Colombia’s Visa V Nómadas Digitales permits eligible remote workers—employees or independent contractors—to work from Colombia for foreign companies and can be issued for up to two years. It does not authorize paid work for people or businesses domiciled in Colombia. Before booking a long stay, check your passport eligibility, three months of income evidence and insurance wording—not just whether you meet an advertised dollar figure. Source: Cancillería’s visa requirements.

Requirements and changeable figures checked for October 11, 2026.

Do you need the visa for your planned stay?

For a short trial stay, you may not. Colombia expressly allows digital nomads and remote workers from visa-exempt nationalities to enter without a visa under an immigration entry permit, provided their stay generates no payments from Colombian companies. The rule allows up to 90 days, extendable to a maximum of 180 days, continuous or discontinuous, per calendar year. An extension is not automatic: follow the period actually granted by immigration. Source: Resolution 5477, Article 46.

For a longer stay, consider the digital nomad visa. Its eligibility rules require a passport issued by a country or territory exempt from short-stay visas; earning enough alone is insufficient. Check the Colombia-entry column in the official nationality table.

The 180-day limit above belongs to the visa-free route, not a blanket annual limit stated for this visa category. Equally, “up to two years” is not a promise of two years: plan around the validity and conditions on your issued visa.

Income and documents for 2026

The income requirement is three current Colombian legal monthly minimum wages, evidenced through bank statements for the preceding three months. The 2026 minimum wage is COP 1,750,905, making the calculated visa threshold COP 5,252,715 per month. The wage was fixed by a transitional decree and is also displayed by Colombia’s UGPP; recheck it before applying rather than using an old USD conversion. Sources: visa income rule, Decree 0159 of 2026, UGPP’s 2026 wage figure.

Prepare:

  • Passport and photo: passport valid for at least six months at application, its biographical page, and a recent white-background color photograph.
  • Work evidence: a Spanish- or English-language letter from one or more foreign companies describing your relationship and remuneration, plus your contract if you have one. Owners or co-owners need ownership evidence and a letter confirming remote work.
  • Income evidence: the last three months of bank statements showing the required income—not merely a large account balance.
  • Health insurance: coverage in Colombia for accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death or repatriation, for your planned stay. Ask the insurer to document the required coverage and dates before buying.
  • Status evidence: if applying inside Colombia, evidence of your lawful stay; if applying in a country other than your nationality, evidence of lawful status there.

Digital entrepreneurs must submit a supporting letter explaining their digital-content or IT project and its available or anticipated financial and human resources. Beneficiary applications are permitted, but accompanying family members require their own supporting documentation. Sources: category requirements, general application requirements.

Supporting documents other than valid passports or travel documents must generally have been issued within three months before registering the application. Foreign-document apostille/legalization and official Spanish-translation rules have exceptions: bank statements may be submitted without those formalities when written in an official OAS language and clearly understandable to the visa authority. Article 46 expressly accepts the company letter in Spanish or English. Source: Resolution 5477, Articles 20, 21 and 46.

Apply online, with a buffer

Use the official SITAC application portal. It requires individual PDF documents, with a combined attachment limit of 5 MB, and a JPG photograph no larger than 300 KB.

If applying in Colombia, select “Oficina en Bogotá.” Abroad, Cancillería directs applicants to the nearest Colombian consulate in their country of residence, or a third country where they hold temporary or permanent residence permission. Do not assume you can apply through any consulate while traveling. Source: official application guide.

The application has two payment stages: study, then issuance if approved. Pay the study fee within ten calendar days of creating the application and the issuance fee within ten calendar days of approval. Study fees are non-refundable. Source: payment rules. Select “Nómada digital” on the official fee page and check the amount applicable to your nationality and processing location. Budget separately for insurance and document preparation.

Cancillería generally has up to 30 calendar days to respond after the complete application and study payment, but consultations with other entities can take longer. If applying in Colombia, you must remain lawfully present throughout: submitting the application does not extend your permitted stay. Keep flights and your first accommodation changeable rather than booking against the fastest possible outcome. Source: Cancillería’s application guide.

Leave room for arrival administration—and tax advice

Visa holders and beneficiaries aged seven and over with a visa valid for more than three months should plan the cédula de extranjería process promptly. Migración Colombia requires the initial request within 15 calendar days of entry, or visa issuance if granted inside Colombia. Its published general 2026 fee is COP 294,000, with nationality and program exceptions. The process includes an online form and an appointment for fingerprints and a photograph. Source: Migración Colombia.

Visa permission and tax treatment are separate. Spending more than 183 days in any consecutive 365-day period, counting arrival and departure days, establishes Colombian tax residence under the day-count rule. If that qualifying stay spans tax years, residence applies from the second tax year. Residents are generally subject to tax on Colombian- and foreign-source income. Do not assume foreign payment means tax-free work, even on a shorter stay. Get advice on your income and travel dates before committing to a long lease. Source: Tax Statute, Articles 9 and 10.

For the first booking, choose one changeable base with a usable desk, documented internet connection and an alternative workspace nearby. Test it during ordinary workdays before extending. If Colombia is still one option among several, compare the legal routes in our digital nomad visa country guide.