Colombia Digital Nomad Visa Guide (2026)

Colombia's Visa V Nómada Digital lets visa-exempt remote workers stay up to two years while serving foreign companies or launching a digital venture of interest to Colombia. Cancillería requires a foreign-company letter (Spanish or English), bank statements showing income of at least three legal monthly minimum wages (SMLMV) for the last three months, and a health policy covering Colombia. You cannot take paid work from a Colombian person or company. Visa-exempt visitors can still use a 90-day entry, extendable toward 180 days in a calendar year, without this visa if no Colombian payroll is involved.

This guide is for US, UK, Canadian, EU, and other short-stay visa-exempt passport holders who want Medellín, Bogotá, or Cartagena as a remote-work base for more than a tourist season.

The problem it solves is the hard 90-day arrival grant and the 180-day calendar-year visitor ceiling. Treating Colombia as home on repeated tourist stamps is the path that produces refusals, not a two-year visa.

After this guide you will know who qualifies, how Cancillería measures income, which documents the SITAC form expects, how to apply step by step, and which mistakes get files denied. Compare the category itself in what is a digital nomad visa.

Key facts

Who the Colombia digital nomad visa is for

Cancillería issues this Visitor (V) category to foreigners who will provide remote work or telework from Colombia, through digital means, exclusively for foreign companies, as independents or employees, or who will start a digital-content or information-technology venture of interest to the country.

You must hold a passport issued by a country or territory that Colombia exempts from short-stay visas, as listed in the visa-exemption resolution (currently framed by Resolución 5488 de 2022 and later updates). US, UK, Canadian, Australian, and most EU passports sit on that list. If your nationality needs a tourist visa for Colombia, this category is not the listed route.

The visa is not a Colombian work permit for local jobs. The published restriction is explicit: it does not allow work or paid activity with a natural or legal person domiciled in Colombia.

Dependents of the main holder may apply as beneficiaries. Keep their files aligned with the main applicant's evidence and health cover.

What income you must show

The financial test is three times Colombia's legal monthly minimum wage (SMLMV), proven with bank statements for the last three months. Cancillería states that rule on the Nómada Digital type page and in Resolución 5477 de 2022 (article 32, paragraph 4, and the specific V Nómada Digital list).

The peso amount moves when the SMLMV moves. Decreto 1469 de 29 December 2025 set the 2026 SMLMV at COP 1,750,905 from 1 January 2026. Three times that figure is COP 5,252,715 per month. The same decree has been subject to Consejo de Estado provisional-suspension litigation, so confirm the SMLMV actually in force on the day you file. Do not freeze a blog conversion into US dollars.

Bank statements may be filed without apostille and without Spanish translation when the officer can read every field in an OAS official language. Other foreign documents generally need apostille or legalization and official Spanish translation.

Worked example: Jordan's 2026 Medellín file

Jordan, a US software engineer, earns a salary deposited in a US bank. On 3 March 2026 he downloads statements for December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026. Each month's credited remote pay exceeds three times the SMLMV then in force. His US employer letter, in English, states that he is a full-time employee, paid from the United States, authorized to work from Colombia, and not assigned to any Colombian client. He buys a health policy covering accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death, and repatriation in Colombia for the planned two-year stay. He applies through SITAC, selects the consular office for his US residence, pays the study fee within 10 calendar days, and waits up to 30 calendar days for a decision. After approval he pays the issuance fee within 10 business days and receives the e-visa by email. He still cannot invoice a Bogotá startup.

How long the visa lasts

Cancillería publishes validity of up to two years. Multiple entries are the general rule for Colombian visas. The V Nómada Digital category is a Visitor visa: it authorizes a temporary stay without creating domicile for residence-with-intent purposes.

A visa-exempt remote worker who does not take this visa may still enter on Migración Colombia's entry permit. Cancillería's note on the same type page says that path works only if Colombian companies do not pay you and your stay is not more than 90 days, extendable to a maximum of 180 days continuous or discontinuous in a calendar year. That is the tourist-style ceiling explained in how long US citizens can stay in Colombia. The digital-nomad visa is the tool when you need more than that year-scale visitor math.

If the visa is valid for more than three months, Migración Colombia's cédula de extranjería is the in-country ID that matches the visa. Register after arrival rather than treating the e-visa PDF as your only document.

Documents Cancillería lists

Specific documents for V Nómada Digital, from the official type page:

• Passport issued by a short-stay visa-exempt country or territory
• Letter in Spanish or English from one or more foreign companies stating the type of relationship and the type of pay. If you have a contract, attach it. If you are a partner or co-owner of a foreign company, show that status and a letter that the work is remote
• For entrepreneurs: a motivation letter explaining the venture and the financial and human resources you have or expect
• Bank statements proving income of at least 3× SMLMV during the last three months
• Health policy covering Colombia against accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death, or repatriation for the planned stay

General visa documents from the Abecé de visas:

• Online form at SITAC solicitar visa
• Recent color photo, white background, JPG, maximum 300 KB
• Biographical passport page; passport valid at least six months at filing
• If applying from Colombia, proof of regular status (latest entry stamp, equivalent authorization, or an accepted salvoconducto)
• Supporting documents dated no more than three months before filing (except the passport)

Officers may request extra evidence, originals, or an interview. Submitting every listed item does not create a right to a visa.

How to apply for Colombia's digital nomad visa

Step 1. Confirm you are on the short-stay visa-exempt list and that your work is for foreign payers only. If you will invoice Colombian clients, stop and pick a different visa.

Step 2. Gather the company letter or entrepreneur motivation letter, plus three months of bank statements that each clear 3× the current SMLMV.

Step 3. Buy a Colombia-valid health policy for the full stay you will request, including the risks Cancillería lists.

Step 4. Complete the SITAC form at solicitarVisa.xhtml. Outside Colombia, pick the Colombian consular office for your residence. Inside Colombia, pick "Oficina en Bogotá" only if your stay is already regular.

Step 5. Upload PDFs and the photo, then pay the study fee within 10 calendar days. Missing that payment is treated as withdrawal. Study payment is not a refund and does not guarantee approval.

Step 6. Wait for the decision. The authority has up to 30 calendar days after a complete, paid file. Complex checks can take longer. Stay regular in Colombia for the whole study period if you applied onshore.

Step 7. If approved, pay the issuance fee within 10 business days, then download the e-visa emailed to you. Check names and dates immediately. After entry, calendar cédula de extranjería if the visa term requires it.

A visa never guarantees admission. Migración Colombia can still refuse entry at the airport.

How this visa interacts with tourist days and tax days

Visitor days and visa days are different clocks. If you are still on an entry stamp, the 90-day grant and the 180-day calendar-year visitor ceiling still bind you until the new visa is issued and you start using it. Filing SITAC does not freeze an expiring stamp. If the study period might overrun your permitted stay, leave or obtain a salvoconducto marked for a visa request before you go irregular.

Tax residency is a third clock. Colombia's tax rules look at presence across a 365-day span, commonly discussed as a 183-day test. A two-year digital-nomad visa makes it easy to cross that line even if immigration status is clean. US citizens still file US returns. See the 183-day rule explained before you assume foreign earned income is only a home-country problem.

The V category does not, by itself, create domicile for later permanent-resident time in the way M and R visas can. Do not treat two years on V Nómada Digital as an automatic path to a Resident (R) card.

How to track days on a Colombia nomad stay

Two-year validity still needs day discipline. You will mix Colombian days with side trips, US substantial-presence days, and other countries' tourist limits. A spreadsheet that only tracks Colombia will miss the rest.

Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) counts days across countries automatically and sends overstay alerts at 7, 3, and 1 day before a limit. Passport details stay on your device. Only travel dates and countries sync. Available on iOS. Free trial, then annual subscription. See App Store for current pricing.

For tool comparisons, see Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026) and How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries.

Download Staywise on the App Store

Common mistakes on Colombia digital nomad files

Using tourist math as a residence plan. The 90/180 visitor path is still available to visa-exempt remote workers who are not paid by Colombian firms. It is not a two-year home base. If you need the year, apply for V Nómada Digital instead of stacking visa runs.

Showing one strong month and two weak months. Cancillería asks for the last three months at the 3× SMLMV level. An annual bonus that lifts an average is not what the rule text describes.

Taking a Colombian client after approval. The restriction is paid activity with a person or company domiciled in Colombia. A local contract can contradict the visa you hold.

Uploading unreadable screenshots. Illegible, altered, incomplete, or ambiguous files can be refused. Use full PDF statements with your name, dates, and currency visible.

Letting the study or issuance payment window expire. Ten calendar days for study pay, ten business days for issuance pay. Miss either window and the file dies without a decision on the merits.

Applying onshore after the stamp expires. A pending visa request does not regularize you. Stay legal for the entire 30-day (or longer) study period.

Edge cases: family, entrepreneurs, and dual passports

Family. Beneficiaries of the main holder may apply. Build a separate SITAC file for each person, with relationship proof and health cover. Do not assume a spouse can work locally on a beneficiary stamp.

Entrepreneurs. If you lack a foreign employer letter, Cancillería wants a motivation letter on the venture plus the same 3× SMLMV bank evidence. "I will figure out the product in Medellín" is not a file.

Dual nationals. Use one nationality for entry, stay, visa, and exit. A visa issued on passport A does not transfer to passport B.

Onshore versus offshore. Visa-exempt holders who are already regular in Colombia can file with Oficina en Bogotá. Everyone else files to the consular office of residence. If your nationality is not visa-exempt, do not force this category from a blog checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much income do I need for Colombia's digital nomad visa?

Cancillería requires bank statements showing income of at least three legal monthly minimum wages (SMLMV) during the last three months. The peso figure follows the SMLMV in force when you apply. Decreto 1469 de 2025 set the 2026 SMLMV at COP 1,750,905, which would make the 3× floor COP 5,252,715, but that decree has been litigated. Confirm the current official SMLMV and show three consecutive months that each meet 3× that number.

How long is the Colombia digital nomad visa valid?

The published validity is up to two years. Officers decide the term on the visa they issue. It is a Visitor (V) category, not a Migrante or Residente Permanente visa, so it does not by itself create domicile for later R-visa time. After approval, check the e-visa dates, register for a cédula de extranjería if the term requires it, and leave before expiry unless you obtain a new visa.

Can I work for a Colombian company on this visa?

No. Cancillería states that the visa does not allow work or paid activity with a natural or legal person domiciled in Colombia. The intended model is remote work for foreign companies, or a digital/IT venture of interest to Colombia that is not local employment. If a Colombian firm will pay you, you need a different visa with the matching work permission.

Do I need this visa if I only stay 90 days?

Usually no, if your nationality is visa-exempt for short stays, Colombian companies do not pay you, and you will leave within the entry-permit rules (commonly 90 days, with a possible extension toward 180 days in a calendar year). That tourist-style path is shorter and more fragile. Apply for V Nómada Digital when you need a stay beyond those visitor limits with a documented remote-work purpose.

Can I apply for the Colombia digital nomad visa from inside Colombia?

Yes, if you are already in regular migratory status. On the SITAC form choose "Oficina en Bogotá." Stay regular for the whole study period. A pending application does not extend an expired stamp. If you are outside Colombia, choose the Colombian consular office for your country of residence or the third country where you hold a temporary or permanent residence permit.

Related guides

• How long can US citizens stay in Colombia
• What is a digital nomad visa
• Tourist visa vs digital nomad visa
• How to track your days in multiple countries

About Staywise

Staywise is the visa compliance app for digital nomads. Built by nomads for nomads, it tracks your days across every country automatically, alerts you before overstays, and keeps passport details on your device for privacy. The in-app AI assistant answers visa questions in plain English. Available on iOS.

Download Staywise on the App Store →

Important: This content is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax regulations, and entry requirements change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements with official government sources or a qualified professional before making travel decisions. Staywise tracks your days and surfaces compliance information, but final responsibility for compliance rests with the traveler.