Colombia digital nomad visa (2026)

Who can apply

Only nationals of countries whose citizens are exempt from Colombia's short-stay visitor visa may apply.

• Passport from a country exempt from Colombia's short-stay visa
• Remote work for a foreign company, or a digital-content or tech startup project
• Income of at least three Colombian minimum wages a month over the last three months
• Health insurance valid in Colombia for the whole stay

Income requirement

You need to show at least 3 monthly minimum wages – COP 5,252,715 per month in 2026 (about US$1,603 a month at rates from 11 Nov 2026). Bank statements must show at least three legal monthly minimum wages (2026 minimum wage COP 1,750,905) in each of the last three months; family members can be added as beneficiaries.

Documents you need

• Passport
• Letter in Spanish or English from the foreign company describing the relationship and pay (or contract)
• Motivation letter describing the project, for entrepreneurs
• Bank statements for the last three months
• Comprehensive health insurance valid in Colombia

How to apply, step by step

1. Fill in the online visa form on the Cancillería portal and upload documents as PDF
2. Pay the US$56 study fee
3. If approved, pay the US$138 issuance fee and receive the electronic visa

Where and how to apply

Every Colombian visa application, including the digital nomad visitor visa, is filed online on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería) visa platform; there is no paper filing. When you fill in the form you choose the office that will handle it. From abroad, that is the Colombian consulate covering your country of residence, or a third country where you hold temporary or permanent residence. If you are already in Colombia with a regular status, for example on the entry permit given to visa-exempt visitors, you select the Bogotá office and can apply without leaving. The decision is taken by the Visa and Immigration Authority within the foreign ministry, which may ask for original documents in person or for an interview. Approved visas are issued electronically. Migración Colombia, a separate agency, handles border control and the foreigner ID card (cédula de extranjería).

Timeline

1. Collect fresh documents Issued no more than 3 months before you file
   Article 20 of Resolution 5477 requires every supporting document except the passport to be dated within three months of the application.
2. File online and pay the study fee Day 0
   Upload all documents as PDFs and pay the study fee; the review clock only starts when both are done.
3. Answer any document requests Up to three requests
   The authority can ask for more documents or an interview up to three times before deciding.
4. Decision Up to 30 calendar days
   Article 13 gives the authority 30 calendar days from a complete, paid application, longer if it needs to consult other agencies; stay in regular status meanwhile if you are in Colombia.
5. Pay the issuance fee Within 10 calendar days of approval
   If you do not pay in time, the application is treated as withdrawn.
6. Check the electronic visa Within 15 calendar days of issue
   Errors on the e-visa must be reported for correction within 15 days.
7. Foreigner ID card if required Within 15 calendar days of entry or of visa issue
   Holders of visas longer than three months must request a cédula de extranjería from Migración Colombia, but the rule exempts 'V Visitante' holders; confirm whether it applies to you.
8. When the visa ends 30 calendar days
   You have 30 days after a visa ends to leave Colombia or apply for a new visa.

Proving your income

Income is shown through bank statements for the last three months, and they must show income of at least three monthly minimum wages over that period; the safest approach is to make sure each month on its own reaches that amount. The income must come from work for foreign companies, either as an employee or as a freelancer; any payment from a person or company domiciled in Colombia is not allowed under this visa. Employees add a letter in Spanish or English from the foreign employer describing the relationship and pay; business owners show proof of owning the foreign company plus a letter on the remote work. Under Article 21, foreign documents normally need an apostille or legalisation and an official Spanish translation, but bank statements and bank certificates are exempt from both if they are written in an official language of the Organisation of American States (Spanish, English, Portuguese or French) and are clear to the authority. Remember that each document must be no more than three months old when you file.

Bringing your family

The digital nomad visa allows beneficiaries. Resolution 5477 defines them as the spouse or permanent partner, children up to age 25, and children with a physical or mental disability, in each case only if they depend financially on the main visa holder. Article 46 does not add a separate income amount per family member, but the authority can still assess whether the household is supported. Beneficiary visas cannot last longer than the main holder's visa and do not allow work in Colombia. They end automatically if the main visa ends, if the person stops being dependent, or when a child turns 25. Children and partners may study, because the resolution allows study under any visa valid for 90 days or more, except tourist and transit visas.

Health insurance

Article 46 requires a health insurance policy that covers you during your stay in Colombia; beneficiaries need cover too. The resolution does not set a minimum amount or require a Colombian insurer, so an international policy is acceptable as long as it clearly covers treatment in Colombia for the whole period of the visa. Because the policy is a supporting document, the certificate must be issued within three months before you file, and if it is not in an OAS official language it needs an apostille and official Spanish translation. Buy cover that starts no later than the date you plan to be in Colombia under the visa.

Cost and processing time

The fee is uS$56 study fee plus US$138 issuance fee (US$194 total; different rates in the euro zone, free for Spanish nationals). Processing takes up to 30 calendar days after a complete, paid application. Budget extra for translations, certified copies and health insurance.

After you arrive

• Enter with your electronic visa and keep a copy of it; Migración Colombia records your entry.
• Ask Migración Colombia whether you must request a cédula de extranjería: the rule applies to visas over three months, within 15 calendar days of entry, but exempts 'V Visitante' holders.
• Report any change in your circumstances, such as a new employer or the end of your contract; unreported changes are a ground for cancelling the visa.
• Do not invoice or work for Colombian individuals or companies; doing activities other than those authorised can lead to cancellation.
• If you become tax resident and have to file a return, register in DIAN's single tax register (RUT).
• If the visa is cancelled, you must leave within 30 calendar days, and a new application cannot be made for one to ten years.

Tax

Resolution 5477 contains no tax exemption for digital nomads. The national tax authority DIAN explains that under Article 10 of the Tax Statute, a person becomes tax resident by staying in Colombia for more than 183 calendar days, continuous or not, within any period of 365 consecutive days; days of entry and exit both count. If that period spans two tax years, the person is treated as resident from the second year. Because the nomad visa can last up to two years, most holders who actually live in Colombia will pass this test. Residents who are required to file must register in the RUT tax register and file annual returns. The official pages reviewed do not explain how foreign remote-work income is taxed once you are resident, so take advice from DIAN or a Colombian accountant before you reach 183 days.

Does it lead to permanent residence?

Time on the digital nomad visa does not count toward permanent residence. Article 23 of Resolution 5477 states that living in Colombia as a visitor does not create residence with intent to remain, and the resident (R) visa is based on continuous time on migrant (M) visas instead. Under Article 90, the required time on an M visa is generally five years (for example for workers, independent professionals and investors), three years for spouses of Colombians and two years for parents of Colombian children. A nomad who wants to settle would first need to qualify for an M visa in their own right, and from that date start counting toward the R visa.

Why applications get refused

• Supporting documents older than three months, or foreign documents without the required apostille and official Spanish translation.
• Bank statements that fall short of three minimum wages in any of the last three months, or that show payments from Colombian sources.
• A passport from a country whose citizens need a visa for short stays in Colombia; only visa-exempt nationals can use this category.
• Inaccurate information on the form, or documents that are illegible, altered, incomplete or misleading.
• Past immigration violations such as irregular entry or overstaying.
• The authority's discretion: a visa is not a right, and after a refusal you must leave within 30 days and wait six months before applying again from your country of nationality or permanent residence.

Cost of living in Medellín

1-bedroom rent

COP 3,200,000-4,680,000 per month in the centre; COP 1,500,000-2,320,000 outside (Numbeo, 12 Nov 2026)

Coworking desk

COP 349,000-569,000 per month for a desk, starting price to median (workin.space, Nov 2026)

Numbeo's Medellín figures are based on 49 contributors, and broadband was listed at about COP 65,000-128,000 a month.

Good to know

• Visa-exempt nationals who only want a short stay can work remotely on an entry permit of 90 days, extendable to 180 days a year
• The minimum wage changes each January, so the income figure changes too

Visiting first? Entry rules for popular passports

101 passports can enter Colombia visa-free for a short stay, a common way to try the country before applying. Check Colombia visa requirements for your passport.

Official source

Cancillería de Colombia – Visas

Not yet confirmed on an official source: renewal. Check these with the consulate before you apply.