Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.
Visa V — Nómada digital (digital nomad)
activeDigital nomad visaFor: All citizenships
Income requirement: 5,252,715 COP/month (≥ 3 SMMLV, proved via bank statements for the 3 months prior to application (3 × 1,750,905 SMMLV 2026 = 5,252,715 COP ≈ €1,376/mo). Pegged to the minimum wage, so it rises each year.)
- Duration
- 2 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- No
- Family
- Included
- Fee
- 54 USD
- Processing
- 5–30 days
Requirements (5)
- Passport from a country exempt from Colombian short-stay visas (Resolución 5477/2022 art. 46)
- Health insurance policy covering the national territory against all risks (accident, illness, maternity, invalidity, hospitalization, death, repatriation) for the intended stay
- Bank statements for the 3 months prior to the application proving income ≥ 3 SMMLV, plus a letter/communication (Spanish or English) from the foreign company evidencing the remote-work relationship, or a business plan for a digital/IT venture
- Motivation showing the activity is remote work/telework for foreign employers/clients, or a digital-content / IT entrepreneurship project of interest to Colombia
- Passport-style photo and completed online visa application via the Cancillería portal
Tax implications: Remote work must be for foreign companies/clients only — no remunerated work for Colombian-domiciled persons or companies. Tax residency is triggered by staying >183 days in any 365-day period; a resident freelancer can then use the SIMPLE or ordinary renta regime.related scheme →related scheme →
Maximum validity of the digital-nomad Visa V is up to 2 years. It is a Visitante (V) category, so time held does NOT accumulate toward permanent residence (Visa R). Application fee (study) ≈ USD 54 with an issuance/beneficio fee on approval (roughly USD 180–232); both vary by nationality under the MRE fee resolution (Res. 3969/2026). Visa-exempt nationals may alternatively enter on a Permiso de Ingreso (up to 90 days, extendable to 180/calendar year) for short remote-work stays that generate no Colombian-sourced payments.
Visa M — Profesional independiente (self-employed professional)
activeTemporary residenceFor: All citizenships
Income requirement: 8,754,525 COP/month (≥ 5 SMMLV, proved via bank statements for the 6 months prior to application (5 × 1,750,905 SMMLV 2026 = 8,754,525 COP ≈ €2,293/mo). Pegged to the minimum wage.)
- Duration
- 3 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
- Processing
- 5–30 days
Requirements (4)
- Aim to exercise, independently and without an employment relationship, a regulated profession or an unregulated activity of interest to Colombia
- Bank statements for the 6 months prior to the application showing monthly income ≥ 5 SMMLV
- Professional qualification / documentation supporting the independent activity
- Health insurance and a completed online visa application via the Cancillería portal
Tax implications: Work permission is limited to the profession/activity for which the visa was granted (independent, no employment relationship). A resident holder can register and use the SIMPLE (co-rst-professional) or ordinary renta regime; tax residency after >183 days.related scheme →related scheme →
Validity up to 3 years. Unlike the Visa V, the Migrante (M) category accumulates time toward permanent residence: after 5 continuous years holding an accumulating Visa M one can apply for Visa R (Residente). Beneficiary visas available for spouse/permanent partner and children (dependents). This is the realistic long-term freelancer/residency route; the digital-nomad Visa V is better for stays up to 2 years.
Visa M — Socio o propietario (business owner / shareholder)
activeBusiness visaFor: All citizenships
Income requirement: 175,090,500 COP/year (Investment / capital participation in a Colombian company of ≥ 100 SMMLV (100 × 1,750,905 SMMLV 2026 = 175,090,500 COP ≈ €45,860). Pegged to the minimum wage.)
- Duration
- 3 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
- Processing
- 5–30 days
Requirements (4)
- Investment or capital participation in a Colombian commercial company of at least 100 SMMLV, registered in the Cámara de Comercio and reflected in the company's capital
- Company bank statements (last 3 months), tax return, social-security payments, lease contract and proof of ICA (industry & commerce) tax payments demonstrating real activity and solvency
- Certificate of existence and legal representation of the company
- Health insurance and a completed online visa application via the Cancillería portal
Tax implications: Work permission restricted to the activity of the company in which the applicant is partner/owner. Company profits and any salary/dividends are taxed under Colombian corporate and personal rules; a freelancer running their own sociedad would combine CIT with personal renta on distributions (not modeled in our freelancer schemes).related scheme →
Validity up to 3 years; accumulates toward Visa R (5 years). Suited to a freelancer who incorporates a Colombian company rather than operating as a natural person. Investment threshold (100 SMMLV) rises with the minimum wage each year.
Visa R — Residente por tiempo acumulado (permanent residence)
activeTemporary residenceFor: All citizenships
- Duration
- 5 years, renewable
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (4)
- Have held an accumulating Visa M (worker, independent professional, business owner/shareholder, investor, etc.) continuously for 5 years, OR 2 years as spouse/permanent partner of a Colombian national
- Copies of prior visas, migratory-movement certificate and a letter explaining the source of income
- Uninterrupted residence — absences beyond the allowed limits reset the accumulated time
- Health insurance and a completed online visa application via the Cancillería portal
Tax implications: Full residence with open work permission; the holder is a Colombian tax resident and can use any personal tax regime (SIMPLE or ordinary renta).related scheme →related scheme →
The endpoint of the freelancer residency path: 5 years on an accumulating Visa M (e.g. co-visa-m-profesional-independiente) → Visa R. The digital-nomad Visa V does NOT count toward this. Visa R is indefinite but lapses if the holder is absent from Colombia continuously for more than 2 years.
Estatuto Temporal de Protección (ETPV / PPT) — Venezuelan migrants
activeSpecial programFor: Venezuelan citizens
- Duration
- 63 months
- Path to PR
- Yes
- Family
- Included
Requirements (3)
- Venezuelan citizenship and enrolment in the Registro Único de Migrantes Venezolanos (RUMV) under the ETPV (created 2021)
- Meet the ETPV entry-window / registration conditions set by Migración Colombia
- Issuance of the Permiso por Protección Temporal (PPT) as the identity/work document
Tax implications: The PPT authorizes Venezuelan migrants to stay regularly and to carry out any lawful activity or occupation, including self-employment — full access to the SIMPLE and ordinary renta regimes on the same terms as residents.related scheme →related scheme →
Colombia-specific special program: the PPT is valid until 2031-05-30 and covers ≈1.9M of the ≈2.83M Venezuelans in the country. After 5 years holding PEP/PPT a Venezuelan can apply for a Visa R (Residente). Duration shown as months remaining to the 2031-05-30 end date. Not a route for the typical non-Venezuelan remote worker, but a major differentiator of Colombia's migration landscape.