Last updated October 13, 2026

Quick summary

Americans have three main ways to live in Colombia long term. The Digital Nomad Visa is for people who work remotely for foreign employers or clients. The Pensioner Visa is for people with a lifetime pension. The Rentista Visa is for people with a large, verifiable income. All of them are foreign ministry (Cancillería) visas. The nomad and rentista visas are Visitor (V) visas and the pensioner visa is a Migrant (M) visa.

• Digital Nomad Visa (type V). Bank statements showing income of at least 3 monthly minimum wages over the last 3 months. Valid for up to 2 years (Resolution 5477 of 2022, Art. 46).
• Pensioner Visa (type M). A lifetime monthly pension of at least 3 monthly minimum wages, paid by a state or private pension fund. Valid for up to 3 years, and time on it can count toward a Resident visa after 5 years.
• Rentista Visa (type V). Periodic income of at least 10 monthly minimum wages from a lawful, verifiable source. Valid for up to 2 years (Resolution 5477 of 2022, Art. 56).
• The threshold moves. The requirements are tied to Colombia’s monthly minimum wage, which changes.
• Insurance. A health policy with coverage in Colombia is required. The pensioner page lists accidents, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation.
• Long game. The foreign ministry’s accumulated-time Resident visa page lists M visas, such as the pensioner visa, but not V visas.

Why Americans are moving to Colombia

Colombia pairs low living costs with big cities, colonial towns, mountains and two coastlines.

• Cost. Rent, groceries and services are well below most US cities.
• Climate options. Medellín is known for its spring-like weather, Bogotá is cool, and Cartagena is hot and coastal.
• An accessible remote-work visa. The Digital Nomad Visa has a modest income threshold.
• Healthcare. Private clinics in the big cities are widely used, and prepaid private plans are affordable compared with US premiums.
• Travel. Direct flights connect Bogotá and Medellín with many US cities, and Colombia shares US time zones for much of the year.
• Culture. Food, music, festivals and a lively expat scene in the main cities.

Visa options

Pick the route that matches how you earn money. The Digital Nomad Visa is for remote work income. The Rentista Visa is for other verifiable income. The Pensioner Visa is the M visa that can build toward residency. The requirements below come from the foreign ministry’s own pages and Resolution 5477 of 2022.

These requirements come from the foreign ministry’s nomad and pensioner pages and from Resolution 5477 of 2022. Visa fees change, so confirm the current requirements and fees on the Cancillería website before you apply.

Things to know

• The threshold is a moving target. Guides put the 2026 minimum wage at COP 1,750,905, and each visa threshold is a multiple of it, so check the current figure. The dollar amount rises and falls with the exchange rate.
• Pensions must be for life. The pensioner page asks for a certificate of a lifetime monthly pension from a state or private pension fund. Ask the ministry whether other retirement income qualifies.
• Remote work only for foreign companies. Resolution 5477 says the nomad visa does not allow paid work with a company in Colombia.
• Insurance must be comprehensive. The pensioner page lists accidents, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation. The nomad visa asks for an all-risk policy with coverage in Colombia.
• Background check. The pensioner and rentista pages ask for a criminal record certificate from where you lived in the last 3 years, apostilled or legalized and translated into Spanish.
• Tax residency is separate from the visa. Non-government guides say more than 183 days in Colombia within any 365 makes you a tax resident. Confirm it with the tax agency (DIAN) or an adviser.
• Foreign ID card and absences. Migración Colombia issues the cédula de extranjería to foreigners with a visa. The ministry says an M visa lapses if you are outside Colombia more than 180 consecutive days in any 365.

How to apply, step by step

Most of the work is gathering documents. The steps below follow the foreign ministry’s pages. Start well before you plan to travel.

1. Choose your visa. Read the ministry page for your visa: digital nomad or pensioner. The rentista visa is Article 56 of Resolution 5477 of 2022 and is listed on the visa types page.
2. Check your passport. The ministry’s older English visa guide asks for a passport valid at least 180 days with two blank pages. Confirm the current rule.
3. Buy qualifying health insurance. The pensioner page requires a policy valid in Colombia for the whole stay that covers accidents, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, death and repatriation. The nomad visa asks for an all-risk policy with coverage in Colombia.
4. Collect your proof. Nomad visa: bank statements showing income of at least 3 monthly minimum wages over the last 3 months and a letter from your foreign employer (or proof of ownership and a remote-work letter). Pensioner visa: an apostilled pension certificate and a medical certificate. Rentista visa: an income certificate and a letter on the source of income.
5. Get a background check. Pensioner and rentista visas need a criminal record certificate from the country where you lived the last 3 years, apostilled or legalized and officially translated into Spanish. Get the US apostille from the State Department. Bank statements in an OAS language, including English, do not need an apostille or translation, per the pensioner page.
6. Apply and pay. Apply through the ministry’s procedures system or at a Colombian consulate (see the consulate directory). The nomad page lists a study fee of USD 56 and a visa fee of USD 183. Fees are on the costs page, and rejected applications need a new application and fee.
7. Track your application. Use the ministry’s application status page. The pages we read give no processing time.
8. Register in Colombia. Migración Colombia issues the cédula de extranjería, with issuance listed as 10 days. Book through Migración Colombia appointments.
9. Renew on time. The ministry defines an extension as a new visa of the same type, so start the renewal before your visa expires.

A lawyer or visa agent is optional, but many people use one for the pensioner visa. Ask for a written fee quote.

Cost of living in Colombia

A single person living comfortably in a smaller Colombian city or town can expect to spend about $1,295 a month, and a couple about $2,030. These are our own estimates, built from several published sources, in US dollars for a comfortable (not luxury) lifestyle. Real costs vary with location and habits.

Living in a major city such as Bogotá or Medellín raises rent, bringing the estimate to about $1,625 for a single person and $2,420 for a couple. Use our cost of living calculator to compare scenarios across all 12 countries.

Sources consulted: Wise, Expatistan and International Living cost-of-living pages, combined with our own calculations. Figures are estimates, subject to change, and exchange rates are approximate.

Healthcare

Medicare does not cover you in Colombia, and the State Department strongly recommends insurance that covers medical evacuation. What you do depends on your visa and your income, and many people combine public enrollment with a private plan. The cost details below come from a non-government guide.

• The public system (EPS). Non-government guides say legal residents with a foreign ID card are generally expected to join an EPS health plan. Check with the Ministry of Health. Contributions are about 12.5% of declared income, and self-employed people pay on at least 40% of gross income. One source reports monthly costs of roughly $30 to $72 depending on the plan.
• Pensioner visa holders. The foreign ministry’s pensioner page says the visa does not allow enrollment in the Colombian social security system, except where bilateral or multilateral agreements provide otherwise. Plan on private insurance.
• Prepaid private plans (medicina prepagada). Plans such as Colsanitas and Coomeva are commonly quoted at about $75 to $150 a month, depending on age and coverage. Retirees over 60 can budget more.
• International insurance. Policies from international insurers are often quoted at about $100 to $150 a month. For your visa, the policy must meet Colombia’s coverage rules, including repatriation.
• Hospitals. The big cities have well-regarded private clinics, including Fundación Santa Fe and Clínica del Country in Bogotá.
• Typical costs. A private therapy session is commonly about $18 to $45, and an uninsured emergency room visit is often about $45 to $115.
• Pre-existing conditions. Insurers may apply exclusions or waiting periods, so read the policy terms.
• Language. Public services operate in Spanish, and English-speaking doctors are easier to find in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena.

Cost details adapted from Colombia Move, a general guide. See also the CDC Colombia travel page.

Taxes for Americans in Colombia

Moving to Colombia does not end your US tax obligations, and you may owe Colombian tax as well. This section is general information, not tax advice, so speak to an adviser who handles US and Colombian taxes before you go.

On the US side

• You still file. US citizens are taxed on worldwide income and file a return wherever they live, according to the IRS.
• Extra time. Americans living overseas get an automatic 2-month extension, which moves the usual April 15 due date to June 15. Interest still runs on tax owed after April.
• Relief exists, but only if you file. The foreign earned income exclusion and the foreign tax credit can reduce what you owe, and you can claim them only by filing the right US return.
• Foreign account reporting. If your foreign accounts together exceeded $10,000 at any point in the year, you must file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) electronically by April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15, per the IRS FBAR page.

On the Colombian side

The points below come from non-government guides. Colombia’s tax agency is the DIAN, whose pages we could not use to confirm residency rules, so confirm them there or with an adviser.

• Tax residency. You are generally a Colombian tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Colombia within any 365-day period, whether the days are continuous or split across trips.
• Worldwide income. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. Non-residents are generally taxed only on Colombian-source income.
• Rates. Residents pay progressive rates with a top rate of 39%. Non-residents generally pay a flat 35% on Colombian-source income.
• Filing. If all of your income is salary, your Colombian employer usually withholds the tax. Self-employment and other income typically require a return.
• Property tax. Property tax is set by municipalities and usually falls between about 0.4% and 1.2%.
• VAT. The standard rate is 19%, with a reduced rate of 5% on some goods and services.
• No treaty. The US and Colombia have no income tax treaty and no totalization agreement, so you may face double taxation and contributions to both social security systems.

Colombian-side summary adapted from Greenback Tax Services: Americans living in Colombia, a general guide and not professional advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm current figures.

Where to live

Your visa lets you live anywhere in Colombia, so choose by budget, climate and lifestyle.

• Medellín. Known for its mild climate, modern transit, and a large expat and nomad community in neighborhoods such as El Poblado and Laureles.
• Bogotá. The capital has the most services, culture and healthcare, with a cooler climate.
• Cartagena. A walled colonial city on the Caribbean coast with hot weather and higher prices in the historic center.
• The coffee region (Pereira, Manizales, Armenia). Mountain towns with lower costs and a relaxed pace.
• Cali and the Valle del Cauca. A big city known for salsa, with lower costs than Bogotá and Medellín.
• Smaller towns. Costs are lower, with fewer services and fewer English speakers.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most refusals and delays come from income proof, insurance and paperwork.

• Relying on the old threshold. The minimum wage changes, and so does every visa threshold.
• Buying travel insurance. The ministry asks for a policy that covers the risks listed on your visa page, with coverage in Colombia.
• Mixing in local work. The nomad visa does not allow paid work with a company in Colombia.
• Assuming any retirement income counts. The pensioner page asks for a lifetime pension paid by a state or private pension fund.
• Assuming the nomad visa builds toward residency. The ministry’s accumulated-time Resident visa page lists M visas, not V visas.
• Skipping the apostille. The criminal record certificate and pension certificate need one.
• Leaving it late. Start well before you plan to travel.
• Forgetting the cédula de extranjería. Ask Migración Colombia whether your visa requires one and book the appointment.
• Ignoring Colombian tax residency. Over 183 days in any 365 makes you a tax resident with worldwide income.
• Forgetting US filing. You still file with the IRS, and there is no tax treaty.

Permanent residency and citizenship

Colombia builds long-term status through the M and R visa categories. The rules can change, so confirm them with the foreign ministry when you approach each stage. Details follow the ministry’s Resident visa by accumulated time page.

1. Terms. The nomad and rentista visas last up to 2 years. The pensioner visa lasts up to 3 years.
2. Renewals. You show your income and insurance again at each renewal.
3. After 5 years on an M visa. The ministry lists the pensioner visa among the M visas that need 5 years. Time counts as continuous when a new visa is granted before the old one expires, and meeting the time is not an automatic right to an R visa.
4. Citizenship. We did not find citizenship rules on a government page. Ask an immigration lawyer about the current rules and dual citizenship.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work for a Colombian company on the Digital Nomad Visa?

No. Resolution 5477 says the visa does not allow paid work with a company in Colombia. It is for remote work for foreign companies.

How much income do I need?

The nomad visa asks for 3 monthly minimum wages over the last 3 months, the pensioner visa for a lifetime pension of at least 3, and the rentista visa for 10. Check the current minimum wage.

Does the nomad visa lead to residency?

The ministry’s accumulated-time Resident visa page lists M visas, not V visas, so it does not appear to count. Confirm with the ministry.

Does Medicare cover me in Colombia?

No. You need insurance that meets Colombia’s visa rules, and many residents also join the public system or buy a prepaid private plan.

How long does the process take?

The ministry pages we read give no processing time. Ask the ministry, and allow time for documents and apostilles.

Can I bring my family?

Yes. The ministry says a spouse or permanent partner, children up to age 25 and a child with a disability can apply as economically dependent beneficiaries.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

Not for the visa, but daily life and paperwork are much easier with it.

Will I pay tax in both countries?

If you become a Colombian tax resident, you will likely file in both. There is no US-Colombia tax treaty, so plan with a cross-border tax adviser.

Sources and last updated

Last updated October 13, 2026. This guide draws on Colombian and US government pages. Visa rules, fees and thresholds change often, so confirm every figure with Colombia’s foreign ministry (Cancillería) before you apply. Where this guide says something could not be confirmed or is unclear, consult and verify it with the immigration authorities before making any major decision, such as signing a lease, buying property, moving money or booking a move. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.

• Foreign ministry: digital nomad visa page
• Foreign ministry: Visa M Pensionado
• Foreign ministry: Migrant (M) visas
• Foreign ministry: Visa R by accumulated time
• Resolution 5477 of 2022 (visa regulations)
• Foreign ministry: visa types
• Foreign ministry: visa costs
• Migración Colombia: cédula de extranjería
• US State Department: Colombia
• Colombia Move (non-government, used for healthcare costs only)
• Greenback Tax Services (non-government, used for the Colombian tax summary only)
• IRS: U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad
• IRS: Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)