There are different visa types, depending on the time the foreigner wishes to stay in Colombia and the authorized activities: You will hear then about visitor visas (V-visas), Migrant visas (M-visas) and Resident visas (R-visas), with and without work and studies permits.
This visa is intended for foreigners who wish to enter Colombia for specific reasons that do not involve settling or residing permanently in the country.
The visitor visa is quite versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, including tourism, business, short-term studies, remote work, event participation, volunteering, medical treatment, among others. The duration of this visa can vary depending on the purpose of the trip, but generally allows stays that do not exceed 2 years, with the possibility of extensions.
This visa does not allow time to be accumulated towards the Resident visa, and most of them do not allow working in Colombia.
The migrant visa is designed for those foreigners who plan to reside in Colombia for a longer period than allowed by the visitor visa, but who do not yet qualify or are not seeking permanent residency.
This category includes people such as workers, investors, retirees, spouses, or permanent partners of Colombian citizens, among others. Migrant visas usually have a validity of up to 3 years and can be a step towards obtaining the resident visa, as they allow accumulating the required time to apply for permanent residency in Colombia.
However, these visas come with a restriction, which is that the holder of a Migrant visa cannot be absent from the country for six (6) consecutive months, otherwise the visa will be automatically canceled.
The resident visa is for those foreigners looking to establish themselves permanently in Colombia. This visa is granted under certain conditions, such as having held a migrant visa for a specific period (usually 2 or 5 years, depending on the case), being the parent of a Colombian citizen by birth, Investor on Real Estate, Spouse of Colombian National, among others.
The resident visa has no expiration date, which means the holder can remain in Colombia indefinitely, subject to certain conditions, such as not being absent from the country for two (2) consecutive years.
Each type of visa has its own requirements, conditions, and application procedures, which are detailed in Colombia’s migration regulations and may be periodically updated. If you need legal migration advice, do not hesitate to contact our lawyers.