Popular Visas to Live in Colombia, 2022

October 22 should be an interesting day since resolution 5477 will supposedly go into effect. Apparently the last visa resolution passed was in 2017.  I will be online at the Colombian gov website that day seeing what's up. Mark your calendars.

The six stages of grief for anyone

spending a day online at an Inmigraciones

website, eagerly awaiting live updates....

Issuance of visas in Colombia have been frozen until theoretically Oct 21st, due to the whatever, whatever, of getting resolution 5477 implemented.

This comes from an online visa guru who I will call expat group dot co previously discussed elsewhere.

Staying in Colombia is recommended on

tourist visas for stays up to 180 days,

for snowbirds and multi-flaggers.

Moving full-time to Colombia is

recommended for those who can verify

that they can avoid potentially massive

tax exposure .. and who feel comfortable

with the realities of Colombia's

politics and the paramilitaries.

cccmedia

Not only taxes potentially, but as James Lindzey says,

EPS insurance will not restrict your visa, however, it may be expensive for certain people.

No expat is expecting expensive health insurance, particularly when international liv.........

says in their informal Q&A with expats that they are paying $70-85 per month, though our own Mr. Danger thinks it may be closer to $30 a month. A Quindío YouTuber I watch recommends what I would label the Al Capone approach. I will elaborate another time.

...the Al Capone approach...

As I recall that did not end well for Al. But he lived pretty good while it lasted...

Capone had seven years at the top, running the

Chicago Outfit in the 1920s and 30s.

He has been mentioned on cable TV news shows

in recent days (2022) because he got put away

by the feds not for many bombings and other

violence, but for tax evasion.  This fact has

prompted experts' opinions that the more recent

Former Guy could get indicted not for inciting

insurrection against his government, but for

illegally hoarding presidential documents.

As for Capone (1899-1947), after serving time

in prison, he came down with syphilitic

paralysis that destroyed his brain .. leading up

to a fatal heart attack several days after

his 48th birthday.

So no, Osage, it did not end well for the most

notorious U.S. criminal of the 20th century.

Credit... Wikipedia, MSNBC

@cccmedia ***,***

It's depressing.

Thank you Moderator for removing/redacting the poltical comments in the above you removed the most irresponsible and vile attacks but why not the whole comment as it certainly is not warrented in this disccusion about a Colombia vias.

I saw the comment last night and thought "is this CNN" or expat information about things in Colombia, hehehehe

I should clarify that calling it the "Al Capone approach" may be a misnomer because Al didn't report any income or file a return, which is not what that YouTuber advises. However, Al's arrest did cause others of his profession to change their behavior and to maintain two sets of books, and to file a disclosure with the government reporting their income from one of those sets.

Thank you for the clarification, Mr. Barley.

That concludes the Al Capone portion of this thread.

We now return to the original thread topic --

popular visas for Colombia.

cccmedia

Designated Colombia Expert, Expat.com

We now return to the original thread topic --popular visas for Colombia

For a few months James L. has indicated the following changes for the retirement visa as a result of resolution 5477--without details-- that are going to go into effect 10/21

Retirement – New Health InsuranceRequirements, Criminal Background Check, and Mental Health Certifications for Veterans.

I read a credible comment from "Sin Nombre" somewhere on the new insurance requirements. According to him, temporary residents with the "M" visa will have to hold private insurance instead of the Colombian EPS insurance. Unless applicants were planning to low-ball their income disclosure for the EPS (i.e. "doing the Al"), I don't see this resulting in a big cost difference, although I would think pre-existing conditions could be an issue.

@N.Barley not true.   information is all over the place online, dont believe everything you read I just renewed my M visa and they accepted EPS.

@N.Barley not true.  information is all over the place online, dont believe everything you read I just renewed my M visa and they accepted EPS.
-@HutchX2020

We are talking about the new law that goes into effect on 10/21/2022. I would think they would have a grandfather clause for existing temporary residents like you.

Possibly, I have the file for the new law 5477 but can't find anything on insurance on there,

Visa freeze.

James Lindzey of Visas By James and colombiavisas.com

says the Colombian government is putting a freeze

on new visa applications as of this Saturday, Sept. 17.

Changes in many visas apparently will take place on

or about October 21.

Contact James for the ins-and-outs concerning any

visa application/s you are contemplating. 

It's complicated.

Source... an email from James Lindzey today

Possibly, I have the file for the new law 5477 but can't find anything on insurance on there,
-@HutchX2020

I agree that the insurance requirement mentioned in 5477 is not clear enough to conclude that "Sin Nombre" is correct. However, Sin Nombre seems to be immersed in the process of getting his visa, so I won't rule it out either. 

5. Demostrar que cuenta con cubrimiento de salud en Colombia, o con póliza de salud con cobertura en el territorio nacional contra todo riesgo en caso de accidente, enfermedad, maternidad, invalidez, hospitalización. muerte o repatriación, por el tiempo previsto para su permanencia en el paí

@HutchX2020 Can you tell me how I apply for the EPS there I have checked other insurance companies I'm hoping to get something cheaper I don't have 400 dollars a month to spend on health ins Thanks

@brettfairweather

Well from what I hear from other expats if its your initial visa you need to have prepaid health insurance that covers you the whole 1 year, than once yo have the Visa you can switch to the EPS system, my personal situation is different I'm on my wife's health insuance as her beneficiary she's Colonbian National.

@cccmedia

Visa Freeze

I have to laugh at this touch of sarcasm by J.L. on his blog:

Due to implementation of new visa rules, the NICE PEOPLE at the government visa offices decided to stop receiving applications 1 month prior to the new rules going into effect.

Yes, so I am caught up in the visa freeze. I wanted to get a visa as the parent of a Colombian national and the attorney that I consulted with in August while in Medellin suggested waiting until the end of September to see what the changes to the parental visa would be. I think the freeze caught them unawares. She seemed to think that if I applied and received the visa via my daughter is would be converted to a marriage visa after the rule changes. So now time will tell I suppose.

The drawback to the spousal visa is that if you are out of the country for six months in expires; whereas with the parental visa the time limit was two years. Also the consulate asks for substantially more documentation than they list on their site.

I am not sure that the ordeal of obtaining a visa is worth it in the end for me as I am not so sure about becoming a taxable resident. If I decide to avoid becoming a tax resident the only real benefit to me would be that my wife could add me to her insurance. That is apparently undergoing much change as well. I have a lot of tax questions that are unanswered to my satisfaction...oh well.

lpd

@cccmedia  I have been hearing how easy it was to obtain a Colombia visa ever since I started researching Colombia probably 2 years ago now that I have actually made the decision to do this I am having nothing but trouble. Plus I always thot once you had you M class Visa that I could I did not realize I would have to renew this after 3 years with original documents I have no idea how I would get original documents while in Colombia I am on my 2 government pensions with nothing to spare for air fare back to Canada. I am at a total loss

Dear Brett,

Welcome to the Colombia forums of Expat.com ...

Wow! it appears you are in trouble, with

government pensions, though without money

besides that.

Call Alan Gongora  at Langon Law ASAP.

He'll know what to do.

cccmedia

Digital nomad visa.

Colombia's visa freeze is expected to be lifted in

one week (today is October 14, 2022) .. and on

the 22nd of this month, applications for

two-year digital nomad visas

are supposed to be accepted for the first time.

According to the website www.nomadsembassy.com,

which has been looking into this, continent-wide...

"To be eligible for a digital nomad visa, you must

already work as an employee, freelance with clients,

or own a business outside the country you wish

to apply for the visa."

cccmedia

The significance of the digital nomad visa.

The digital nomad visa solves a problem for

travelers/nomads who have had to renew a

visa or move from country to country every

few months.

With the digital nomad visa that

Colombia is about to offer, one can stay inside

La República for up to two years without

uprooting.

Colombia follows Brazil and Argentina as the

first countries on the continent to offer

digital nomad visas.

Colombia requirements to obtain the

digital nomad visa include a minimum income

of $684 per month .. health insurance .. and

a letter from an employer confirming your

employment status.

Source.... nomadsembassy.com

@cccmedia

What are the new regulations n 5744?

For Resolucíon 5744, you can read about it here, in Spanish:

https://expatgroup.co/visas-y-migracion … lombianas/

The Colombia government page does not appear to be up-to-date with the latest changes, but you can get a PDF here:

https://www.crcom.gov.co/es/node/4780

I have not read all of the first link or the second so I cannot give any analysis. But the types of visas have not changed - only details in how they are awarded and in requirements and permissions. In any case the changes do not lend themselves to 25 word or less explanations - you're going to have to read it for yourself, at least for now.

The first link is helpfully broken down into sections. I suggest that you read any/all sections that are of your particular and specific interest, and use a translation app or webpage if your Spanish does not allow for easy comprehension.

As is typical with all things Colombian nothing is straight forward. In my case I applied and submitted all required and requested information for the visa. Then the consulate (Houston) sent a response indicating that they needed a lot of additional information (that I didn't really want to provide). So I waited until I was in Medellin and consulted a local attorney who advised to wait until the 5744 was fully enacted.

So I am currently waiting. However, it my case I am thinking I will just be satisfied with five and a half months per year to avoid tax liabilities. Time will tell as they say in Hollywood. Also waiting to see how Petro's changes will affect me. Taxes, insurance, etc.

Good luck,

elp

However, it my case I am thinking I will just be satisfied with five and a half months per year to avoid tax liabilities. Time will tell as they say in Hollywood. Also waiting to see how Petro's changes will affect me. Taxes, insurance, etc -@Lpdiver

A "scheme" used by a Quindio influencer (QI), who has a pensioner's visa, was to open a savings account at his bank in the states and deposit his social security check into it, in order to isolate it from his other activity, which is reflected in his checking account.  Such that, when it is time for visa renewal, he can print out his savings account bank statements and present them to the agent who is mostly looking to see if you are paying enough for your EPS premium.

Of course, one must take into account what James L in Medellín says on his website regarding visa renewal and EPS premium calculation:

As of August, 2020, the Colombian visa officials are reviewing bank statements, employment certificates, tax returns, or other financial documents to determine if applicants are hiding any income. Officials may ask for other documents. In Colombia rules and processes change with no notice.

So what happens to QI, if the visa agent were to ask for his 1040 which reflects ALL his activity?  I don't know, but I am guessing Qi might use TurboTax to print out a copy of a 1040 which only reports his social security income. There is no formal tax treaty between the two countries, so its not like the agent can confirm the authenticity of the numbers.  Personally, if we're a skeptical Colombian visa agent, I might ask Qi to obtain a income tax transcript from the IRS in pdf format to confirm the numbers on the copy of the 1040.

As a final note on Colombian income tax, I cite a statement from Langon esquire's site:

From experience, we can tell you that many of our clients do not end up paying any local taxes because they can offset those foreign tax payments against local tax obligations

However, one must not forget the fact that the Colombian income tax system has a wealth tax component to it, and the base for it's calculation could ensnare more unsuspecting expats once Petro's new legislation passes. Assuming that is, they report more than the activity in their savings account.

I have read through the new resolution 5477 and from what see the insurance and mental fitness requirements do not apply to the M type visas only to the V type visas, can anyone clarify where they are seeing this as a requirement for either marriage or retirement visa.

I have read through the new resolution 5477 and from what see the insurance and mental fitness requirements do not apply to the M type visas only to the V type visas, can anyone clarify where they are seeing this as a requirement for either marriage or retirement visa.

With respect to the pensioner visa, I disagree, although mental fitness depends on how "aptitud psicofísica" is defined by the visa authorities.

ART. 77. Visa M pensionado.

3. Certificado médico expedido por la autoridad colombiana o por la autoridad médica de salud del país de origen, del que surja la aptitud psicofísica del peticionario;

4. Demostrar que cuenta con cubrimiento de salud en Colombia, o con póliza de salud con cobertura en el territorio nacional contra todo riesgo en caso de accidente, enfermedad, maternidad, invalidez, hospitalización, muerte o repatriación, por el tiempo previsto para su permanencia en el país;

As for marriage visa, I see no mention of a requirement for mental fitness or health insurance:

</p><br>Alcance: Para extranjeros que tengan vínculo matrimonial con ciudadano colombiano y aspiren a convivir efectivamente con su cónyuge colombiano(a) en el país. Esta visa permite acumular tiempo para la visa de residente en los términos del artículo 90 de la presente resolución.</blockquote><blockquote>Requisitos específicos:</blockquote><blockquote>1. Copia auténtica del registro civil de matrimonio colombiano, expedida dentro de los 3 meses previos a la solicitud de la visa;</blockquote><blockquote>2. Carta de solicitud suscrita por el cónyuge colombiano, en la cual solicite la visa para el cónyuge extranjero y manifieste la convivencia efectiva. En la carta deberá informarse con claridad el teléfono de contacto del cónyuge colombiano, su dirección física y electrónica y deberá acompañarse de copia sencilla de la cédula de ciudadanía. La autoridad de visas e inmigración podrá requerir pruebas adicionales que demuestren la existencia efectiva del vínculo o citar a entrevista presencial, virtual o telefónica, cuando lo estime necesario; 3. Poder especial, con diligencia de reconocimiento de contenido y firma ante notario o cónsul colombiano para que la pareja extranjera solicite este tipo de visa;</blockquote><blockquote>4. Certificado de movimientos migratorios del extranjero expedido por la Unidad Administrativa Especial Migración Colombia y de su cónyuge colombiano.

Sorry Ray,

The html on this site goes haywire when I copy and paste stuff. Maybe I can clean it up.

Paragraph breaks are your friends, even on a day with html issues.

Paragraph breaks are your friends, even on a day with html issues.

It had multiple paragraph breaks until I tried to remove a blockquote tag from my comment. Back in the day, I recall we had an html editor. Feel free to delete it. I am not going to edit it further.

The comment feature is supposed to be  WYSIWYG.  This is not the first time when it converts what I type into the underlying html.

I have passed along this technical issue to the Home Office.

@HutchX2020 they only accept EPS nothing else. Wont accept medicina prepagada

And you have to be the principle, not a beneficiary.I tried the latter, did not work.

This is for a Visa renewal. Dont know how it works for a new Visa. I I imagone they would accept some type of private insurance, as you are not always eligigible for EPS without a cedula ( at least you have to Hunt a little harder)

Sorryabout diifferent fonts and stuff. Doing this on my Iphone..a bit different.

One of the alternate visa services I went to last time wated police récord and a bunch of other garbage , so I went back to my aleged " Pet" specialist lawyer..these documents were not yet required.

This new resolución is going to really screw things up.

Not to mention Petro is simultaneously getting rid of the EPS system.