V Visa for Digital Nomads

Colombia's digital nomad visa, live since late 2022, has one of the lowest income bars in the world: three times the Colombian minimum monthly wage, currently around USD 1,000. It is granted for up to two years, allows multiple entries, and covers both remote employees of foreign companies and freelancers with foreign clients. Holders can obtain a cédula de extranjería, which unlocks banking and local health insurance. Note that it does not permit work for Colombian companies, and it does not shelter you from Colombian tax residency.

Broadly open, but consulates assess each application case by case.

• Roughly USD 1,000 monthly incomeRequiredIncome of at least three times the Colombian legal monthly minimum wage, evidenced by the last three months of bank statements and a letter from your employer or clients.Source
• Remote work for foreign companies or clientsRequiredYou must work remotely for a company or clients registered outside Colombia, as an employee, freelancer or business owner.
• Health insurance covering ColombiaRequiredHealth insurance valid in Colombia for the whole stay, covering accident, illness, hospitalisation, disability, maternity and repatriation.
• Aged 18 or overRequiredApplicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Passport valid for at least six monthsRequiredSix months of validity and at least two blank pages.
• Motivation letter requiredInfoThe application needs a letter, in Spanish, explaining your intended activities in Colombia and your work arrangement. It is a real assessment criterion rather than a formality.
• The visa does not exempt you from tax residencyAdvisorySpending 183 days in any rolling 365-day period makes you a Colombian tax resident on worldwide income, at rates up to 39%, with foreign asset reporting. Holding the two-year visa changes nothing about this.

• Passport with six months validity and two blank pages
• Motivation letter in Spanish
• Employment contract or client contracts with foreign entities
• Three months of bank statements
• Health insurance certificate valid in Colombia
• Passport photograph on a white background

1. Prepare and translate documents

   ~7 days

   Contracts and the motivation letter should be in Spanish. Bank statements are usually accepted in English.

   1

2. Apply on the Cancillería portal

   ~1 day

   The entire application is online and can be filed from inside or outside Colombia.

   2

3. Study and payment

   ~14 days

   The visa study fee is paid first; the issuance fee follows approval. Requests for extra documents are common.

   3

4. Register and get your cédula

   ~15 days

   Register the visa with Migración Colombia within 15 days of issue or entry, and collect the cédula de extranjería.

   4

Granted for up to two years. Renewal is possible, and holders often move to an M visa route if they intend to stay longer.

• The cédula de extranjería is the practical prize: it unlocks Colombian bank accounts and local health cover
• Registering with Migración Colombia within 15 days is mandatory and easily forgotten
• The income threshold tracks the minimum wage, so it rises every January
• The V visa does not count toward permanent residency, unlike the M visa categories
• Tax residency at 183 days is the single biggest planning consideration for this visa

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia - visasCancillería de Colombia2026-07-27