- Digital nomad visa
- Yes
Visa V – Nómadas Digitales
Overall8/10Easier visas than about 90% of cities
Good to know
Good to Know
- Most nomads from the US, Canada, UK, EU, and Australia can fly into Medellín's José María Córdova airport with zero visa paperwork — just a passport valid 6+ months and an onward ticket.
- You must complete the free 'Check-Mig' online form within 72 hours (and no later than 1 hour) before every flight in or out of Colombia — airlines will check for it at check-in.
- The standard visa-free stay is 90 days, extendable once online for another 90 days, but the combined total tourist stay is capped at 180 days per calendar year — it does not reset just by leaving and re-entering within the same year.
- If you plan to stay past 90 days, apply for the extension online 10-15 days before your stamp expires; waiting until the last minute or applying after expiry risks fines and status problems.
- EU/Schengen citizens currently get the 90-day extension for free; most other nationalities pay a modest fee (roughly $30-45 USD equivalent in COP).
- For anything beyond 180 total days per year (living/working long-term), you'll need a formal visa category (e.g., the Digital Nomad visa), not just the tourist stamp — that's covered separately in this guide.
- The income bar is pegged to 3x Colombia's minimum wage in pesos, not a fixed dollar figure — it moves with both the annual minimum-wage increase and the peso's exchange rate, so check the current COP threshold shortly before applying and give yourself a buffer.
- Averaging is not allowed: each of the last three months of personal bank statements must individually clear the income threshold, not just the average.
- Only foreign-sourced income counts, and you're legally barred from taking on Colombian clients or employers on this visa.
- Crossing 183 days in Colombia in any rolling 365-day window makes you a Colombian tax resident on worldwide income regardless of what visa you hold — this catches many nomads who assume the visa itself has no tax consequences.
- Health insurance must be 'all-risk' (including repatriation) and match the full length of visa you're requesting — a short policy can get your requested visa duration shortened.
- You must register with Migración Colombia and get a Cédula de Extranjería within 15 days of arrival if your visa is valid more than 3 months — don't skip this step.
- Approval is not guaranteed even for qualified applicants; sloppy documentation (missing apostilles/translations, inconsistent bank statement figures) is the most common cause of denial.
Visa Free Entry
- Overview
- Colombia has a liberal, unilateral visa-waiver policy. Citizens of a large group of countries (the Cancillería's official exempt list, which numbers around 90-100+ nationalities including the US, Canada, UK, EU member states, Australia, and most of Latin America) can enter without applying for a visa in advance, for tourism or short business purposes.
- Who Qualifies
- Ordinary passport holders from countries on Colombia's official visa-exemption list (Lista A/B under Cancillería resolutions). This covers the vast majority of nomads from North America, the EU/Schengen area, the UK, Australia, and most Latin American countries. A separate rule lets nationals of certain other countries (e.g. Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) enter visa-free for 90 days if they already hold a valid US or Schengen visa, or equivalent residency, valid for at least 180 days from arrival.
Process
- On Arrival
- No visa application is needed before travel for exempt nationalities — travelers simply present a passport valid at least 6 months, proof of onward/return travel, and (occasionally) proof of funds; an officer stamps the passport for up to 90 days.
- Pre Arrival
- A free Check-Mig online pre-registration form (issued by Migración Colombia) must be completed between 1 and 72 hours before each flight to or from Colombia; airlines check for this confirmation at check-in.
- Extension Fee
- COP 143,000
Fee is waived for citizens of the Schengen Area/EU under current rules; other nationalities pay this fee, payable online, via PSE, or at partner banks.
- Extension Process
- The 90-day extension is requested online through Migración Colombia's portal (not a visa, but a 'Permiso Temporal para Prorrogar Permanencia'). It should be submitted before the current stamp expires, ideally 10-15 days in advance. Approval and confirmation are issued digitally as a PDF rather than a new physical stamp.
- Overstay Consequences
- Overstaying without an approved extension can trigger fines (some sources cite up to roughly COP 1,400,000), being barred from leaving the country until the fine is paid, and complications for future entries or formal immigration processes.
Length Of Stay
- Detail
- On arrival, immigration officers typically grant an initial 90-day stay stamped in the passport (the Permiso de Ingreso y Permanencia). This can be extended once for an additional 90 days while inside the country, for a combined maximum of 180 days of tourist presence within a single calendar year (not per 180-day rolling window like Schengen, but tracked per calendar year).
- Extension Days
- 90
- Initial Stamp Days
- 90
- Extension Available
- Yes
- Max Days Per Calendar Year
- 180
Digital Nomad Visa And Tax
- Visa Name
- Visa V – Nómadas Digitales (Type V 'Visitor' Digital Nomad Visa)
- Legal Basis
- Resolución 5477 de 2022 (Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Cancillería)
- Max Duration
- Up to 2 years, renewable via a new application before expiry; time held on this visa does not count toward permanent residency since it is classified as a Visitor (V) visa
- Renewal Path
- Renew by submitting a new application through the same Cancillería process before the current visa expires, again proving the 3x SMMLV income threshold with fresh bank statements. The visa is generally issued for up to 2 years and can be renewed; it is automatically cancelled if the holder is absent from Colombia for more than 6 consecutive months.
- Visa Ease Tier
- high
- Family Dependents
- Spouse/permanent partner and dependent children can be added as beneficiaries on the same visa category with proof of relationship (marriage/birth certificate); each dependent pays the same government fees as the main applicant.
- Issuing Authority
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería) — visa issuance; Migración Colombia — post-arrival registration
- Visa Ease Tier Rationale
- Colombia offers generous 90+90 day visa-free entry for most nomads plus a dedicated Digital Nomad Visa with a moderate income threshold and clear process, though documentation burden and reported denial rates keep it from “Very high”.
- Approval Environment 2026
- Multiple immigration-focused sources report a meaningful share of applications being denied through 2025–2026, with the Cancillería applying real discretion even to seemingly qualified profiles. Common rejection triggers are income inconsistency across the 3 required months, mismatched bank statement figures, and missing apostilles/translations.
Fees
- Study Fee
- COP 180,360
- Issuance Fee Approx
- COP 802,000
- Cedula De Extranjeria Approx
- COP 267,200
- Note
- Colombian government visa fees are effectively set/tracked in USD terms by the Cancillería; COP figures above are approximate conversions at a current exchange rate and will vary. The issuance fee has been reported anywhere from roughly $170–$265 USD depending on the source and year, so budget on the higher end.
Tax Treatment
- Resident
- Once tax-resident (183+ day rule met), worldwide income and, above certain thresholds, worldwide assets must be declared to DIAN, taxed on a progressive scale reaching up to 39% for higher brackets. Foreign asset reporting thresholds apply (in UVT, Colombia's annually-adjusted tax unit).
- Non Resident
- Taxed only on Colombian-source income; most sources cite a flat rate around 35% on Colombian-source income for non-residents, so a nomad earning purely foreign income and staying under 183 days generally owes no Colombian income tax on that foreign income.
- Double Taxation
- Colombia has double-taxation treaties with a number of countries (e.g., Spain, France, UK) but notably does NOT currently have one in force with the United States, meaning US nomads who become tax-resident face separate compliance in both countries with no treaty relief, though the US Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit can help on the US side.
- Filing Authority
- DIAN (Colombia's national tax authority) via the Muisca platform; tax residents must obtain a RUT (tax ID) and file an annual return, typically in the second half of the year.
- Special Nomad Tax Regime
- None. Colombia has no bespoke reduced-tax regime for digital nomad visa holders comparable to some European schemes.
Who Qualifies
- Remote employees working for a foreign (non-Colombian) employer
- Freelancers/independent contractors with foreign clients
- Digital entrepreneurs running online businesses registered outside Colombia
- Nationals of countries that do NOT require a short-stay tourist visa to enter Colombia (this route is unavailable to nationalities that need a visa just to visit)
Documents Required
- Valid passport with at least 6 months' remaining validity
- Passport-style photo (white background, taken within last 6 months)
- Proof of remote work/freelancing (contract, employer/client letter, or motivational letter for entrepreneurs) generally covering at least the prior 6 months
- Personal bank statements for the last 3 months showing income above the threshold
- All-risk health insurance policy covering the full requested visa duration, including accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death, and repatriation
- Criminal record certificate from country of residence for the last 3 years (apostilled and translated where required)
- Proof of address/accommodation in Colombia
- Documents not in Spanish, English, French, or Portuguese must be officially translated; some documents (e.g., certificates of incorporation) require apostille
Income Requirement
- Rule
- Minimum net monthly income of 3x Colombia's legal monthly minimum wage (SMMLV). This is NOT averaged — each of the last 3 months of bank statements must individually clear the threshold.
- Smmlv 2026 Month
- COP 1,750,905
- Minimum Income Threshold Month
- COP 5,252,715
- Notes
- The Cancillería converts foreign-currency income to COP using the exchange rate on the day your file is reviewed, so applicants should apply with a comfortable buffer above the minimum. Only personal (not business) bank statements are accepted as proof; payroll certificates, invoices, and crypto/platform statements alone are typically not accepted as primary proof.
Application Process
- Apply entirely online through the Cancillería's official visa portal, either from abroad or from inside Colombia while on a valid tourist entry
- Create an account, select Visa Tipo V, and choose 'Nómadas Digitales' as the specific activity/subtype
- Upload all required documents (digitized, translated, apostilled as needed)
- Pay the government study fee at submission
- Official decision window is up to 30 calendar days
- If applying from inside Colombia, submit well before your tourist permit expires to avoid falling out of status while the application is pending
- Upon approval, pay the issuance fee to collect the visa
- Register with Migración Colombia and obtain a Cédula de Extranjería within 15 days of arrival if the visa is valid for more than 3 months
Prohibited Activities
- Working for Colombian companies
- Providing paid services to Colombian-based clients
- Generating local (Colombian-source) income
Tax Residency Trigger
- Rule
- 183 days or more of physical presence in Colombia (continuous or not, counting entry/exit days) within any rolling 365-day period, or accumulating 183+ days within a single calendar year — whichever is met first.
- Visa Relevance
- Holding the Digital Nomad Visa does NOT by itself create tax residency or any tax exemption. The DIAN applies the same 183-day presence test regardless of visa type, so a nomad who stays under 183 days remains a non-resident for tax purposes even on this visa.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.