Colombia Visa Types

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Get a Check-Mig form for Colombia!

Looking to spend some quality time in Colombia? Are you planning a short tour or a long stay? A visa is the first thing you need to plan a trip to Colombia. The Colombian immigration office issues many types of visas. You will get a different Colombian visa, depending on your reason for visiting.

Whichever visa you want, you must fill out a check migration form before your arrival in Colombia. Click here to get a Check-Mig form! Now let’s discuss what kind of visa you need.

Colombia Visa Types

You can divide Colombia visa types into 3 categories.

  • Visitor Visa
  • Migrant Visa
  • Resident Visa

Deciding What Type Of Visa To Apply For

The visitor visa is for those who intend to stay in Colombia temporarily, once or more. If it’s for leisure, you will need a type of visitor visa called the tourist visa. For work, you will apply for a work visa; for business dealings, it will have to be a business visa. All these visas let you stay in Colombia for 90 days. You can ask for an extension of a further 90 days. You will apply for a student visa if you want to study in Colombia. The student visa usually lets you reside in Colombia for as long as the program you enroll in, but you might have to renew it once.

The migrant visa is for those who intend to stay in Colombia for a lengthy period of time or permanently but are not eligible for the resident visa. If you visit Colombia to take up long-term work, you will need a migrant visa. Also, if you want to stay in Colombia because you are getting married to a Colombian citizen, you will require a special kind of migrant visa, the marriage visa.

For permanent residency, you will need a resident visa. People who have held a migrant visa for more than 2 years can apply for a resident visa. Those who previously gave up Colombian nationality and those who are parents of Colombian nationals by birth are eligible for a resident visa.

Get a Check-Mig form for Colombia!

Visa Requirements

All types of visas have the same general requirements:

  • Valid passport
  • 2 Passport-sized pictures
  • Original birth certificates for minors
  • Bank account statements from the last 3 months
  • Proof you have a place of residency
  • Proof you paid the visa processing fee

You might have to submit extra documents depending on the type of visa you apply for. For example, if it’s a student visa, you must provide the Colombian ministry of foreign affairs with proof of enrollment.

Visa Exemptions

Colombia exempts many countries from visa rules if it’s for less than 90 days a year. All you have to do is show your passport. Residents of countries like Brazil do not even need a passport; they only need an ID card. Nationals of Cambodia, China, India Macau can enter Colombia without a visa if they have a visa for the US or Schengen country.


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