Investment in Colombia: Permanent Residency Through Time Accumulation – A Real Incentive for Investors and Entrepreneurs?

The R Visa in Colombia allows permanent residency for foreigners who have legally accumulated a minimum period of stay under an M-type visa, including those who entered the country as investors or business owners.

Here we analyze how this mechanism works, what requirements it entails for 2025, how viable it is for investors and entrepreneurs, and how it can align with your investment in Colombia and business goals in Colombia.

What Is the R Visa Through Time Accumulation and How Does It Apply to Investors?

The M (Migrant) Visa is granted for different categories: independent professional, employee, investor, partner/shareholder, among others. From there, if the holder of the M Visa remains legally and continuously in Colombia for a minimum period defined by regulation, they may apply for the R (Resident) Visa through accumulated time.

According to the official website of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to obtain the R Visa through accumulated time, a foreigner who holds an M Visa in the “Investor” category must have had at least 5 years of continuous legal residence under that visa in order to apply for the R Visa.

In practice, for an investor or entrepreneur who enters with an M–Investor Visa, this means that after five years of lawful activity, they can aspire to permanent residence through the R Visa.

Key Advantages of the R Visa That Make It Attractive for Investors and Entrepreneurs

• Allows permanent residency and the ability to carry out economic activities with fewer immigration restrictions.
  
  
• Provides legal stability and predictability for those who wish to operate or reinvest in Colombia.
  
  
• Facilitates access to broader labor, tax, and residency rights (although it does not automatically grant citizenship).
  
  

What Are the Current Requirements for 2025?

Based on regulations and updated sources as of 2025, the main requirements for the R Visa through time accumulation under the “Investor/Entrepreneur” category are:

• Having held an M Visa in the corresponding category (for example, Investor) for at least five years of continuous and legal stay.
  
  
• Presenting copies of previous visas and safe-conduct permits, as well as a certificate of migratory movements issued by Migración Colombia.
  
  
• Demonstrating that the conditions that justified the M Visa (investment in Colombia, business, etc.) are still valid.
  
  
• Other general requirements: valid passport, biometric data, criminal background certificate, etc.
  
  

Although the R Visa is often referred to as “indefinite,” in practice a renewal or maintenance process must be completed every 5 years.

Important for Investors

The investment in Colombia must have been declared, legal, and maintained throughout the M Visa period (this must be verified).

Minimum investment: 350 SMMLV = approximately COP $498 million (~USD $105,000).
💡 Pro tip: Always invest above the minimum. The threshold increases every year with the Colombian minimum wage (+12% in 2024, +9% in 2025).
⚠️ Warning: If your property or capital investment is valued too close to the legal minimum today, in 3–5 years it could fall below the updated requirement, putting both your visa renewal and your residency application at risk.
✅ Smart move: Plan at least five years ahead, considering annual wage adjustments, and aim for a property or business investment of COP $900 million or more to remain compliant in the long term.

The stay must have been legal, continuous, and uninterrupted according to the criteria of the immigration authority.
If the person remains outside Colombia for more than two consecutive years, they may lose their resident status.

Is It a Real Incentive for Investors and Entrepreneurs?

✅ Favorable Aspects

For those planning to establish themselves in Colombia long-term and invest, this path provides migratory stability and strengthens confidence to operate or expand businesses.

It allows entrepreneurs to design a strategic plan linking investment in Colombia and residency, where the M (Investor) Visa becomes a stepping stone toward the R Visa.

Holding the R Visa can facilitate banking, financing, and company registration procedures, and improves your profile for partners and local institutions.

⚠️ Limitations / Considerations

• It’s not immediate: it requires five years under an M Visa, meaning the “residency benefit” takes time to achieve.
  
  
• The capital or business must be real, operational, and active—a mere promise is not enough.
  
  
• Resident status also involves fulfilling tax and immigration obligations, which may increase your administrative load (though it also grants access to benefits).
  
  
• Extended absence from the country, business inactivity, or noncompliance can jeopardize your status.
  
  

How to Prepare if You’re an Investor or Entrepreneur

• Start your structured investment in Colombia process from the moment you apply for the M–Investor Visa, ensuring it meets the legal minimums and registration requirements.
  
  
• Keep thorough migratory and documentary control to prove the 5 years of legal stay (passport stamps, valid visa, etc.).
  
  
• Maintain your business active—tax filings, financial flows, and operations—to demonstrate that the original investment in Colombia conditions remain valid.
  
  
• Evaluate taxes, regulations, and the compatibility of your business with long-term residency.
  
  
• Work with legal and immigration advisors so that, when the time comes to apply for the R Visa, everything is in order and aligned with your business goals.
  
  

Integration with Your Service: Support for Entrepreneurs and Investors

If your company provides consulting in investment, foreign investment registration, or business structuring in Colombia, this R Visa pathway can be a real incentive for your investor clients. You can position your service this way:

• Explain that the investment in Colombia is not just a business, but also a migratory step toward permanent residency in five years.
  
  
• Offer a package that combines: structured investment in Colombia → obtaining the M (Investor) Visa → operational and immigration follow-up → preparation for the R Visa through time accumulation.
  
  
• Include migration document tracking in your offer: entry/exit records, business maintenance, tax compliance—all of which are essential for the R Visa.
  
  
• Emphasize that permanent residency provides business and legal stability, turning the investment in Colombia into a dual strategy of residency + business, not just profitability.
  
  

Conclusion: Is It Worth It for You?

If you’re a foreign investor or entrepreneur seeking not only financial returns but also to establish yourself in Colombia in the medium or long term, the R Visa through time accumulation is a highly valuable path.

Although it requires commitment (at least five years), the benefits of permanent residency can make a significant difference in structuring your investment in Colombia, business, and life in Colombia.