Are you in Colombia with a tourist stamp and want to extend your legal stay in the country?
When you entered the country, at the airport or the border entry point, a Migración Colombia official stamped a stamp with the date of your passport entry. If you don’t know, that stamp functions as a «tourist visa» controlling the legal stay of foreigners in Colombia.
Although at this point, it should be clarified that according to the current immigration rule, this stamp is a tourist permit and not a visa directly, we use that term of «tourist visa» because it is of greater understanding to all.
So if you do not want to extend your tourist stamp, but you need to obtain a Colombian visa to perform some specific activity for more than 180 days, we invite you to browse through the following link: Visa Services
Download the OFFICIAL guide to apply for the extension of your tourism stamp in Colombia.
Returning to the «tourist visa», how do they control the stay of a foreigner in Colombia with this stamp?
This stamp, in addition to having the date of your ticket, usually has a number with ink on the lower right side, which corresponds to the number of days you have been allowed to stay in Colombia and develop leisure and tourism activities. Most of the time that number is a 90, occasionally it may be lower, but it will never be a higher number.
In other words, can I only be in Colombia for 90 days, or what is the maximum time allowed?
As a migration rule, foreigners are allowed to be in the Colombian territory for a maximum period of 180 days per calendar year as tourists (from January 1to December 31).
This means that if you are going to complete the first 90 days, you can extend your stay for an additional 90 days.
In any case, you should keep in mind that you will not be able to be more than 180 continuous days in the country, so that has started a new year. Well, to restore the migration clock, you’d have to leave Colombia and re-enter the next day.
When should I do the extension or extension of tourism?
We recommend you start the process 10 calendar days before fulfilling your first 90 days of stay in Colombia. If you apply for the extension of your «tourist visa» late, you will lose the possibility of obtaining your extra 90 days without leaving the country, and Migración Colombia will impose a fine.
Consider that this is a request so that it can be approved or denied, even tho usually they are approved.
Is the extension process for the «tourist visa» in person?
No. The application for extension of your tourist visa can be made completely online through the Migración Colombia platform at this link.
However, it is important to note that in case of any problems with the online migration system, the last resort would be to go face-to-face to the nearest Migration office to finish the procedure.
Step by Step
1. Go to Migración Colombia Website
Follow this link and click on «Accede al Formulario Único de Trámites (FUT) aquí.»
2. Select the language of your preference
The platform offers two options: English and Spanish.
3. Select: Permiso Temporal de Permanencia para Prorrogar Permanencia.
4. Select the nearest Migration Facilitation Center.
5. Fill in the personal information.
Select passport as your document type.
6. Attach the following information in one single PDF file.
7. Enter captcha code and click «ACEPTO»
8. Save the generated number and click on "TERMINAR."
9. You will receive an informative email
10. Payment
Within 3 and 5 business days, you’ll receive a new email with the payment link, the request number, and a password.
11. To make the payment.
12. After the payment
You will receive an email with the PDF file corresponding to your tourism extension. Make sure to save it on your mobile.
What documents are needed to apply for the tourism extension?
We will need to have the following documents scanned in PDF format:
- Passport home page or data page.
- Last valid entry stamp to Colombia that shows the four passport corners.
- Ticket with the itinerary of your next departure from the country.
For minors, the following must also be annexed:
• Child’s birth certificate.
• The main page of the passport or the data page of one of the parents.
How long does the process take?
The completion of the procedure will depend on the responsiveness of the Office of Migration Colombia. It usually ranges from 3 to 5 business days.
What record will I have of the extension of my «tourist visa»?
Migration Colombia, if reviewing the documents finds everything correct, will issue the approval of the procedure and enable the payment option. Once the payment is confirmed, the extension of the «tourist visa» will arrive by email in PDF format. We recommend printing this extension and keeping it together with your passport or save it in your mobile. In this document, you will be able to see your maximum date of legal stay in the country.
As we know, this kind of process can be confusing; at Expatgroup.co, we offer comprehensive guidance and advice so that you can process your visa stamp extension without problems. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact us and enjoy Colombia for longer.
Contact us
Frequent questions
No, the remaining days from previous years cannot be accumulated:
For instance, If you spent 30 days in your last entry and of those 20 days were from last year and 10 days from the current one, this year you have 170 days left, and now, if you only used 30 days from last year, those days cannot be accumulated.
No, although you are entitled to 180 days per year, at the time of entry, you are given a maximum of 90 days on your stamp. If you wish to use your 90 extra days, you must leave the country and re-enter or request a tourism extension before Migración Colombia.
Yes, but your tourism extension will lose validity when you leave the country. Therefore, once you re-enter the country, your new passport stamp will note the days you can be here.
Since this application can be approved or rejected, you’ll have to wait 3 to 5 business days while Migración Colombia evaluates your application. If pre-approved, you will receive a link to pay for the process; the cost is 125,000 Colombian pesos.
You can check the status of your application at the following link.
You will need the application number and password sent to your email after completing the form.
There is no need to get a new stamp in your passport, as the PDF you receive in your email is valid to show your tourism extension.
The amount depends on the nationality:
- Ecuadorians: No cost.
- Nationals of the Schengen area: No cost.
- For other cases: 125,000 Colombian pesos.
The exit ticket from Colombia is a mandatory requirement to request the tourist stamp extension.
If you decide to leave the country, you do not need to apply for a tourism extension. When you re-enter the country, Migración will stamp your passport with the new number of days allowed to stay here.
When filling out the form, you must attach a pdf with a clear image of the main page of your passport, a photo of your last stamp where you can see the four corners of the passport page and proof of your return tickets. Therefore, evidence of the ticket out of the country is required.
Minors must make their applications individually. Also, keep in mind that in addition to the passport, the photo of the stamp and the tickets, the minor’s birth certificate, and the passport image of the person in charge are required.
You can request a tourism extension once a year.
No, you must request the extension before the expiration date of the stamp. The recommendation is to start the process at least 10 calendar days before.
If you request it later, it will not be processed, and you will be in an irregular situation, which may result in fines for each day of irregularity.
Do you want to obtain a detailed guide to request a tourism extension in Colombia?
At expatgroup.co, we know how essential it is to have a legal stay in Colombia. You just need to fill out the form and get this guide we have created for you, with the step-by-step to request a tourism extension.
I’ve been browsing online greater than three hours these days, yet
I never discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours.
It’s pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all website owners and bloggers made good content material as you did, the internet will likely
be a lot more helpful than ever before.
That’s awesome! Thank you, we really appreciate it.
Your website was very helpful in filling out the form to extend my tourist visa. I received an immediate reply from Migración accepting my application. Thank you for your explicit and easy to follow instructions.
Wow, amazing! We love knowing that every step was easy to follow and that you got your tourist extension hassle-free. We hope to help you in the future to obtain a Colombian visa in case you decide to stay longer 😀
Thanks for the easy-to-follow article!
Question about the «Ticket with the itinerary of your next departure from the country.»
One website on extending a Colombian Visa says,
«NOTE: Some readers have mentioned that onward travel confirmation was necessary, while others said they did not ask for this. If it’s easy to provide, you might as well provide it just in case. But many people have said it is not necessary.»
Any feedback on this comment?
Hello Conan! Thank you for reading and writing to us. The exit ticket from Colombia is a mandatory requirement to request the extension of the tourism stamp through the Colombian Migration office. If you need immigration advice, contact one of our specialists to help you: +18507714928.
Kind regards!
Hey question so let’s say I apply for this earlier then the 10 day window. Can we do this two months in advance and still get the full 180 days? Or does it have to be right before it expires
Good afternoon, Justin. To answer your question: yes, you can apply for the extension two months in advance, but it’s more likely to get rejected. We suggest doing it right before it expires to have a higher chance of success with Migración Colombia.
Have a great day!
I did the application on the 22. April 2023, today it’s 5. May and have not heard back or received a payment request or anything. My status is » REGISTRADO EN FUT». The 90 days are up on 12. May. I tried to call but it seems you can only reach them by chat. Any advise?
Goodmorning, David. Thank you leaving your comment on our blog. With these kind of situations when you don’t get an answer, we suggest going in person to Migraciín Colombia, they usually help you.
Have a great day!
On the 17th of January I applied online for 90 days stamps next day I got the link to pay and paid it. On the 19th of January I got and email stating I was approved but no link PDF like you are showing. My time in the country expired on the 1st or 2nd of February. What should I do wait a bite longer or go to the migration office in Santa Marta.
Thank you
Hi Georgette, thanks for contacting us. If you did not receive the document, you should go to the Migration office. They will be able to help you 🙂 Remember that if you want to stay longer in Colombia, our team of specialists can help you find the correct visa for you. Contact us if you need us in the future: (+1)8507714928.
Great information and thanks for the links. What are the implications if I do not have a defined departure date so have not purchased a ticket?
Hi, Bruce, I hope everything is going well for you. It is likely that the extension will be denied and you will be illegal in the country because is the information required. If you need more information you can contact us (+1)8507714928.
First of all, Thank you so much for this information!! I saved this page on my favorites. I also read the comments here and I still feel like I want to make something sure:
I was in Colombia on February 2022 for 35 days and left. On November 2022 I plan to go to Colombia again, will the 90 days recounted or will they give me 55 days?(90 minus the 35 days in February).
If I understand right I can skip the bureaucracy of the visa extension just by traveling to other country for a while and go back to Colombia? Even if it’s in the same year by calendar?
Hello Chen, I hope you are doing well!. In your case, they will give you a 90-day stamp again when you enter in November. If you want to stay longer in Colombia, our specialists can help you find the correct visa for you. Contact us if you need us in the future: (+1)8507714928.
Thank you!
But one thing is not clear for me- Can I stay for 90 days again? Or should I take into account the 35 days I already spent in February? Because we’re still in the same year.
Yes, they will give you another 90 days each time you enter the country again until you waste your 180 days. Remember that as a tourist, you have 180 days per year.
Hi there, we have a question that we cannot seem to find an answer for.
We are arriving to Colombia 6th April. Departing 6th June to the UK. Total days in country 61.
We depart UK (25th June) and arrive in Colombia again on 26th June.
We then plan to leave the country via land to Ecuador within 2 weeks BECAUSE
We have a flight booked to depart Colombia again on 8th November back to the UK and we wish to spend another 90 days in Colombia before our departure.
Our questions are as follows:
1) Whether Colombian immigration registers how many of the 90 days on the tourist stamp that we use up?
2) Will they refuse to grant another tourist stamp if there are already two 90 day stamps in our passports?
Or will they understand that we have not been in the country during the entirety of the stamps duration?
3) Can you bank the days you do not use in country and is that calculated to allow multiple visits within the 180 day limit?
Thank you in advance. We really cannot find this information anywhere and do not want to get in any trouble.
Hello, Rob. Thank you for contacting us!
1. Even if the government puts stamps of 90 days, nothing happens if you don’t use them all.
2. Even if you have many 90-day stamps, there is no problem. There are cases where a person has a 90-day stamp; they stay for five days, leave, and return. They are given another 90 days, and so on. Not many stamps of 90 can be targeted to deny entry.
3. The total number of days to legally stay in Colombia are 180 days. If you do not use them all, you can bank the days.
If you need more information, you can contact us at (+1)8507714928.
Thank you very much for this information Diana. It’s really put our minds at ease. All the best!
¡Gran trabajo con contenido muy detallado y útil! Ojalá su sitio hubiera estado disponible la primera vez que solicité la extensión. Sin embargo, estoy muy feliz de que estuviera disponible esta vez. Hizo que el proceso fuera mucho más fluido.
Great job with very detailed and helpful content! I wish your site had been available the first time I applied for the extension. However, I am very happy it was available this time. It made the process much more smooth.
¡Muchas gracias, Patrick!, nos alegra que nuestro contenido ayude y guie a las personas. ¿Qué más contenido te gustaría leer? Saludos
Buenas noches, gracias por la informacion, ha sido muy util para mi
En este momento estoy en Colombia como turista tengo permitido estar alli por 90 dias, luego voy a prolongar el tiempo para poder estar 180 dias, sin embargo solo estare durante 160 dias, y me ire, entonces ¿si vuelvo a Colombia el 15 de diciembre solo podre quedarme por 20 dias o se puede renovar el tiempo por 90 dias?
Saludos, Ivan, muchas gracias por tus comentarios. Es correcto, cuando ingreses en migración te darán los días restantes de los 180 días que tienes como turista para estar en territorio Colombiano.
How much it cost the extension of the 90 days turist visa?
I only need 15 more days (my total stay is 105 days)
Hi, Mónica, $110,900 COP
I deleted my email with my 90 day extension certificate. Do I need to present this at the check in desk when leaving Colombia. Will I need a replacement email sent to me or will my Check Mig be enough
Hello, Andrew, I hope you are very well, I advise you to contact or go to a Migration office because you must show this document when you leave Colombia.
I arrive November 1, 2022 and wish to stay until June 30, 2023.
Do I have to leave the country since the new calendar year 2023 started my new 180 day stay?
If «Yes», must I leave the end of 2022 and arrive in 2023? OR remain and Ieave during the first first few days of 2023?
Is a same day visa run acceptable?
Hi, Jay. If you arrive on November 1st and you get 90 days on the stamp, on January 20th you have to ask for an extension, this extension would give you more or less until June 30th. Likewise, if you leave the country before January 30 when you return you will be given a 90-day stamp. If you want to stay longer in Colombia you can apply for a visa contact us and we will assist you in the process +1 (954) 799-3692
Question: In the past, rather than file an extension, I’ve just left the country just before my 90 days, then returned with a new 90 day tourist stamp. At the time I’d been told that was a way around needing to request the extension and arrived back in Colombia just weeks later free of any questions let alone fines or penalties for another 90 days. That’s how I’d been able to do this in the past, but now I can’t find any information about this. Has something changed? Was I misinformed and then somehow lucky with every single person at immigration and the airport since?
Hi Jane, I hope you are doing well. That’s right when you are about to complete the first 90 days you have two options: 1 leave the country or apply for a tourist extension. If you want to stay longer you can apply for a visa, contact us for more information +19547993692
I understand I can obviously leave before the 90 days are up, but what I’m asking is, when I come back just a few weeks later, do a new 90 days start again with the new stamp? Like if I want to stay from Jan – July in a single calendar year, rather than file the extension, can I just leave in March for a few weeks, and come back to reset the 90 days?
Yes, As I said, the other option is to leave the country and you will be given another 90-day stamp when you come back.
Hi, thanks for the helpful info, I have a question about the required departure ticket: I have a ticket already for the end of my first 90 days, as in before I knew I could extend. Do I need to change it to a later date first? Because as is, my departure ticket is within the first 90 days and I wanted to be sure the extension is approved before I change it, please advise.
Hi, Josh, I hope you are well, it is recommended that you change the date of your departure ticket, for example, if your time expires next week, the date of the ticket should be about two months later. If you want to stay longer in Colombia you can apply for a visa, contact us for more information at +19547993692
Hello,
I entered colombia late last December and left colombia march 12. From January 1 to march 12, 70 days accumulated . If I come back for a full 90 days, can I extend for the remaining 20 days left in this calendar year?
Hi, Bailey! yes, you can do the extension for the remaining days of the total 180 days.
I have a question about the VISA extension:
I understand you can «bank» days when you leave Colombia and come back. I’ve already left a couple of times, and my last stamp said I have 59 days when I last entered Colombia (May 29), which gives me until July 27th.
If I leave the country for a trip to Peru on July 22 and come back on July 31st, will they let me back into the country considering I have only 5 days left on my 90-day VISA extension?
In other words, is there a minimum number of days you must have in the bank to be allowed back into Colombia on the 90-day VISA extension?
Hey Zac, technically you could, although the final determination is up to Migración Colombia.
My 90 days are up this Saturday, July 30. I applied for an extension online on Monday, but have only received a confirmation email (no approval or payment email). I went to the immigration office in Medellin this morning to finish it in person but they wouldn’t let me. 3 different receptionists told me that I must wait for my approval email and that they are backed up right now. They said even if my visa expires on Saturday, not to worry because I submitted an application and that’s all that matters. But it still scares me to stay in the country on an expired visa, especially if there is a fine.
What would you suggest doing? Should I go back to the office again tomorrow? Or wait until next Monday to see if the approval email arrives, and then go in person if it doesn’t? Book a last-minute flight out of the country?
Hello, Chelsea,
It is a risk you can take as we advise you to do the extension at least 10 days before the first 90 days expire.
If you haven’t received it by the 30th and you don’t want to take the risk, it’s better to leave the country and re-enter so that the entry stamp will give you the other 90 days.
Regards
Hello. I did apply 13 days before my 90 days we up and followed all of your instructions. It’s been 11 days now and my status is still «REGISTRADO EN FUT» with no other emails beyond the original confirmation. I have 2 days before my 90 are up. I’m in Medellin. Do you recommend I go into the office tomorrow and hope they’ll help me?
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Sara. We hope you are doing well. In this kind of case where you don’t get an answer, we suggest going to Migración Colombia’s office to get an update on your application status. They will help you to get a solution to your migratory situation. We are glad to help and answer your questions. Have a great rest of your day!
Hello. This has been asked many times but I don’t think the answer is clear.
On one hand you say the 90 days get reset if you leave, but on the other hand you say you can only stay a max of 180 days.
Which is it? Can I bypass the 180 days by just leaving every 90 days?
Hi, Ross, I hope you’re doing great, I’ll explain it to you
As a tourist you have 180 days per year, when you enter the country for the first time you usually get a 90 days stamp if you want to extend it or have another 90 days you have two options:
1. Do the extension process online at the migration website.
2. leaving the country and re-entering you will be given 90 days or the remaining days of the 180 days.
Once you exceed the 180 days you can apply for a visa or leave the country and wait until next year when you have 180 days again.
I hope it has been clear to you, let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello again.
Do the 90 days get reset automatically in January?
Let’s say I arrive in October 10th. 90 days would be January 10th.
Do the 90 days automatically reset on January 1st so I can stay until March without leaving the country?
Hi,
For example, my first 90 days end on August 20th.
If I apply for this extension 15 days earlier, like the 5th of August, they will add those 90 days to the date 20th of August, right? Not to the date I applied.
In other words, I want to know that if I apply very early for this extension, they will still add 180 days to my first entrance to Colombia this year. So I won’t lose any days of my allowance if I apply way too early.
thank you very much
Hi, Samuel, The extension starts on the last day of the entry stamp, they do the calculation, so do not worry you won’t lose any days. Our best!
Hi
I am a british citizen with a british passport and I will be coming to Colombia from the UK on 20th March 2023. I will leave Colombia on 24th May to go back to UK. I return to Colombia 30th May. I will leave Colombia on 26th July back to UK.
in total I will be in Colombia for 122 days but broken up: 65 days the first trip, 57 days the second trip. Both trips for tourist purposes.
My question is: will I need to apply for tourist visa extension after 90 days (around 24th June 2023)? or will I be given a 90 day stamp for both entries on 20th March 2023 and 30th May 2023 and won’t need to get a visa extension.
Good morning, Felix,
The extension of the tourism stamp is done when you want to exceed 90 days of stay in Colombia, as in your case you will stay 65 and 57 days respectively, you do not have to do it.
When you enter the first time you will be given a 90-day stamp and when you enter again you will have another 90-day stamp.
If you want to stay longer in Colombia we will be happy to help you process your Colombian visa, contact us at +19547993692
I would like to make a domestic partnership cerficate with my partner. We are dating for almost 4 years but lived together last years for 6months and this year for 6 months. Would it affect the application result? And what are the proves of relationship that are needed for obtaining the certificate and visa afterwards?
My visa expires on 15 of September, could you please aswell let me know if making certificate and visa are possible in this time frame. Thank you!
Hello, Ekaterina, I hope you are doing very well.
We recommend starting the visa process at least two months before the expiration of the legal period of stay, in this case, we advise you to start the process as soon as possible since you also want to make the Domestic Partnership.
Contact us to increase your success in obtaining a Colombian visa +19547993692
Hello Diana,
thank you for your quick respond. I have tried to contact you via whatsapp but i dont get any answers. Could you please let me know your Bogota number as i am located in Bogota
Best regards,
Ekaterina
Hi, Katerina, sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I will make sure Johana contacts you soon.
Regards,
Hello, I applied for a temporary stay permit on August 2nd. I never got a response with a payment link.
How can I proceed? I have less than 10 days left of my initial 90-day stay. I’m a U.S. citizen in Bogota.
I am currently contacting you on WhatsApp.
Hello, Bryan,
Lately, the Migration page is presenting several errors, we advise you to go to an office and take the proof that you started the process.
Hi I applied for it a week before and i didn’t get a response link as well.
Before going to the office, do i need to make an appointment? How can I do it?
Hi, Samuel. It is not necessary to make an appointment, if you have already checked your spam and nothing has arrived, you can go to the nearest immigration center and ask for assistance.
Perhaps a bit of an unusual situation. My partner is from Colombia and we live together in Europe. We spent April until June in Colombia. Upon arrival in April I was stamped and got 90 days.
In June we travelled to the Dutch Antilles for a week. When returning to Bogota I was stamped again, but only got 26 days (the remainder of my original 90 days). We left Colombia at the end of June, and now I have 5 days left.
We now want to return in December, but I’m getting anxious about getting the PIP extended. Can I extend my «old» stamp from June through the website?
I read in one of the comments above I should have gotten another 90 days (that’s how I thought it worked if I left the country and I had sufficient days left) but based on feedback from two immigration officers that does not seem to be the case. Any feedback is much appreciated.
Hi, Charles,
If you have not really been in Colombia for the 180 days you have available this year, despite the error in the stamp where you were stamped for 26 days, it is most likely that Migration, when you re-enter and check again in the system the report of your entries and exits, will stamp you with the actual time you have available. However, this is something that corresponds to the discretion and autonomy of Migration Colombia
Hello
This is all very helpful
My friend entered Colombia 21st June and I the 23rd we were both given the 90 stamp and we have a return flight from Bogotá on 18th September we would ideally like to pop over into Ecuador for a few days to a week would we be granted another 90 day stamp or is it best to extend formally online instead of leave at the border
Thankyou
Hi, Gem, I hope you are super well, to make the extension you can do it in two ways:
-Online by filling out a form at least 10 days before the first 90 days expire.
-Leaving the country and entering again.
So in your case there is no problem, when you enter again you will be stamped with another 90 days.
I have been in Colombia for 88 days. I just sent my extension for another 90 days since this trip will go over the 90 days and it was rejected. There is no email address it bounces and no reason why. Anyone have any ideas?
Hi Tim, we are very sorry that you did not receive a positive response from migration. They generally reject extensions if all information has not been attached or for discretionary reasons.
I invite you to consult with us about the possibilities you have to stay longer legally in Colombia, book an appointment with our experts. https://expatgroup.co/english/book-an-appointment/
Hi, thanks for the great article.
I applied for an extension on Tuesday, and received the confirmation email, but have not received a response if it has been approved yet.
My tourist visa will expire on Thursday next week.
If I don’t hear back today, should I go to the migration office in Bogotá on Monday? If so, do I need to make an appointment?
Thanks for your help, I’m rather stressed out at the moment.
Hi, Richard, lately the government is taking a little time to approve tourism extensions, we recommend you to go personally to the migration point, you can print the certificate, and it is not necessary to request an appointment.
Hello!
Amazing blog post thank you, very helpful. I tried with the application, but no reply after two weeks, only the confirmation email. I dont actually know where the migration office is, to check on my application. Do you happen to have a list of offices?
Thank you!
Hi, Sanne yes, you can check the list of office by department here https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/informacion-general/content/31-centros-facilitadores-de-servicios-migratorios
Hello, I have a question regarding 180 days rule per year in Colombia. We arrive here last November 2021 and got 90 days stamp upon entry. Before the expiration of this 90 days we applied for an extension last January 2022 and gave us another 90 days of extension until 9th of May, but before it’s expiry we left Colombia and went to Costa Rica last April 20,2022. We came back again and Colombian immigration officer gave us 70 days which is the remaining days from 180 days of this year. Last week we applied for an extension of 90 days but got an email that we need to visit immigration office for them to validate our documents. ( documents that we attached while applying for an extension via online are passport copy, and entry stamp-its the same documents that we submit last February for an extension request) However, when we reached the immigration office, they told us that they cannot extend it but we need to leave on 7th of January 2023. We thought that it can be extend because 2023 is already a new year and should be reset the 180 day rules. Please advice if is it really like that? Do we really need to leave the country and come back to get a 90 day stamp upon re entering Colombia? Hoping to hear from you soon. Thank you!
Hi, Elle, I hope you are doing great. Sorry for all your confusion about the tourism extension. Let me explain:
People who do not need a visa to enter Colombia have 180 days per year, when you enter the first time migration give you a 90-day stamp which can be extended to another 90 days by two means: 1. doing the extension online, or 2. leaving the country and re-entering.
Now, if you are still in Colombia and you want to enjoy the 180 days of the new year 2023, these are not restarted, you must leave the country and re-enter
Hi Diana, the «year» then is a calendar year it sounds like – does that allow for the following option
arrive July 2023 and in October request 90 day extension to get through end of 2023
go to ecuador end of December 2023
enter Colombia early January 2024 with 90 days and in April request 90 day extension to get through mid-June 2024
this is no more than 180 days in one calendar year, but something like three hundred sixty days from July 2023-June 2024.
Thx
That is correct, 180 days per calendar year, as you explain it is fine as long as you are very clear about the days of your stamp, so that you do not exceed the days. On the other hand, if you want to avoid this process and stay longer in Colombia, there are several types of visas for which you can apply. Contact us https://wa.me/19547993692
Hi! I have just extended my visa and because I’m from a country in Schengen you should not need to pay any fee. I have gotten a confirmation pdf with the extension approval but just got uncertain how it works when I don’t need to do the payment. Should I still get the email with the payment link and just confirm somehow or is it done automatically if you get the pdf and you are from a country where you don’t need to pay the fee?
Hi, Anna, good morning, I hope you are doing great. When you have the benefit of not paying the fee to extend the stamp the system should not ask you to pay, so don’t worry you should not receive any link.
Good morning: When I arrived December 7, 2022 at 1:30 am the agent at Immigration wrote 58 next to my tourist stamp. I have been spending the winters in Colombia for 7 years and always received 90 days (or close to that time). On February 2 my 58 days runs out. I have extended my tourist visa every year and usually spend 5 – 6 months in Jardin, Antioquia. That said I am trying to find the form to apply for an extension. I have found your example form but cannot find one to fill out. Where might I find this? Thank you. Kevin Haley
Good morning, Kevin thank you very much for writing to us. I understand your situation, but I suggest that if you entered in December and your days end in February is better to leave the country and re-enter to renew the 180 days you have as a tourist this 2023. Once you enter the agent in Migration should give you a stamp of 90 days which you can extend again for another 90 days.
Have you been to Colombia before in 2022? I also provide you the link to the form to extend the stamp, but they will probably deny it since in 2023 the days are renewed. https://apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co/registro/public/formularioRegistro.jsf;jsessionid=24197A9A18B91DB6A98C8F2248614BCB
Hola Diana: The problem is that the person in Immigration gave me only 58 days. I have lived in Jardin, Colombia in the winter for several years (Dec-May 1). I have never been given such a short time on my tourist visa. It was 2 am when I arrived on December 7 and I did not take the time to look at the days he wrote next to my stamp. I arrived December 7 with the intention of leaving in March for a week but now my 58 days runs out February 2.
So it appears I must jump through hoops with the Immigration form that I now possess thanks to you. It would have been so much easier if I had been granted 90 days like other years. If I had a decent contact number I would simply call the office in Medellin. Thanks again
Hello, happy new year. hope you are well.
I apologize if this has been asked before.
My situation is this: I was in Colombia from April 2, 2022 until September 28, 2022. A full 180 days. I have been in Ecuador since then. I am a US citizen.
My question is this: Can I return to Colombia now that it is January, or must I wait until April to return. In other words, is the calendar-year system is still in effect, or is it now a 365 day system?
You don’t know how helpful this answer will be. I’ve been able to find nothing on the government websites. There’s a tremendous lack of information, and the contact services for Migración Colombia are even worse.
Thank you so much.
Good morning, Eric. I hope you are doing well. You don’t have to wait until April because it is a calendar year, so you have 180 days to be in Colombia again. Remember that if you want to stay longer, we can help you to process your Colombian visa. https://wa.me/19547993692
I sent a message earlier today (Jan 2, 2023) but it no longer appears on your posts so I will try again. Where can I find the form to extend my tourist stamp dates. For some reason immigration wrote 58 (days) next to my tourist stamp and I must request an extension. I have completed this process many times over the past fews years but this time I am unable to find the form to complete. I have perused your example form. Thanks, Kevin Haley
Hey there Kevin, I already replied. I remain attentive if you have further questions
Does anyone have a functioning contact email for Colombian Immigration?
If I entered Colombia on 1st November 2022, and I go to Mexico next week, 15th January, when I come back to Colombia they will count my days since 1st January 2023? Even if I arrived before 2023 and left after beginning of the year.
Hello, I entered the country on a tourist visa on January 13, 2023, and have received my work visa on February 17, 2023. My work visa expires on December 5th, 2023. However, I plan to get married to a Colombian citizen on December 8th, 2023. Then I will apply for a marriage visa. My question is: can I change back to a tourist visa stamp on December 6th when my work visa expires, but without leaving the country? And then do I have to leave again on January 1st for the New Year, or can the 90 days roll over into 2023?
Hi, Allie, thank you very much for writing to us. Unfortunately, if you must leave the country once your work visa expires so that you can enter with the tourist stamp. On the other hand, you do not have to leave the country until the expiration of the days you were given when you entered in December. You will leave the country once those days expire to «activate» the 180 days of the new year.
Contact us, and we will help you with your immigration procedures. https://wa.me/19547993692
Hey everyone!
I wanted to share my latest experience—since it seems there’s a huge backlog for processing tourist visa extensions right now.
Both my friend and I applied for our extensions on March 1, 2023 (two weeks/9 business days from the date I’m posting this comment), and we haven’t heard anything. We went down the the Immigration office in Belén and met several other people who were in the same situation. The woman at the door told us to wait and said that if our Visas ran out while they’re still processing it, we’re okay.
What I’m wondering is… what happens if we applied, but we get rejected for whatever reason, and we’ve overstayed our original 90-days?
Anyway, the chief takeaway for me here is this—If you plan to apply, do so at least a month in advance—even more if you can!
Good morning Mr. Matthew. We understand that sometimes the information can be confusing, and we apologize for the situation. Now, answering your question, if you overstay your 90 days, you will be charged a penalty fee, which will vary depending on how many days you overstay.
Next time if you need any help, you can contact us and schedule an appointment; we will be happy to help you through all your immigration processes! https://expatgroup.co/english/book-an-appointment/
We appreciate your comment and thank you for being part of our Expat Community.
Have a lovely rest of your day!
Hello, I’ve got a question that I don’t see in the comments yet. I applied for an extension today, following the instructions you provided here exactly, and received a blank email about 3 hours later that simply had the subject «Migración Colombia: Trámite de Prórroga en línea-Rechazo». Is this a computer-generated automatic denial of the extension (and I could try reapplying) or is this how a final decision would be sent? 3 hours seems too short to get a legitimate response so maybe there was something wrong with the application?
Good morning Sara. We are sorry to hear that you received that email from Migración Colombia. Receiving a rejection email this soon is not normal; they usually take a couple of days to give you an answer. It may be a mistake. We are willing to help you throughout all your processes at any time. Here I will let you our link to book an appointment: https://expatgroup.co/english/book-an-appointment/
Thanks a lot for being part of our Expatgroup community.
We hope you have a great rest of your day!
Sara,
Did you ever find more information on what happened? I just got a blank e-mail with the same «Rechazo» title, but in my case over a week after applying.
I went to one of the Centros Facilitadores de Servicios Migratorios. They told me I received a «Rechazo» blank e-mail due to how early I had applied. They said it’s likely to fail if you apply before 15 days until your initial departure.
Not sure if that’s the same issue in your case. At any rate it seems to make travel planning a lot more complicated. Mexico had a way better system.
Good afternoon, Eagle. We hope you are having a good day. Following up on your case, yes, if you apply before 15 days, you may have trouble renewing your tourist visa. We suggest you do it one week before it expires to have a higher chance of success. Have a great rest of your day!
Quick question about maximizing my days in Colombia.
1. Arrived 11/22/22. Departed 2/16/22
Total 88 continuous days. 47 days in New Year
2. Plan on Arriving 05/22/23. Depart 08/17/23. Total 88 continuous Days.
3. Plan to arrive again 11/22/23. And Stay for another 85-88 continuous days til Feb. 2024.
My question is on Dec. 31 2023, I will have a total of around 178 days in Colombia since Jan. 2023. Will my Clock reset on Jan 1 which would allow me to stay til my planned Feb 2024 departure? Thank you for your time.
Good morning, Johnny. Yes, the days will always reset on January 1st. You should not have any issue with this. Thanks for your comment, and we hope you have a great rest of your day!
Hello,
I don’t understand the «clock» resetting aspect. In the EU, you can only stay 180 days in a 365-day period regardless of the New Year. Is that not the case for Colombia?
So if I arrived end of August of this year… my time will reset and I’m granted another 180 days after Jan 1st? In some of my FB expat groups, I was reading that immigration goes by the number of days from your first stamp (up until the max of 180) independent of Jan 1st.
Hi Christina! Yes, you have 180 days per calendar year as a tourist in Colombia. First you’re granted 90 days and then you have to apply for an extension for the other 90 days. For this time to «reset» you’ll have to leave the country and enter again after janurary 1st.
Sara,
Did you ever find more information on what happened? I just got a blank e-mail with the same «Rechazo» title, but in my case over a week after applying.
After going in to the migration office, they told me the «rechazo» occurred because I applied early on in my stay. They said one should apply within the last 15 or so days of the initial 90 day period. I reapplied later, around 15 days before the expiry of my initial 90 day period, and this time it went through (I heard back around a week after applying).
Hello guys. Thanks for creating this great platform to share information. I have one question: My tourist visa is ending on 4th May, my application for extension was registered with FUT on 28th May and I haven’t heard anything from them. Does it matter if it passes the visa expiration date and I haven’t received confirmation of visa status? Thanks in advance
Good afternoon, Jerry. Thank you for leaving your question on our blog. For future situations like this one, if you don’t hear from Migración Colombia, you should go to their office face-to-face. They will give you an answer to your request.
Have a great day!
Hello, first of all thank you for the useful information on your site!
Do the departure tickets (ticket reservations) from «Onward Ticket providers» also work,
or are there any known problems with them?
Good Morning Jacqueline. Thank you for leaving us your comment in our blog and for being part of our community. Related to your question, even though we have not worked this kind of tickets specifically, we do know that for this process, the email confirmation for a ticket reservation are usually valid. Remember that the final decision is on the agent that takes your case at the Migration Office.
We hope you have a great day!
I applied a few weeks ago using the Medellin office and got email confirmation, but never anything further. It was ‘registrado en FUT’ forever. I tried again after a few days, but still nothing.
I then applied using the Bogota office, and my extension was refused after a few days, with no further information. I went to migracion in Medellin, their appointment system was down, but the lady at the door told me I have to do everything online, I can’t do anything in person. She said applications were taking 2-3 weeks at the moment in Medellin.
I finally tried one more time using a different office, and two days later, I just received the pre-approved email with payment instructions.
Seems as though the Medellin office is having issues, and it’s likely best to use a different office (I’m guessing less popular offices might be quicker).
Thank you so much for putting this info together, still works perfectly as of now.
Good morning. Thanks a lot for leaving your comment in our blog. We really appreciate you being part of our community.
We hope you have a great day!
Hello! Hope you can help with this!
I already stayed 90 days in Colombia this year. I tried to extend it but never got email with answer. So, I left country on my 90th day. After 4 days when I left country I got email that my extension is denied. I want to know if I go back now, they will let me stay? Or that email explained me that I do not have 90 days more this year.
Thank you!
Hello,
I stayed in Colombia for 166 days out of 180 days. I have 14 days left this year. If I want to stay more than 180 days do I need to apply for a visa?
Good afternoon Rah. Thank you for your comment. Yes, in this case you will have to apply for a different kind of visa. We can give you all the advisory you need, you can schedule an appointment on this link: https://expatgroup.co/english/book-an-appointment/
Have a great day.
Good afternoon,
I would like to apply for my Cedula de Extranjera but only have a 90-day tourist permit, as I arrived in the country last month. I believe the GOV.CO site states that a foreigner can only apply for their cedula if they have a stamp greater than 90 days. Does this mean I can’t apply for a cedula until I apply for my 90-day extension? From what I’m reading, you can only apply for the extension when it’s close to your 90 days expiring but I was hoping to get all of this done much sooner. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Good afternoon Christina. That’s correct. To be eligible for a cédula de extranjería in Colombia you need to have a visa greater than three months. To apply for the visa extension is advisible to do it 2 weeks before your first 90 days expire, otherwise it could be denied. If you need help with a visa application process please go to the following link: https://expatgroup.co/english/book-an-appointment/
Have a great day!
Hi there,
I am considering applying for the 90 day tourist visa extension.
My question is the following:
If I am granted the extension and I leave the country (perhaps for further tourism or going back home to visit family and friends), when I come back within those additional 90 days will the 90 day extension still be valid?
Good morning, Nick. The visa extension is granted for tourists who plan to stay in the country continuously. If you intend to leave the country and return, you won’t find any issues as long as you have remaining days as a tourist. Every time you re-enter the country, your passport will be stamped with the days you still have available.
Have a great day!
The difficult thing here is having to apply ten days before your 90 days expires.
For starters if you are denied, then you have a flight for a later date that you will not be able to use, and then you have to get a second ticket unless you originally purchase a refundable ticket which can be very cost prohibitive.
And secondly, how are you supposed to lineup a place to stay for the coming days and months if you do not even know if you will be approved? For instance with my current Airbnb, if I do not book it far in advance then it will not be available if I wait until the last minute. And altogether it’s difficult to plan much of anything if you do not even know what country you will be in with that decision hanging in the balance of immigration.
It would be a million times easier if you could apply for the extension sooner. Is there any workaround for this at all?