It is important to note that all foreigners applying for a Colombian visa—particularly retirees, digital nomads, and those seeking a Type V Visa—cannot use EPS as their health insurance. EPS does not meet the necessary requirements for visa applications in Colombia.
The FD-258 fingerprint card has been established as the official document for the FBI criminal record application. However, its use is not limited only to this organization. Many institutions accept it as part of their requirements for various legal and administrative procedures. At expatgroup.co, we have created this guide to the global procedures for which it is possible to present the FD-258 fingerprint card. As new entities adopt its use, we will update this list to ensure you always have the most relevant and up-to-date information.
The background check is mandatory for some visas in Colombia. Although it’s not listed as an obligatory document for all other categories, the truth is that criminal records have increasingly been requested as an additional document during the application process. In this blog, we highlight these new official requirements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and advise the must-haves of a criminal record certificate based on our experience.
The Migratory Movements Certificate in Colombia is essential for recording travel history and completing immigration procedures.
LUMEN was positioned as a specialized event in the real estate market in Medellin and Colombia. During the forum, Jaime Aristizábal, CEO and founder of expatgroup.co provided valuable perspectives based on his experience at the helm of a brand that has established itself as a professional and multidisciplinary services company for foreigners who see Colombia as a land of investment opportunities.
Migración Colombia is the only entity authorized to process the Cédula de Extranjería. This procedure requires prior scheduling and following a protocol established by the Colombian government. However, given there are no appointments for Cédula de Extranjería available during the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the expat community in the country needs to evaluate alternatives that allow them to finally obtain their ID cards to facilitate the completion of legal procedures and travel, among others.
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.
As we already know, Colombia is a great tourist destination thanks to its beaches, mountains, and jungles, which attract hundreds of tourists in search of adventure and new experiences. However, in recent years, foreign investors and entrepreneurs have seen a vast opportunity to develop their businesses in our country. Buying a property in Colombia is the most profitable and safe among those businesses.
We know that the suspension of the service of the letter of benefits by the U.S Embassy in Colombia affected many foreigners who were about to begin the Colombian visa process. For this reason, at expatgroup.co, we have activated the new service of apostille of the benefits letter so that you can apply for the Retirement visa.
Usually, when we travel or even more when we plan to live in another country, we think about everything: tickets, lodging, plans, and places to visit, but have you thought about how important it is to ensure your health? It is advisable to have a health insurance policy, not only to comply with the requirements of the Colombian visa application but also because our health and welfare should always be a priority, especially if we are in a foreign country.