Tomás Restrepo
Partner and director of the immigration department
- Specialist in Business Law
- Has led Nexo Legal's immigration practice since 2020
For students admitted in Colombia
Colombia student visa: requirements, cost and time
The Colombia student visa is for you if you are admitted to a school, a university or another education program in Colombia.
Cancillería asks for income of about USD 5,300 a month or more (COP 17,509,050 in 2026), yours or your host's.
Handled by Tomás Restrepo, partner and director of the immigration departmentReviewed on November 9, 2026
4.8 on Google · 251 reviewsImmigration, tax and real estate under one roofOffice in El Poblado, Medellín
Do you qualify for the student visa?
The student visa lasts up to 2 years (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
Time on it does not count toward the resident visa (art. 90).
This is what Cancillería asks of you.
- Admission or enrollment. A certificate from your school with your grade or program and how long it lasts.
- Studies in Colombia, at any level. From preschool to university, arts and trades or job training.
- Or an internship or an exchange. A paid or unpaid internship approved by your school, or an exchange under an agreement between universities.
- A letter about your studies. Written by you, saying who you are and what you will study, where and for how long.
- Income in your bank statements. Your last 6 months show 10 minimum wages a month or more, yours or your host's.
- Or a company or institution that backs you. It files the application, with its last 3 months of bank statements.
- Health policy. Valid in Colombia for your whole stay.
- For a second visa, proof you attended. A certificate from your school that you attended and finished.
- Work only in graduate school. If you are not a graduate student, you cannot work on this visa.
What you must prove in 2026
Set by Cancillería · these are not our fees
- Minimum monthly incomeCOP17,509,050 or moreabout USD 5,300 · 10 minimum wages, last 6 monthsSource: Cancillería, Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 31, num. 3
Minimum wage in 2026: COP 1,750,905. It changes every January, and the threshold moves with it. Source: Decree 1469 of 2025 (the transitional Decree 159 of 2026 kept the same amount).
Checked on November 12, 2026.
How to get your student visa in 4 steps
The documents set the pace, so we ask for the slowest one first.
We check your program
We confirm your school, your program and your income, before we ask you for any document.
If it does not qualify, we explore other ways for you to live in Colombia.
We gather the documents with you
Your enrollment certificate shows your program and how long it lasts.
We check that it covers the time you want the visa for.
We file your application
We file it online, whether you are in Colombia or abroad.
Cancillería studies it and decides.
We follow your application to a decision
Once it is approved and you pay the issuance fee, your electronic visa arrives by email within 10 business days (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 101).
Then we tell you how to register it with Migración Colombia and get your foreigner ID card.
You may also need
Services our student clients add to the visa.
A case we see often
- The plan
A tourist in Colombia chose a 1-year Spanish course.
He wanted a student visa to stay while he studied.
- The funds
He had savings, but no steady monthly income.
He asked us if his savings were enough.
- The rule
The student visa asks for income that comes in every month: 10 minimum wages or more in his last 6 months of bank statements.
Savings do not count as income, so he held off on applying.
What counts is monthly income, not savings.
If it falls short, someone can back you.
Do your bank statements show income every month? Write to us and we will check them before you enroll. →
Colombia student visa requirements: the documents
This is what Cancillería asks for the student visa (Resolution 5477 of 2022, arts. 31, 32 and 36):
- Admission or enrollment certificate. From your school, with your program or grade and how long it lasts.
- Your letter. Who you are and what you will study: details, length, schedule and place.
- Bank statements. Your last 6 months, yours or your host's.
- If a company or institution backs you. It files the application, with its letter and its last 3 months of bank statements.
A public entity needs no statements (art. 32). - For an internship. A letter from your school that approves it and says how long it lasts.
- Health policy. Valid in Colombia for your whole stay, covering accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation.
- Passport. Valid, with the page of your last entry stamp.
Cancillería can also check your criminal record, or ask you for a background check from your country of nationality or residence (art. 26).
We tell you before filing which extra documents your case needs.
If you apply from a third country, you also show that your stay there is legal, or that you are a resident if your passport needs a visa (art. 24).
How recent each document must be, the apostille and the translation depend on your case.
At Nexo Legal, in Medellín, Tomás Restrepo, partner and director of the immigration department, gives you the exact list for your case, reviews each document and files your application. Our fee for the student visa is COP 2,091,000.
What happens after the visa
While you study
You can live in Colombia while your program lasts, and travel in and out.
If you spend more than 90 days outside Colombia, your visa ends automatically (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
After you graduate
With a doctorate or postdoctorate from a Colombian university, or a degree in a field short of professionals, you can apply for a work visa in your field (art. 36).
If you finish your undergraduate degree here with honors, you can apply for an internship visa without leaving Colombia (art. 36).
Your family
You can bring your family on this visa only if you are a graduate student (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
Graduate students only: your spouse or permanent partner and your children up to 25, or of any age with a disability, can join you on a beneficiary visa, if they depend on you financially. At other levels, this visa does not allow beneficiaries (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
Questions students ask us about this visa
How long does the student visa take?
Cancillería has up to 30 calendar days to decide once the application is complete and the study fee is paid (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 13).
It can take longer if Cancillería consults other entities.
Can I work with a student visa in Colombia?
Only as a graduate university student: up to 20 hours a week, once your employer reports it to Migración Colombia and the Ministry of Labor (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
If you plan to work for a company here, you need a work visa.
If you work remotely for companies abroad, look at the digital nomad visa.
Do I need a student visa for a short course?
Not if your passport is visa-exempt and you stay in Colombia 180 days or less (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
You can study on the permit Migración Colombia gives you at the border.
See the list of countries →
For a longer program, or with a passport that needs a visa, you need the student visa.
Can I get a student visa for an online course?
No. We file the student visa only for programs that require you to be in Colombia.
If you can take the course online from home, it does not justify your stay here.
Can I get a student visa for a Spanish course?
Yes. We have filed student visas for Spanish courses (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36).
What matters is the school: it has to meet Cancillería's requirements, and we check it before you enroll or pay.
How many hours of class a week do I need?
Your program needs 10 hours of class a week or more.
The rule itself sets no minimum (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 36), but 10 hours is the standard we file with.
Can my parents or a sponsor cover the income?
Yes, even if your parents live abroad: the bank statements can be yours, theirs or a sponsor's (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 31).
A company or institution in Colombia can also back your application (art. 32).
My application was declared inadmissible. Can I apply again?
Yes. After an inadmissible decision, you can file a new application (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 98).
A refusal is different: you leave Colombia within 30 days and wait 6 months before applying again (art. 99).
If we handle your visa, the second application carries no professional fees: we review what led to the decision and fix it before we file again.
Can I stay in Colombia while it is processed?
You need to stay in the country where you applied until Cancillería decides: in Colombia if you applied from here, or abroad if you applied from there.
In Colombia, your status has to stay regular the whole time, with a valid visa, a stay permit or a safe-conduct (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 13).
We check your dates before filing, so your permit does not run out midway.
What happens when my student visa expires?
To keep studying, we apply again before it expires, with the certificate that you attended.
Once it ends, you have 30 calendar days to leave Colombia or apply for a new visa (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 111).
Don't see your case?
Tell us about it. In a free 15-minute call, we assess it and send you a proposal.
In-depth questions? 1-hour consultation: COP 400,000 (about USD 121).Outside what we do? We refer you to someone who does.
Visa and document costs, besides our fees
They go to Cancillería, Migración Colombia and the document issuers.
Student visa
Fixed fees
- Visa study feeCancillería · Nov 4, 2026USD 16
- Visa issuance, only if grantedCancillería · Nov 4, 2026USD 51
- Foreigner ID cardMigración Colombia, Resolution 0599 of 2026, art. 1 · Nov 12, 2026COP 294,000about USD 89
Apostilles and translations
For documents issued abroad
- Apostille of a U.S. state document, such as a pension letterUSD 160
- Apostille of a U.S. federal document, such as the FBI checkUSD 180
- Certified translation into Spanish, per pageUSD 15
We do not process apostilles ourselves.For U.S. documents, we can refer you to a company that does, at these prices.Elsewhere, each document is apostilled in its own country, and the price varies.
Your proposal adds them up for your case, together with our fees.
Who handles your case
Your visa is handled by the firm's immigration area, led by Tomás Restrepo.
- 3partners lead the legal, tax and immigration areas
- 22professionals in corporate, private, employment, intellectual property, immigration and tax law
- Medellínour own office
What our clients say
4.8
Based on 251 reviews
Google
Maria Isabel SNovember 12, 2026
Great human quality, the team was always there to solve all my questions. 100% recommend it
Nikola Tarasiuk CorreaOctober 26, 2026
Great service! Tomás who was taking care of my case was very responsive and helpful with every step of the process. Highly recommended :)
Kent MennemSeptember 17, 2026
Nexo Legal provides great services. They are extremely responsive and efficient! Highly recommended.
Joshua HarrisSeptember 14, 2026
They have been super helpful with me through multiple rounds of figuring out my visa and paying taxes. Nexo is who I go to for all my legal needs
Ken KanouseSeptember 6, 2026
I have used Nexo Legal for filing mine and my wife's Colombian income taxes the past 3 years. While I am retired and Colombia doesn't tax my retirement income, the filing still needs to be done. Each year the tax accountant requests the necessary information early so they can be filed accurately on time. They are very easy to work with, and I'd recommend using them for all you accounting and legal needs.
Chris HumphreyAugust 20, 2026
I’ve trusted Tomas and Nexo team on multiple visa applications and would highly recommend them when considering your next legal needs
daniela sanchezAugust 4, 2026
Great experience atty Tomas was very helpful in walking me through every step of the way and keeping me calm and stress free . I would highly recommend this firm with my eyes closed 🙂
Mark HarringtonJuly 31, 2026
Tomas handled my wife's visa application very professionally and was always available to address any questions or issues. Five stars
Arthur WalstonJuly 29, 2026
This was my first time working with The Nexo Firm. I have nothing but high regards for this Firm and specially for Tomas Restrepo. Tomas helped me with my visa process and communicated with me on the progress from start to finish. Plus, his English is very good so there is no language barrier. So, if your traveling aboard and you need help with the visa process, I highly recommend The Nexo Firm and Tomas Restrepo!
Shivaya GuraveJuly 22, 2026
Camila recently helped me obtain my RUT tax registration then did the necessary paperwork and filed my Colombian tax for 2025. Fast, reasonable price, in flawless English. I highly recommend her and Nexo Legal.
nicca louisJuly 7, 2026
All the way from NJ, USA this firm helped me revolve matters in Columbia so fast! I'm appreciative and glad I got the chance to work with them because I would still be fighting this legal battle if I did it on my own!
LilyJuly 6, 2026
Camila was a great accountant to work with and made filing taxes in Colombia as a digital nomad super easy! Thank you
See all 251 reviews on Google →
Client stories on video
What will happen after you fill out this form?
After you send the form, our team reviews your case and a specialist contacts you, usually within the hour during business hours, to clarify details and outline the next steps.
Nexo Legal is a private law and accounting firm, not a government office. Visa decisions are made by Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería) and tax matters are decided by the DIAN; no lawyer can guarantee the result.