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Since the pandemic, remote work has become the new normality for many people, facilitating a more practical lifestyle that allows them to travel the world and continue developing their jobs remotely. Therefore, Colombia has bet on the new digital nomad visa.
On July 22, 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Resolución 5477 with changes in the legislation of Colombian visas; among the changes include new visas, such as the long-awaited by expats who want to work remotely from Colombia: Digital Nomad.
This is a significant advance that will benefit hundreds of travelers entering Colombia, as our country is a great attraction for its geographical location, gastronomy, and currency exchange.
This visa came into effect in October 2022. In this blog, we tell you the essentials so you can be prepared to apply.
Who can apply for the digital nomad visa?
The new Colombian digital nomad visa is designed for foreigners who carry out their work activities remotely exclusively for foreign companies, either as independent or employed.
Foreigners who wish to start a digital content or information technology start-up that is of interest to Colombia may also apply for this type of visa.
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At expatgroup.co we help you to obtain the colombian Digital Nomad Visa, that is granted for a maximum period of two (2) years. Click on the button and get professional advice today.
What are the requirements to apply for the digital nomad visa?
The requirements initially established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are:
Passport:
Original valid passport with at least 2 blank pages and 6 months of validity. Hold a passport issued by one of the countries or territories exempt from short-stay visas.
Bank statements
The last three bank statements show a minimum income equivalent to three legal monthly minimum wages in force.
Health insurance policy
Health policy with coverage in the national territory against all risks in case of an accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death, or repatriation for the time foreseen for their stay in the country.
Letter of the Company
The letter from the company will depend on the type of digital nomad profile you have. Below, we detail the types of people who are eligible to apply for this visa.
FBI Background Check
The background check serves as a record indicating the presence or absence of criminal offenses committed by a specific citizen and is issued by relevant authorities in different countries.
Is the FBI Background Check a mandatory requirement?
Previously, in Resolution 6045 of 2017, it was the Ministry’s task to verify the background check (Article 38). However, with the entry of the new resolution in 2022, the applicants also must provide the Background Check for the visas that require it as a mandatory document. Also, the government can request additional documentation for any visa category under discretionary authority, including criminal records. Even if your visa doesn’t require the Background Check as a mandatory requirement, if the Chancellery requests it, you must provide it as soon as possible.
What must be included in the letter?
If you are a worker
A letter in Spanish or English from foreign companies you provide services for should state the relationship and type of payment received. The government may also require the telework contract and the foreign company's certificate of existence.
If you are an owner-partner
If you're a partner or owner of a company, please provide proof of your ownership and a letter stating that your work is remote, along with necessary documents that prove it according to the country of origin, like a certificate of good standing from your country.
If you are an entrepreneur
In the case of entrepreneurs, present a motivational letter explaining their entrepreneurial project and the financial and human resources they have or aspire to have for their venture.
Which health policy is accepted by the government for the digital nomad visa?
In order to comply with this new mandatory requirement and that you can successfully apply for and obtain the Colombian digital nomad visa, you must take into account the following:
Get your Digital Nomad Visa now
At expatgroup.co we help you to obtain the colombian Digital Nomad Visa, that is granted for a maximum period of two (2) years. Click on the button and get professional advice today.
What is the difference with the Freelance visa?
Unlike the type V Digital Nomad visa, the type M Freelance Visa is granted to foreigners who want to practice their profession independently in Colombia. For this reason, with this visa, you will have work permission exclusively for the profession or activity for which it was granted.
The opposite happens for the Visa type V Digital Nomad. Foreigners will be able to legally stay in the country and work remotely for foreign companies. In this case, they will not be authorized to be hired and work directly with Colombian companies.
How long can I stay in Colombia with the digital nomad visa?
To understand how the legal stay in Colombia works, we must distinguish between two concepts:
Validity
Authorized stay in Colombia
Why do some people think they can only stay 180 days in Colombia if they have a type V digital nomad visa?
There is confusion regarding the paragraph of Article 46 of Resolution 5477, which stipulates the following:
“Digital nomads, remote workers, and digital entrepreneurs of nationalities that do not require a visa for a short stay, established by Resolution, may enter without a visa and stay in Colombia with an Entry Permit granted by the immigration authority, under the current regulations; provided that their stay in the country does not generate payments from Colombian companies and their period of stay does not exceed 90 days which may be extended up to a maximum of 180 continuous or discontinuous days calendar year.”
According to the above, the rule indicates that people who do not need a visa to enter Colombia can execute their activities remotely and as digital nomads in the country for 90 days with the possibility of extending them for another 90 days and are not required to apply for a visa. However, if they wish to have a more extended stay in the country, they may apply for the V digital nomad visa, which the Colombian government may authorize for a maximum of up to 2 years.
Get your Digital Nomad Visa now
At expatgroup.co we help you to obtain the colombian Digital Nomad Visa, that is granted for a maximum period of two (2) years. Click on the button and get professional advice today.
Costs, Validity and Restrictions
If you are looking to work in Colombia, you can apply for the Visa V Temporary Services Provider, Visa M Type Work, or Visa M Freelancer.
Apply for your Colombian visa with an expert agency
With recent regulatory changes and the legal, immigration, and regulatory implications associated with visa processes, it is advisable to receive professional advice and leave the process in the hands of experts.
At expatgroup.co, we have thousands of successful cases. We will be happy to help you increase your approval process to obtain your digital nomad visa in Colombia in an easier, faster, and more equitable.
Comments
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16 Responses
I would like to know about moving to Colombia with my wife who is Colombian and obtaining a marriage visa based on our US marriage. She does not have a green card but we are considering moving.
Hello, Rob, how are you? Of course, we can help you with the legalization of American marriage and the processing of the Colombian visa. Book an appointment with our experts! https://expatgroup.tech/book-an-appointment/
For the digital nomad visa, is there any information regarding how taxes will considered? Tax-free? World-wide income?
Best,
Good morning, Kevin, Foreigners living in Colombia and earning some income within the country may be subject to paying income tax, just like nationals. However, it depends on whether certain income ceilings are met to be obliged to declare such tax. It also depends on whether you are a tax resident in the country or not to know what kind of treatment the tax laws give to the taxes to be declared. I recommend you consult with your accountant.
Hello there seems to be some misunderstanding of this new digital nomad visas…
and it is because of the “Paragraph” under the offical law for this new visa – Articulo 46 – Paragrafo (at the bottom)
the paragraph says –
Digital nomads, remote workers and digital entrepreneurs of natinalities that do not require a short-stay visa, established by Resolution. They may enter without a visa and remain in Colombia with an entry permit granted by the immigraion authority, in accordance with current regulations, provided that their stay in the country does not generate pages of colombian companies and their period of stay does not exceed 90 days, which may be extended up to a maximum of 180 countinuous or interrupted calendar year days”
One visa companies have told me that this means that all digital nomads can only stay in Colombia for a maximum of 180 days per year..
a short-stay visa which is written in the paragraph means there are some countries in the world where you need a visa to enter into Colombia even for one day…some countries do not need this short-term visa (eg usa and uk )
its the second line which i think is causing the confusion ” they may enter without a visa” and stay upto 180 days per year…
it does not say if it is without a “nomad” visa or a “tourist” visa….
they may enter without a nomad visa and stay 180 days… OR…… they may stay without a tourist visa and stay upto 180 days
I have not seen any clarification about this on any pages or from any visa agencies…
which at this time has been confusing
Hi there, a few questions about the digital nomad visa:
1. I have read that even with this visa it is still only possible to stay in the country for 180 days per year, is that the case?
2. Is the application process now open for this visa?
Hiya, great article, thanks! I cannot find the answer to the following questions, perhaps you could address them and amend the article.
My background is UK immigration law, so I am asking questions which would be obvious to ask in relation to a new UK visa category, but I think they are also general, common sense considerations.
1. Is the Colombian digital nomad visa a one-off visa or could I eg apply for another one straight after 2 years in Colombia with the DNV (this does not seem likely but I can’t say where the law says I can’t)?
2. If repeat grants of the DNV are possible, will there be a minimum cooling off period between the ending of one DNV and application for the next?
3. Is it mandatory to apply from abroad or can I apply from within Colombia while there with valid “tourist visa” (I am German, this “visa” would be constituted by the entry stamp or prorogacion email)?
4. Is the DNV automatically cancelled if I am outside Colombia for 6 months through aggregate time periods, or only if I remain outside Colombia for a consecutive 6-month period? Or neither?
5. Can I avoid becoming a Colombian taxpayer through aggregate absences of over 183 days per year?
6. As to 5: I don’t mind paying taxes to Colombia, especially now that the country has a government with a social conscience, but it is the admin complications interacting with the UK tax system which I fear would take up a lot of my time and may result in double taxation. Can you recommend someone who could advise me on the best way forward? I need to know whether it is best to just stay in Colombia and become a taxpayer or whether this is too onerous and it would be better to aggregate sufficient absences during my DNV to avoid that.
Hi, Alex. Thank you very much for writing to us. We have supplemented the blog by clarifying this doubt that we see is very frequent. As such, the validity of the visa can be up to two years, and the final time granted by the Colombian government, you can use it continuously. That is to say. If you were given a year, you could stay the whole year.
What the paragraph says is for those who do not need to apply for a visa if they plan to stay for short periods of time.
Hi Lisa, I hope you are doing great
1. The validity of the digital nomad visa can be up to two years, but the final time of the validity is decided by the Colombian government, but if for example, they give you two years you can stay the two continuous years without a problem. The rule of 180 days per year applies if you stay with the tourist stamp.
2. Of course, the application is already available. Contact us and start your process with us https://wa.me/19547993692
Hello, Agnete. I hope you are very well. Thank you very much for your questions. For sure, we will keep adding information as long as there is any official confirmation from the Colombian government.
You can apply for visas through the consulate of your country of origin or residence and also from Colombia if you have at least two months to do the process and are not at risk of becoming illegal.
Finally, as I see you have concerns, I recommend you book an appointment with our experts to clarify your questions https://expatgroup.tech/book-an-appointment/
Hello, to apply for this visa would I only need 3 months bank statements, international health insurance? I day trade for a living and I make more than the minimum amount required. What else would I need? Thanks!
Hello, Anthony. In theory, those are the basic requirements. Remember also the letter from the company where you provide your services remotely. Even so, remember that the Colombian government may request additional documentation. Apply with us and increase your success rate https://wa.me/19547993692
Dear Expatgroup,
As I am looking for a way to stay 365 days a year in Colombia I have the following question.
– Is it possible to first stay in Colombia for 180 days with the Nomad visa, and subsequently directly stay 90 more days on the tourist visa?
Hello, Lenny. I hope you are doing well. Remember that with the digital nomad visa, you can stay in Colombia for up to two years. Once the visa expires, you can leave the country and enter with a tourist stamp and enjoy what is allowed (180 days a year). If you want to start your visa process contact us, we are experts in Colombian visa processing +19547993692
Hello. I am from the UK and currently am paid my wages into my UK bank account and tax is automatically deducted from this amount. If I am successful in obtaining the Digital Nomad Visa would I then have to pay income tax in Colombia? Thank you.
There are many cases and variables for a foreigner to have to pay taxes in Colombia since each case must be studied in terms of where the money comes from, if he/she has properties in Colombia, if he/she exceeded a certain amount of money sent, etc. Therefore, we cannot specify if, with the digital nomad visa, you do not have to pay taxes.