Tomás Restrepo
Partner and director of the immigration department
- Specialist in Business Law
- Has led Nexo Legal's immigration practice since 2020
For passports that need a visa to visit
Colombia tourist visa: requirements, cost and time
The Colombia tourist visa is for you if your passport needs a visa to visit Colombia for leisure or tourism.
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 reviews
Do you qualify for the tourist visa?
The tourist visa lasts up to 1 year (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 34).
Time on it does not count toward the resident visa (art. 90).
This is what Cancillería asks of you.
- Who needs it. You do, if your passport is from a country that is not on Cancillería's list of countries exempt from a short-stay visa.
- A letter about your trip. Written by you, saying who you are and what you plan to do: where, with whom 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.
- A host's letter. From a Colombian or a foreigner with a resident visa who takes responsibility for your trip and stay.
- Health policy. Valid in Colombia for your whole stay. See our travel insurance →
- Flight booking. Your tickets into and out of Colombia.
- No work and no study. The tourist visa does not let you work or study in Colombia.
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 tourist visa in 4 steps
The documents set the pace, so we ask for the slowest one first.
We check your passport
We confirm whether your passport needs the visa, before we ask you for any document.
If it does not, you enter without one, and once here we can ask Migración Colombia for more days.
We gather the documents with you
We tell you which documents apply to you, and review each one before filing.
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).
You may also need
Services our tourist visa clients add to the visa.
A case we see often
- The file
A visitor had almost every document ready for a tourist visa.
Only the invitation letter was missing.
- The search
The letter had to come from someone in Colombia who would take responsibility for the trip.
For 3 months, the visitor could not find anyone to sign it.
- The result
Without the letter, the application was not filed.
Everything else was ready.
Find the person in Colombia who will invite you before you plan anything else.
Without their letter, we do not file the application.
Do you have someone in Colombia who can invite you? Write to us and we will review the rest of your documents →
Colombia tourist visa requirements: the documents
This is what Cancillería asks for the tourist visa (Resolution 5477 of 2022, arts. 24, 31 and 34):
- Your letter. Who you are and what you plan to do in Colombia: details, people, length, schedule and places.
- Your host's letter. Signed by hand, with their contact details.
It says how they know you and that they cover your trip. - Bank statements. Your last 6 months, yours or your host's.
- Health policy. Valid in Colombia for your whole stay, covering accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation.
- Flight booking. Your tickets into and out of Colombia.
- Passport. Valid for 6 months or more when you apply.
- If you apply from a third country. Proof that you are a resident there.
Cancillería can also ask for documents the rule does not list (art. 19).
We tell you before filing which ones your case needs.
If you apply for a minor, the rule also asks for the birth certificate and a request signed by both parents, naming who will care for the child in Colombia (art. 25).
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 tourist visa is COP 2,091,000.
What happens after the visa
Your stay
You can enter and leave Colombia as many times as you want while the visa is valid (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 27).
At the border, Migración Colombia asks you to show your exit ticket (art. 34).
Staying longer
If your nationality needs a visa, you cannot switch to an M or R visa from inside Colombia (art. 29).
For a longer stay, look at the other visitor visas.
To live in Colombia long term, you need an M visa.
Your family
This visa has no beneficiaries: if your family comes with you, each of them applies for their own tourist visa (art. 34).
Questions visitors ask us about the tourist visa
How long does the tourist 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.
Do I need a visa to visit Colombia as a tourist?
Only if your passport is not on Cancillería's list of nationalities exempt from a short-stay visa.
If it is on the list, you enter without a visa, with the permit Migración Colombia gives you at the border.
See the list of countries →
Can I stay in Colombia for 6 months?
Yes, up to 180 days, whether or not your passport needs a visa.
Without a visa, the days count per calendar year, extension included.
How they add up is in our Colombia visa guide.
With the tourist visa, you get 90 days, extendable by 90 more, up to 180 days in each 365 counted from the day it was issued (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 34).
For a longer stay, you need another visa.
How do I extend my stay as a tourist?
Migración Colombia grants it, and you have to request it before your days run out.
You can request it yourself, or we can file it for you: our fee for the stay extension is COP 300,000.
Do I need an invitation letter?
Yes. We only file a tourist visa with one.
Your host signs it: a Colombian or a foreigner with a resident visa who knows you and covers your trip and stay (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 31).
Their bank statements can count toward the income of 10 minimum wages a month or more that the rule asks for.
You need to find your host: we do not provide invitation letters.
My income is not enough. Can my host cover it?
Yes. The bank statements can be yours, those of the person who invites you, or both (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 31).
For example, your Colombian partner can invite you and show their income.
How do I apply for a Colombian tourist visa?
Online, on Cancillería's visa site: if your passport needs a visa, you apply online (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 24).
You can apply from your country, from a country where you are a resident, or from Colombia if you are here legally.
We prepare and file it for you, and follow it until the decision.
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 tourist visa expires?
Once it ends, you have 30 calendar days to leave Colombia or apply for a new visa (Resolution 5477 of 2022, art. 111).
During those 30 days, you are still in Colombia legally (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.
Tourist visa
Fixed fees
- Visa study feeCancillería · Nov 4, 2026USD 56
- Visa issuance, only if grantedCancillería · Nov 4, 2026USD 82
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.