Colombia's so-called Visa V for digital nomads lets foreign nationals live in Colombia while working remotely for companies or clients located abroad, without taking a job with a Colombian entity. Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería) decides every application case by case and can request documents beyond what is described here, so this guide should always be paired with the checklist that is current on the day you file.
The category is intended for nationals of countries exempt from Colombian short-stay visas who work remotely for foreign companies or run their own digital enterprise whose clients and income come from abroad. The key limit to understand is that this visa does not authorize paid work for a person or company domiciled in Colombia. If your situation mixes remote work for clients abroad with some income sourced from Colombia, confirm with the Cancillería whether the Visa V is still the right category or whether another one applies.
The letter from your employer or main client may be submitted in Spanish or English and should clearly explain the working relationship, the compensation and the fact that the work is performed remotely. When a written contract exists, attach it along with the letter. Bank statements for the previous three months must show that monthly income meets the required minimum, which is calculated as a multiple of Colombia's current legal monthly minimum wage — the dollar figure changes every year, so it should be verified before you gather documents, never assumed from an older guide.
The insurance policy must cover the applicant for the entire stay in Colombia and include, at minimum, illness, accident, hospitalization and repatriation. If the applicant is traveling with a spouse, partner or children as beneficiaries, the Cancillería may request birth or marriage records proving the relationship, properly apostilled in the issuing state and translated into Spanish where required. Check well in advance which records each beneficiary needs, since pulling civil records from different states or countries can take longer than the rest of the file.
The general rule under Colombian law requires an apostille or legalization for foreign public documents submitted to a Colombian authority. Colombia does, however, carve out a practical exception for certain bank statements and employment letters: if the document is private (not a public document issued by a government entity) and is written clearly and understandably in an official language of the Organization of American States — including English — it may not require an apostille or a formal translation. This exception is not automatic and does not apply to every type of document, so do not apostille bank statements or employment letters by reflex: check the current document list first, and when in doubt, confirm directly with the authority reviewing your file.
It is common to confuse the digital nomad Visa V with other categories that also allow long stays in Colombia, such as investor visas, ordinary work visas or rentier visas. The key difference lies in where the income comes from and whether an employment relationship with a Colombian entity exists: the Visa V requires that both the work and the payment originate abroad, while an ordinary work visa assumes the opposite — a Colombian employer. If your plan combines remote work with the possibility of eventually invoicing Colombian clients, or if you intend to open a company in Colombia, check with the Cancillería or an immigration advisor which category fits your situation before filing, because applying under the wrong category can mean starting the process over.
When the Cancillería raises an objection to an application, it generally identifies which document or requirement fell short, and in many cases allows time to correct it before issuing a final denial. The most common reasons for an objection are not exotic: income that falls short of the current minimum, an employment letter that does not clearly explain the remote working relationship, health insurance with insufficient coverage or that does not span the full requested period, or family beneficiary documents missing the required apostille. Checking each of these points against the official list before filing significantly reduces the risk of an objection.
Informational content only. Integramerica is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Requirements and final acceptance depend on the receiving authority.
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