Top 9 Colombian Visas For 2026

1) STUDENT VISA –

The student visa for Colombia remains in the number 1 position due to the ease of document preparation, making it the fastest process. It is valid for 1 year; after that, officials may grant an extension if you can provide evidence that your education is progressing. While most choose to study Spanish, you may also enroll in technical degrees or regular college courses.

2) PENSION VISA –

This visa became more difficult following the 2022 visa rule changes, but it remains our 2nd most popular visa in 2026. For individuals who have been in Colombia for 3 years or more, this visa is less restrictive than for others. Regardless of how long you’re in Colombia, you must obtain a recent national criminal record with an apostille from your home country. This has been the internal immigration policy since 2024, although it has not been codified in a resolution or law. The United States embassy also STOPPED CERTIFYING SOCIAL SECURITY LETTERS in 2022. (Check out our tips for filing visas in Colombia for 2023)

3) MARRIAGE VISA –

The marriage visa for Colombia is the 3rd most popular Colombian visa for 2025. It is actually easier than it was in 2022, but we remind people that half of the application success depends on providing proof of relationship. Click Here. A Civil Union requires a relationship certification 1 year prior to a visa application. For this reason, marriages have become more popular because you may apply right away, provided you have sufficient proof of a relationship

4) ANNUITY / RENTISTA VISA –

Based on foreign investment income generated outside of Colombia. Always a very popular visa for individuals with 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. At an exchange rate of 3,800 pesos per USD, you need approximately 3,000 USD to qualify, 10 SMMLV per month in income, or exactly 17,509,050 COP, which is equivalent to 4,608 USD. This visa was downgraded to a Visitor visa, yet it continues to attract a high number of applicants. 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 seeking a way to upgrade to the migrant visa category, as this is required to obtain permanent residency. Some Rentista/Annuity holders are applying for permanent residency based on having 5 years under the previous law.

5) PROPERTY INVESTMENT – 

To obtain a Colombian Investor or Investment Visa as a Migrant, you must invest 350 times the minimum wage for the current year, or exactly 350 SMMLV, which for 2026 is  612,816,750 COP, or 161,283 USD at an exchange rate of 3,800 pesos per dollar. This remains a very popular visa in the Migrant visa category because it is largely hands-off once you make your initial investment.

Plan for visa renewals with this visa: BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE INVESTING NEAR THE MINIMUM RATE! We recommend investing approximately 150% of the minimum, around 920 million pesos, to cover visa renewals if you can afford it. With each renewal, you must meet the minimum investment rate of the current inflation adjustment of the Colombian Minimum Salary. After 5 years with this visa, you can apply for permanent residency.

6) BUSINESS OWNER VISA –

This ranks 6th on the 2026 popularity list. This is a migrant visa and a strong option for accumulating years toward permanent residency. This visa is suitable for many who do not wish to be forced into marriage; however, it requires you to operate a company in Colombia. For this visa, you must invest at least 100 SMMLV in Colombia. which is exactly 175,090,500 COP in investment in 2026, or exactly 46,081 USD at an exchange rate of 3,800 pesos per dollar. However, many choose this option over other migrant visas for personal reasons, for example, some persons who may not have money for a property owner’s visa, for example. Ideas for popular businesses by expats can be found here.