How to Get Colombia Expertise Visa for Professionals
The Colombia expertise visa or visa for professionals is intended for foreigners who want to live and work in Colombia as self-employed professionals while practicing a particular profession. You must be a professional in your home country who has been pursuing independent economic activity.
A foreigner interested in practicing his or her profession or developing professional activities independently in the national territory of Colombia can apply for expertise visa. You must be willing to practice your profession in Colombia such as electrician, plumber, architect, or internet marketer.
The Colombia expertise visa is very popular among freelancers or other professionals but it is also one of the most difficult visa to obtain. You will have to prove that you have a professional degree or license to pursue your profession such as architect, mechanic, or electrician.
Furthermore, you must demonstrate that your academic background or training is similar to what is stipulated by Colombian regulations. Your degree or professional license is recognized and accepted under Colombian law. If your profession is regulated by Colombian government, then you will need to provide additional documents while applying for this visa.
In some rare cases, you may need to take classes at a Colombian university or at a Colombian vocational school to complete the validation process. This validation process can take several months to complete before you can apply for an expertise visa. So, you need to plan ahead before applying for this visa and practicing your profession in Colombia.
The cost for the new M-7 expertise visa is $282 USD including the processing charge. This is somewhat higher than the previous TP-13 visa, which used to cost $263.
The Colombia expertise visa is a category 7 migrant visa (M visa), which is similar to the previous TP-13 visa. The M type visa will be valid for 3 years. With this type of visa, you are allowed to live and work in Colombia. Even though the expertise visa allows multiple entries, it will lose its validity if you stay out of Colombia for more than six months consecutively.
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How to Apply for Colombia Expertise Visa?
Applying for Expertise Visa from Abroad
A visa applicant who wishes to live, work, and study in Colombia can apply for a Colombia expertise visa online. In addition, any Colombian visas can be obtained at any Colombian consulates around the world.
The Colombian visa application process is fairly easy as it can be completed entirely online. You can apply for a Colombia student visa online Tramites Visa . This application will require scanned copies of all required documents in Adobe PDF format along with your passport photo in jpg format. In addition, a detailed guide for applying online can be found here.
If you are in another country outside of Colombia, then you have to go to nearby Colombian consulate in that country so that you can get the visa put in your passport at a Colombian consulate. Once you have the Colombia expertise visa has been approved and added to your passport, you are ready to travel to Colombia as a migrant.
Applying for Expertise Visa from 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. This 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 Spanish.
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.
What Documents are required for Colombia Expertise Visa?
Passport Photocopy
A photocopy of the first page of your valid passport showing your biographical data. The photocopy can be either in color or black and white.
Passport Photocopy
A photocopy of the first page of your valid passport showing your biographical data. The photocopy can be either in color or black and white.
Proof of Legal Entry:
A photocopy of the page of your passport showing last stamp of entry or departure of Colombia.
Photocopy of Previously Issued Visa:
Introduction Letter:
Certificates Of Experience:
School curriculum:
Bank Statements:
Reference letters:
Passport photo:
Related Articles of Interest: Colombia Visas
Many professions are regulated in Colombia. The legalization of a foreign degree or certification is a separate application process with the professional organization in charge of said profession. This process may include college degree, professional license, college transcript, and college program outline (all apostilled/legalized and translated correctly following correct legalization steps).
In the case of practicing a non-regulated profession, a duly validated professional title validated by the Ministry of Education must be submitted.
Our Path to Becoming Colombia's Leading Visa Agency
James Lindzey founded ColombiaVisas.com after relocating to Medellín in 2005. With experience as a private investigator and paralegal in the U.S., James brought a strong legal background to Colombia's complex visa system.
Today, Visas by James—part of Colombia Legal & Associates SAS—is a top provider of visa and legal services for expats. We specialize in U.S. immigration services for Colombians migrating to the USA, and Expats from countries around the world migrating to Colombia.
In addition to our visa services, our agency offers a full range of legal and accounting services to our clients. We can better assist clients with document collection services for documents located in the United States because of James's prior legal experience in the United States.
We also have contact with over 800 notaries, registry, and Colombian courts to obtain any documents needed in Colombia.
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What Clients Say About Working With Us
Real feedback from clients who have worked with our team on Colombian visa and legal processes.
Client feedback is sourced from publicly available third-party review platforms. Individual results may vary.
“I worked with Visas by James Medellín and had an excellent experience. Once I was connected with Isabela, I felt confident I was on the right path to obtaining my visa.”
— Mathew Sickler
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— Benjamin
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— Reynaldo Araujo
“Overall, a positive experience. Communication was good, and the process was explained in a way that made sense for a foreigner.”
— Justin Halladay
Important Legal Disclaimer
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, immigration advice, or a guarantee of any specific visa outcome.
Colombian visa requirements, procedures, government fees, and internal criteria change frequently and may vary depending on your personal situation and the policies in force at the time of your application.
Always consult a qualified professional to receive advice tailored to your individual case. Reading this website does not create an attorney–client relationship with Colombia Legal & Associates SAS, Visas by James, or any member of our team.
Our Services
Many visas require obtaining complicated documents in the United States or Canada. Just another reason why you should choose our firm.
- We organize your immigration profile so that your Colombian visa application is successful.
- We elaborate and structure all the necessary documents for your Colombian visa application.
- Presentation of a Colombian visa before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any Colombian consulate
- Registration and orientation when you are getting you Colombian ID (Cedula de extranjeria).
- We monitor your immigration process.
- Translation Legalization and apostille of the documents required for your visa application.
- Chat Over WhatsApp – get your visa questions answered fast.
- Online quotes – get immediate quotes for visa and other legal services
- Courier your passport to Bogotá to get the visa in your passport.
- Office in El Poblado in Medellin services.
Please let us know if you need more information, or we can set up a consultation in order to provided you personalized guide.