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Colombia

Colombia visa

Americas · South America

In Colombia, visas fall to the ministry of foreign affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Cancillería). Its portal publishes the official list of visa types, an online application and tracking service, guidance documents and a costs page. The three published categories are the visitor visa (V), the migrant visa (M) and the resident visa (R), each broken down into many purposes with their period of validity.

Updated on 15 October 2026 · Official sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Colombia (Cancillería)
Submission channel
Online service of the ministry (tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co); diplomatic and consular missions; the Bogotá office, as read
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted; the application and the tracking are done online, with no mention of an electronic visa
Portal language
Spanish

Do you need a visa?

Cape Verde passport: visa required for a short tourist stay.

For a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport. To work, study or stay longer, the rules are different: check your situation.

Good to know

Visa required for a short visit (tourism). Cancillería table of 12/08/2024 (Res. 5488 of 2022 and 3717 of 2023).

Official source: Cancillería de Colombia — Nationalities for which Colombia requires a tourist visa (table of 12/08/2024)Cancillería de Colombia — Nationalités auxquelles la Colombie exige un visa de tourisme (tableau du 12/08/2024) (new tab) Verified on 24 September 2026

All destinations for this nationality

VisaGuideline helps you prepare your application. The decision belongs to the country’s authority: check the official page before paying or applying.

Colombia visa: who needs one?

Based on the verified entry rules, for a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport.

Visa exemption 100

List of nationalities

Visa required 89

List of nationalities

Information not available 8

List of nationalities

A nationality missing from this list does not establish a visa exemption. Consult the official authority.

Documented visa types

Visa de Visitante (V) — visitor visa
Category covering many purposes listed by the ministry (airport transit, tourism, business, student, medical treatment, events, digital nomad, among others), with periods of validity ranging, depending on the purpose, from thirty (30) days to two (2) years. Official page (new tab)
Visa de Migrante (M) — migrant visa
Category covering in particular the spouse and the permanent partner of a Colombian national; the page states, for example, a validity of up to three (3) years for the spouse. Official page (new tab)
Visa de Residente (R) — resident visa
Category named by the ministry on the visa types page; its subcategories and durations were not recorded from the page consulted. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The ministry's "Visa" page refers to the online service tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co, which allows an applicant to apply for a visa ("Solicitar visa") and to check the status of the application ("Consulte su estado de solicitud de visa").

The costs page states that the procedure may be carried out at Colombian consulates abroad as well as at the Bogotá office, whose address it gives (Sede Norte, Avenida 19 no. 98-03, Edificio Torre 100, 3rd floor). The visa types page also mentions filing through the diplomatic or consular representation of Colombia.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Identify the visa category and purpose in the list published by the ministry (visitor V, migrant M, resident R).
  2. Consult the corresponding guidance document ("Guías orientativas para trámite de visa") published by the ministry.
  3. File the application through the ministry's online service.
  4. Pay the corresponding fees using the means of payment stated by the ministry.
  5. Track the status of the application using the online status service.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 17 September 2026, the cost breaks down into two parts, the examination of the application ("estudio") and the issuance of the visa ("expedición"), expressed in euros or in United States dollars depending on where the procedure is carried out. The amounts vary according to the cases published on the page, which also provides for exemptions from payment; they are not reproduced here, as the page organizes them by nationality and by agreement.

The page states the following means of payment: PSE, SERVIBANCA, Banco GNB Sudameris, Visa and Mastercard credit cards, or direct payment at the consulates. No processing time is stated.

After the decision

The ministry publishes a service for checking the status of a visa application. The authority decides whether to grant or refuse.

Prepare your application

Frequently asked questions

Where is the application filed?

Through the online service of the ministry of foreign affairs, at Colombian consulates abroad, or at the Bogotá office whose address appears on the costs page.

What are the Colombian visa categories?

The ministry publishes three categories: visitor visa (V), migrant visa (M) and resident visa (R), each broken down into purposes with their period of validity.

How is the procedure paid for?

The costs page cites PSE, SERVIBANCA, Banco GNB Sudameris, Visa and Mastercard cards, as well as direct payment at the consulates.

Points to check with the authority

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