Top 9 Colombian Visas For 2024
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The visa office has appeared to relax on the ridiculous nitpicking they were engaged in during the majority of 2023. However certain requirements continue to be annoying such as not allowing foreign documents to pass 90 days during the review process. During visa renewals or first application proceses documents willexpire during the review process once they pass 90 days. Visa applications currently being processed during January have been processed in 2-3 weeks with higher approval ratings than last year. 2022-2023 were very difficult times for persons renewing visas as the office shut down and implemented new rules. Please remember that the hardest time to process visas is from late May through August. During this time visas may take up to 3 months to be processed, incurring additional visa application fees. Visa applications time out at 30 days, and require additional payments to continue. Our new favorite visa for those who qualify and only require a visitor visa is the business Free Trade Visitors Visa: I would like to draw attention to a new visa based on companies involved in free trade agreements with Colombia. If a company you work for or own is involved in importing or exporting services or products which are listed in a free trade agreement you can obtain a very nice TLC visa. ** To support these types of applications you need to search for the products or services to verify inclusion in free trade agreements. |
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5) PROPERTY INVESTMENT – To Obtain a Colombian Investor or Investment Visa as a Migrant: This still remains a very popular visa in the Migrant visa category. BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE INVESTING NEAR THE MINIMUM RATE! We recommend you invest about 150% of the minimum, around 650 to 700 million if you can swing it. When you renew this visa you must meet minimum investment rates after inflation in the future. Once you have 5 years with this visa you can convert to a permanent residency.
Here is our Top 9Â List for Colombian Visas:
1) STUDENT – The student visa for Colombia is still maintaining a number 1 position due to the ease of preparing documents and therefore being the fastest process. It Is good for 1 year, but after this officials may issue more time if you can show good evidence education is progressing. While most choose to study Spanish, you may sign up for technical degrees or regular college classes as well.
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2) PENSION VISA – This visa became more difficult with the visa rules changing in 2022, but still remains our 2nd most popular visa in 2024. For persons who have been in Colombia 3 years or more this visa is not as bad as for other persons. If an applicant is here less than 3 years then you have to obtain your criminal history report from your home country. The United States embassy also STOPPED CERTIFYING SOCIAL SECURITY LETTERS in 2022. (check out our tips for filing visas in Colombia for 2023)
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3) MARRIAGE VISA – The marriage visa for Colombia is maintained the 3rd most popular Colombian visa for 2023. It is actually easier than it was in 2022, but we remind people that half of the application success is due to providing proof of relationship. Click Here. Civil Union requires a certification of the relationship 1 year before a visa application is presented. For this reason, marriages have become more popular because you may apply right away providing you have sufficient proof of relationship
4) ANNUITY / RENTISTA VISA – Based on foreign investment income generated outside of Colombia. Always a very popular visa for persons who have their own small business in the States such as an LLC, S corp, or C corp. Landlords with property administrators may also qualify for this visa. With an exchange rate of 4,000 dollars to 1 peso, you need approximately 3,000 USD to qualify. This visa was downgraded to a Visitor visa but maintains a high number of people opting for this visa. This visa is an option for the Nomad Visa and in some cases may get more time..legally speaking this visa allows you to year round in Colombia. However, many are looking for a way to upgrade to the migrant visa category as this is needed for obtaining permanent residency. Some Rentista/Annuity holders are applying for permanent residency based on having 5 years under the previous law.
6) Business Owner Visa – is in 6th position for the 2024 popularity list. This is a migrant visa and is a really good option to accumulate years towards a residency visa. It is not an easy visa to maintain unless you are really going to operate a company in Colombia. A Colombia company is much harder than running an LLC in the USA. However, many choose this option over other migrant visas for personal reasons, for example, some persons prefer to administer a company than get married for example. Ideas for popular business by expats can be found here.
Under the 2024 Colombian minimum salary rate, you can purchase a property at 350 * Min salary = 455,000,000 Pesos ($116,667USD) Qualifies for a 1 – 3 years temporary residency Visa M – Property Owners Visa (Previously TP7) –
The basic Requirements for the VISA TRANSFER OF RESIDENT VISA are:Â 1) a passport with more than 6 months before it expires, 2) a Colombian “Movements” Immigration Report, 3) a New Visa Photo, 4) a Copy of most recent resident visa, and if you’re using an agency or third party you will need a power of attorney for visa application and immigration report.
Applying for legalize documents for colombia
Once you receive online visa approval, if doing this in Colombia, you need to travel to Bogotá to get the visa in your passport. Visas in Colombia are issued at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores office in Bogotá. Their office is located at Avenida 19 # 98-03, Torre 100 Building, 3rd Floor. It’s open from 7:30 am until noon.
The major challenge with getting a Colombian visa yourself is dealing with a government bureaucracy, making a trip to Bogota and not understanding the laws properly if you are not fluent in Sanish.Â
This is where you can benefit from the services of an experienced visa agency such as Visas by James. A visa agency such ours is your best bet when it comes to obtaining visa for you. An experienced visa agency which has processed hundreds of visas and knows exactly what is needed for each type of visa is exactly what you need.
Another big benefit of using a visa agency is that they offer services to courier your passport to Bogotá to get the visa put in your passport. So, you can avoid a trip to Bogotá. The cost of a visa service including the service to courier your passport to Bogotá can even be cheaper than the cost of a trip to Bogotá.
Our Story
James Lindzey founded the website ColombiaVisas.com, which is constantly updated with new information explaining visa resolutions, procedures, and laws in Colombia to expats. James has worked as a private investigator and paralegal in the United States through the 90s until he moved to Colombia in 2005. James arrived in Colombia in 2005 and started doing visas for expats, but currently works as Director of Legal Services for Visas by James, and Colombia Legal & Associates SAS since June of 2023.
Colombia Legal & Associates acquired the brand name Visas by James as it became a more familiar and easy way for foreigners to remember the business, than the previous Visas y Tramites Internacionales.
While MedellinLawyer.com focuses more on legal issues for expats, ColombiaVisas.com focuses more on visas, and holds the trademark Visas by James. ColombiaVisas.com is the oldest website and provider of visa information for expats in Colombia. We are proud to be the first and always on the cutting edge of providing interactive website content to our visitors.Â
In addition to our visa services our agency offers a full range of legal and accounting services to our clients. We are able to assist better in document collection services in the United States because of James previous legal experience in the United States.
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About Our Visa Services
We can guie you through the most Complicated Immigration Situations. Our aim is to make life easier for expatriates in Colombia!Â
We monitor your visa application process .
Please let us know if you need more information, or we can set up a consultation in order to provided you personalized guide.
Our main office is located in Medellin, Colombia near Parque Lleras in El Poblado. We have representation in Bogota, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. Our main office address is Cra 39#5A-95, Oficina 709, Edificio Avangarde. We accept walk in appointments but its always nice if you can let us know ahead of time so we can schedule a time. Areas codes in Colombia have changed. To reach our office please call (57) 604-444-6634.
