A Comprehensive Guide to Long-term Residency in Colombia

Capital: Bogotá

Population: 52,695,952 (2024, 27th)

Ethic Group: 87.58% Mestizo-White, 6.84% Afro-Colombians, 4.31% indigenous

Area: 1,141,748 km² (25th)

Offical Language: Spanish

Currency: Colombian peso (as of Aug 26th, 2024, 1 Colombian Peso = 0.00025 USD)

GDP per Captial: $19,770 (2024 estimated, 82nd)

Human Development Index: 0.758 (91st)

Country Profile:

Colombia is a Spanish-speaking country located in the northwest of the South American continent. It is a member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the only official partner of NATO in Latin America.

Colombia is one of the world’s major coffee producers and exporters. In recent years, its service and tourism industries have also been growing rapidly, with Medellín, the second-largest city, emerging as a center for innovation, tourism, and digital nomads in South America.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Colombia was heavily affected by drugs and conflict. It wasn’t until the early 21st century that social security began to improve in major cities like Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. However, in recent years, the security situation has slightly deteriorated again, partly due to the influx of Venezuelan refugees.

Visa and Immigration System:

Colombian long-term residence visas can be divided into three main categories: type-V visitor visas, type-M migrant visas, and type-R resident visas.

Type-V Visitor Visas:

Colombian type-V visitor visas can be subdivided into ten types, including common ones like student visas, tourist visas, short-term work visas, rentista visas, and digital nomad visas.

This type of visa is generally valid for up to 2 years and can be renewed under the same conditions upon expiration, but it cannot be converted into permanent residency or citizenship.

Among these type-V visitor visas, two types of income-based visas are noteworthy:

1. Digital Nomad Visa: Issued to remote workers, requiring an income level equivalent to three times the local minimum monthly wage, which is 3,901,818 Colombian pesos, approximately 966 USD per month.

However, at present, the Colombian Digital Nomad Visa is only available to citizens of countries and regions that have visa-free entry to Colombia. If you do not have visa-free entry to Colombia, you cannot apply for this visa.

2. Rentista Visa: Issued to foreign individuals whose passive income reaches ten times the Colombian minimum monthly income level. Currently, to apply for this visa, your monthly non-salary income needs to reach 13,006,060 Colombian pesos, approximately 3,220 USD.

Since October 2020, Colombia has downgraded the Rentista Visa from type-M visa to type-V visa. Therefore, the Rentista Visa is now valid for up to two years and can be continuously renewed but can no longer be converted into permanent residency or naturalization.

Type-M Migrant Visas:

Colombian type-M migrant visas are generally valid for 1 to 3 years, and you can continuously renew them under the same conditions or apply for permanent residency after reaching a certain length of stay.

There are also 10 types of type-M visas in Colombia, including work, refugee, investment, retirement, family, etc.

Two of the most popular type-M visas are:

1. Retirement Visa: This type of visa requires you to be a retiree with a monthly pension income that is three times the local minimum monthly wage, which is 3,901,818 Colombian pesos, approximately 966 USD.

To renew the Retirement Visa or apply for permanent residency, you must actually reside in Colombia and stay for no less than 183 days per year.

2. Investment Visa: This visa actually combines real estate investment and business investment visas.

If you buy property in Colombia with an investment exceeding 350 times the local minimum income level, which is 455 million Colombian pesos, approximately 113,000 USD, you can apply for an M-10 real estate investment visa.

If you operate a business locally with an investment exceeding 100 times the local minimum income level, which is 130 million Colombian pesos, approximately 32,200 USD, you can apply for an M-6 business investment visa.

Previously, whether through real estate purchases or business investments, if your investment amount was substantial, you could directly obtain a type-R permanent residence visa in Colombia. But since 2022, Colombia has gradually phased out various type-R permanent residence visas in the investment sector.

If you look at the financially requirements of Colombian visas, you’ll notice that they are mostly tied to the local minimum income level, which changes annually.

This leads to a situation where the same income or investment might qualify you for a particular Colombian visa this year but might not be sufficient to apply for the same visa the following year.

For example, if you buy a property for 113,000 USD now and obtain a Colombian real estate investment visa, but three years later, the minimum economic requirement for the real estate investment visa increases to 120,000 USD, you would not be able to renew your visa with the previous property.

Therefore, most Colombian residence visa holders need to pay attention to the changes in the local minimum income level announced by the government every January to determine how to renew their residence permits.

Additionally, all Colombian type-M visa holders must actually reside in South America; if your total time outside the country exceeds 180 days in a year, your visa may be revoked.

Dependents:

For most Colombian visas, the primary applicant’s spouse, minor children, financially dependent or disabled adult children, and financially dependent parents can obtain the visa as secondary applicants.

Permanent Residency & Citizenship:

Holders of type-M visas in Colombia are eligible to apply for permanent residency after residing continuously in Colombia for five years and meeting other conditions.

To maintain Colombian permanent residency, you must enter the country at least once every two years.

Foreigners who have legally resided in Colombia for 10 years and meet other conditions, such as being a permanent resident, having no criminal record, and having a basic command of Spanish, can apply for Colombian citizenship.

Passport Power:

Colombia recognizes dual citizenship. Its passport is ranked 38th globally and allows passport holders to freely travel (visa-free, visa upon arrival or e-visa) to 135 countries and regions worldwide. (May 30th, 2024)

Colombia is part of the Southern Common Market(MERCOSUR).As shown in the figure below, citizens of the member countries of this agreement can freely work and live in any other member country. After two years, if one can provide proof of financial means to support oneself and family, they can directly obtain a permanent residence visa in the country of residence. Having Colombian citizenship is very convenient for living in South America.

Useful Links:

Colombia Visa Online Platform: https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites_servicios/visa

Colombia Digital Nomad Visa: https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/v/nomadadigital

Colombia Retirement visa: https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/special-temporary-pensioners-visa-0

Colombia Investment Visa: https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/resident-investors-visa