the Migration authorities within 2 weeks from the visa issuance (if the applicant is already in Colombia) or from the arrival into the country, in order to obtain a local ID card (Cedula de Extranjeria). Failure to do this in the allowed timeframe will attract considerable penalties.

The local ID card must be requested by submitting an online form with Migracion Colombia, paying the respective fee and showing up for an interview at the Migrations office in Bogota.

Colombian Citizenship

Colombia allows dual citizenship. In this case, while you are in Colombia you will be treated like a Colombian citizen and you must enter the country with the Colombian passport.

There are several situations where Colombian citizenship can be acquired:

In the latter case, the applicant must have resided in Colombia for at least 1 year (Latin American citizens), 2 years (Spanish citizens) or 5 years (others) starting from the issuance of a Resident Visa.

Citizenship should be requested with the Cancilleria.

The process consists of filing an online form, which will be analyzed by the authorities, and supporting documents will be requested.
If all the documents meet the legal requirements, the Cancilleria will perform background checks with the Migrations, Police, Tax and Legal authorities and will conduct a visit to the applicant's residence.

The applicant should then pass an exam on Spanish language (for non-native speakers), Colombian politics, geography and history.

For complete information, refer to the official website of the Cancilleria.


20/08/2018

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