Colombia’s marriage visa is intended for foreigners with a Colombian spouse or permanent partner. The Colombia marriage visa is relatively easy to get, with only a few documents required; we provide 2024 updates to the Colombian marriage visa.
So, as of October 21, 2022, the new Resolution 5477 came into effect. Among the changes it brought is the split of the spouse visa into two types: the Marriage Visa, for those who are married, and the Permanent Partner Visa, for those with a common law union. Both visas allow you to apply for a Resident Visa but require different amounts of time. You must accumulate three years with the Marriage Visa and five years with the Permanent Partner Visa to apply for the Resident Visa.
Get the Residence
This visa allows you to acumulate time for a Resident Visa.
Obtain the Cédula
You can tramit the Foreign ID "Cédula de Extranjería."
Dual Citizenship
You'll be elegible to get the Colombian Citizenship.
Beneficiary Visa
Find a beautiful new home for you and your family.
The marriage visa is granted for up to three years. Nonetheless, the validity of the visa can be less. You can apply for a resident visa after accumulating three continuous and uninterrupted years. On the other hand, the permanent partner visa is valid for a maximum of one year. You must renew it annually until you accumulate five years; please consider that to comply with the resolution, the second and consecutive visas must be issued before the expiration date of your current visa. Just like this, you can show continuity when applying for a resident visa.
Marriage Union
Common Law
In addition, with the M marriage visa, you are permitted to carry out any lawful work activity in Colombia. This is the same as the previous TP-10 visa.
Also, with an M-marriage visa, if you leave Colombia for more than six consecutive months without returning to Colombia, your visa loses its validity like any other migrant visa.
The M-marriage visa cost is $324 USD, including the processing charge. This is somewhat higher than the previous TP-10 visa, which cost $263.
Also, we have this article about how to obtain a Colombia marriage visa in Spanish.
Has the visa process changed in Colombia due to the new Resolution 5477?
According to ExpatGroup, the visa agency we partnered with, tells us that with the new resolution, the government has introduced new application requirements, in addition to having eliminated some visas, such as the M student visa, and changed the category, for example, the R type visa for Colombian child, it is now M category.
With the latest resolution, couples now have two types of visas: an M marriage visa for spouses with a validity of up to three years and an M Visa Permanent partner of a Colombian national with a maximum validity of one year. Both visas cost 324 USD.
The visa agency we partnered with has helped many foreigners obtain visas for several years, including retirement visas, marriage visas, student visas, investment visas, and resident visas.
How to Apply for a Colombia Marriage Visa
You can apply for a Colombian marriage visa online in Colombia. In addition, you can obtain Colombian visas at Colombian consulates around the world. In the U.S., Colombia has consulates located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Newark, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC.
The Colombian visa process is fairly easy as it’s done online. You can apply for a Colombia visa online here. This application will require scans of all required documents in PDF files plus the photo in JPG format. In addition, a detailed guide for applying online is found here.
Visas in Colombia are issued by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Since the coronavirus, all visas are issued electronically, so you do not have to travel to Bogota for the stamp.
Work in Colombia
You could work in any Colombian Company.
Open a Bank Account
Use your Cédula de Extranjería to get a bank account.
Study in Colombia
Make your studies in high-level institutions.
Health Insurance
Affiliate yourself and your family in EPS health system.
I successfully obtained three Colombian visas that I applied for my own in the past that were good for a total of five years. But the biggest challenge with doing a Colombian visa yourself is not benefiting from the experiences of a visa agency, which has processed hundreds of visas and knows precisely what is needed for each type of visa.
So, for my latest visa received in 2018, a Colombia resident visa, I used a visa agency. And I found the experience painless and now highly recommend using a visa service over doing a Colombia visa application yourself. The bottom line is with a visa agency, you are less likely to run into problems.
Medellin Guru Visa Service
The visa agency we partnered with has helped 1.377 Medellin Guru reader
New Marriage Visa Requirements
Documents required for the M-marriage visa include:
Documents if you are applying for an M visa Permanent partner of a Colombian national:
The Government may require additional evidence to demonstrate the effective existence of the relationship or summon a virtual, telephonic, or face-to-face interview when it deems necessary.
Medellin Guru Insurance Service
Medellin Guru partnered with an insurance agent to offer Colombian insurance services to foreigners including health insurance, auto insurance, homeowners’ insurance, travel insurance and life insurance.
Assist Card
Continental Assist
How to Get the Migratory Movement Certificate (Certificado de Movimiento Migratorio)
A migratory movement certificate is now needed for marriage visas, as Migración wants to confirm that the relationship is real and that you have spent time with your partner.
You can get the Migratory Movement Certificate (Certificado de Movimiento Migratorio) at any Migración Colombia office. The current cost is $75,000 COP.
You need to submit online and can pay online, or you can submit online and pay at a Migración Colombia office. The processing time is three business days.
An Interview May be Required for a Colombia Marriage Visa – Example Questions
Sometimes, the marriage visa requires an interview with the spouse. This is reported to be required for almost all civil partnerships. During the interview, the spouses may be interviewed together or interviewed separately, with answers compared.
The questions asked vary and can include questions like:
- How did you meet?
- What did you do to celebrate your wedding?
- Questions about both spouse’s families?
- Where have you gone on vacation?
- What side of the bed does your spouse sleep on?
- What scars does your spouse have?
Also, they may ask to see photos. The interview questions are intended to show that the relationship is real.
Since the pandemic, being summoned for an interview is rare. However, the government can schedule a virtual (video call), telephone, or face-to-face interview.
Getting Married in Colombia
In Colombia, you can get married at a church or a Colombia notary. Here, I’ll discuss a civil marriage at one of the notaries in Medellín. Note that religious marriages must also be registered at a notary. A complete list of the notaria offices in Medellín is found here.
Your first step in a civil marriage at a notary in Colombia is to contact the notary you want to use to find out what documents are required and the procedure. Documents required can be different from notary to notary in Colombia. Also, the documents required depend on your situation.
For example, if you or your partner have kids, it can be more complicated. Also, not all notaries are used to working with foreigners. So, it’s important to talk to a notary to find out the documents they require for your situation.
Over three years ago, I was married at Notary 17 in El Poblado, located at Calle 8 #42-15. And this notary has much experience with foreigners, and the process was straightforward in my experience. The documents required were:
- Photocopy of my wife’s cedula.
- Notarized copy of my wife’s birth certificate not older than 90 days – this needed to be the long form folio version which showed her marital status. Note that Colombia has a national registry of births and marriages. So, a birth certificate in Colombia is a living document.
- My U.S. birth certificate with an apostille and Spanish language translation not older than 90 days.
- My U.S. divorce decree with an apostille and Spanish language translation not older than 90 days.
- Photocopy of my cedula (I had a previous visa so already had a local cedula ID). If I didn’t have this cedula, a photocopy of my passport would have been needed.
I translated my documents from the U.S. to Spanish using a visa agency in Medellín with official Colombian translators that can translate into Spanish.
When I brought all the documents to the notary, they reviewed them and scheduled the civil wedding with them. Since I spoke sufficient Spanish, a translator wasn’t needed. And the cost of a marriage at Notary 17 in El Poblado was 140,000 pesos back then.
Civil Partnership – Like a Common-Law Marriage
Colombia also has the option for documenting a civil partnership, which can be used for a Permanent Partner Visa after completing one year of common law marriage. A civil partnership is also known in Colombia as a “union libre” or “union marital de hecho.”
Two consecutive years of cohabitation with a permanent and monogamous live-in situation in Colombia essentially represents a legal and de facto marital union in Colombia.
Documenting this type of relationship requires a declaration in front of a notary. This is called a declaración union marital de hecho and should be documented in a public escritura and this document can be used to get a visa (with the new Resolution 5477, you can apply for the visa one year after signing the union).
Technically a couple should be living together under the same roof, and the relationship is reportedly supposed to have been for two years. But I have met some expats who received this declaration with shorter relationships.
Other Considerations in Colombia Marriages and Civil Partnerships
Colombia permits same-sex civil unions. So, partners in same-sex relationships have the right to also get marriage visas in Colombia.
In addition, it’s important to understand that Colombia is essentially a community property country.
So, assets acquired post-marital union are most commonly divided 50/50 in Colombia, and this applies to both marriages and civil partnerships. In Colombia, anyone who has been living with his or her partner for over two years essentially has almost the same rights as a spouse.
However, assets acquired before your marriage/union in Colombia are typically not up for debate when dissolving any martial union in Colombia.
But it is possible to get prenuptial agreements in Colombia, which are known as “capitulaciones matrimoniales”. An experienced lawyer in Colombia can design a prenuptial agreement that includes asset dissolution agreements that can protect claims on future assets.
Using a Visa Agency for a Marriage Visa
Whether you are in Colombia or abroad and want to save yourself the hassle of applying for a visa, you can use a visa agency to obtain a Colombia marriage visa. A visa agency can handle the whole online application.
Medellin Guru has partnered with what we believe is the best visa agency in Medellín to offer Colombia visa services. Features of this service include:
- Online chat – get visa questions answered fast.
- Online quotes – get immediate visa quotes.
- Office in El Poblado in Medellín.
- Competitive price compared to other visa services.
- Bilingual team
Successfully Aproved Visas
Through this service we have helped
Medellin Guru Visa Service
The visa agency we partnered with has helped 1.377 Medellin Guru reader
We reviewed all the Colombia visa agency services in Medellín and found one agency that offers a more efficient visa service with more features and more comprehensive communications including online chat, WhatsApp, video calls by Google Meet or Zoom, email and phone plus a low price and a convenient office in El Poblado.
Our visa partnership is an affiliate relationship (like the Amazon affiliate program). If you use our visa partner, Medellin Guru receives a small commission and you support the website. This is at no additional cost to you. The price remains the same, whether you use a button or affiliate link on this website or not.
Furthermore, the visa agency we partnered with offers visa services anywhere in Colombia. So, if you are located in another city in Colombia you can use this service.
Getting a Colombian Cedula
After you have successfully received your Colombia marriage visa, you have a maximum of 15 calendar days to register your visa with Migración Colombia to get a Cedula de Extranjeria (Colombian ID for foreigners). Or if you received your visa at a consulate, you will have 15 calendar days after you arrive in Colombia to register your visa.
Due to being photographed and fingerprinted this must be done in-person at a Migración Colombia office.
Especially relevant, it is very important to register your Colombian visa within the allowed time frame. If not, you will be liable for a big fine of up to seven times the minimum monthly salary in Colombia. The minimum salary in Colombia is $1,300,000 COP per month in 2024. So, the fine is up to 9,100,000 COP pesos in 2024.
Registering for your visa and applying for a cedula must be done at one of the Migración Colombia offices. You can find Migración Colombia offices in major cities in Colombia.
- Barranquilla – Carrera 42 # 54-77, Barrio El Recreo
- Bogotá – Calle 100 #11B-27
- Cali – Avenida 3 norte # 50N-20
- Cartagena – Carrera 20 B # 29-18, Barrio pie de la Popa
- Medellín – Calle 19 #80A-40, Barrio Belén (the entrance is on the other side of the building on Calle 19A)
A complete list of the Migración Colombia offices is found here. In addition, we have a guide to applying for a Cedula Extranjeria in Colombia.
Dual Citizenship
After having the M visa for three years, you can apply for an R residency visa. With a resident visa for three years, you are eligible to become a citizen of Colombia. And you won’t have to give up your existing citizenship. Colombia permits dual-citizenship, as does the U.S. and many other countries.
However, if you M visa is from a common law union, or domestic partnership you must accumulate five years with this visa to obtain a type R visa.
And if you already have a R visa when you get married to a Colombian, you need to wait two years after being married to be eligible to apply to become a citizen of Colombia.
Once you become a dual citizen with Colombian citizenship, you will no longer need to deal with visas anymore. Also, you will be able to travel to a few countries as a Colombian citizen without a visa, such as Russia, which requires a visa for U.S. citizens.
Also, if you have Colombian citizenship, this benefits you with the Mercosur trade bloc. Nationals of Member States (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and Associated States (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) do not need a passport or visa to travel around the region, with only a national identity card required.
In addition, the Mercosur Agreement grants the right to residence and work for citizens with no requirement other than nationality. Citizens of the Member States and Associated States that are part of the agreement enjoy a facilitated procedure for applying for a residence visa as long as they have a valid passport, birth certificate, and a negative certificate of a criminal record.
To become a citizen, Colombia requires a citizenship test, just like the U.S. does. You will be required to pass a test related to Colombian history, geography, and the constitution. Also, a basic Spanish oral test is required. However, those who have a bachelor’s degree from a Colombian university or are over 65 years old are exempt from these tests.
Medellin Guru's Comprehensive Visa and Passport Series
The Colombian visa changes that went into effect in mid-October 2022 were significant. So, on the Medellin Guru site, we have a comprehensive series of visa articles that are kept up-to-date and should answer most visa questions. These articles include:
- Colombia Visa Guide: Ultimate Guide How to Get a Colombian Visa
- How to Obtain a Colombian Visa with Up-to-Date Info – an overview of all the Colombian visas
- Popular Colombian Visas for Foreigners: Which Visa is the Most Popular?
- Colombia Visa FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Colombia Visas
- Travel Insurance: Meets the Health Insurance Requirement for Colombia Visas
- Visa Agencies: A Guide to Visa Agencies in Medellín and Colombia
- 9 Common Colombian Visa Mistakes: How to Avoid Them
We have looked in detail at the seven most popular Colombian visas used by foreigners:
Also, we have looked in detail at three additional Colombian visas, which are less popular for foreigners:
- Rentista visa (annuity visa) – for foreigners with a fixed income
- Beneficiary visa – for relatives of visa holders
- Expertise visa – for professionals
In addition, we have a guide to Colombia tourist visas and how to extend a tourist visa. Also, we have a guide to renewing U.S. passports in Colombia and a guide to obtaining a Colombian passport.
Furthermore, we provide information about travel insurance that meets the insurance requirement for Colombian visas. And we have a guide to how apply for a cedula extranjeria in Colombia and a guide to using notaries in Medellín and Colombia. Finally, Medellin Guru has partnered with a visa agency to offer Colombia visa services.
All of our Colombia visa articles were updated in 2023 to ensure they are up-to-date and are being updated again in 2024. In addition, all visa articles on this website will be kept up-to-date as new details are disclosed.
The Bottom Line: Obtaining a Colombia Marriage Visa
Colombia’s marriage visa is relatively easy to get with few documents required. But this visa is only intended for people who have a Colombian spouse or Colombian permanent partner.
The visa agency we partnered with has helped many Medellin Guru readers obtain marriage visas.
A major benefit of the new M-marriage visa compared to the old TP-10 marriage visa is that there is now a duration of three years until you are eligible for a resident (R) visa. And after another two years with an R visa with a Colombian spouse you become eligible to become a citizen of Colombia.
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Editors note: updated on February 10, 2023 with updates on new Colombian visa regulations.
Editors note: updated on June 28, 2023, with new images.
Editors note: updated on September 07, 2023, with new rates of visas, new links and images.
Editor’s note: updated on March 21, 2024, with new visa rates and minimum Colombia wage rates.
213 thoughts on “How to Obtain a Colombia Marriage Visa – 2024 Update”
What happens if the NPIC in the USA doesn’t send back your old passport that has your Visa in it?
Hi Jeff,
How do you get a criminal record and apostille the document? Is it possible to do this from outside the country?
You do not need a criminal record for a Colombian visa. There is a list of required documents in our article above.
Click on this link and the visa agency we partnered with can help you – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
Is there a maximum deductible requirement for the Colombian Marriage Visa health insurance requirement? It appears the answer is no, although I don’t see any explicit statements saying there is no maximum deductible requirement, & that there is only a minimum coverage requirement but I was informed by my insurance agent this varies from country to country & to explicitly confirm so that I don’t get a policy with a deductible that is too high & won’t satisfy the requirements.
Ask the visa agency we partnered with – click on this link and there is a chat available during business hours – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
I reached out over chat & confirmed. thx Jeff! (y)
Hi Jeff, I am married to a Colombian citizen and through this marriage I got a Resident visa, code RC. This visa has a note saying that “no permite ejercer profesion regulada” I am unsure of what this means, could you guide me a bit as to the meaning of that phrase?
My friends tell me I am not allowed to work, but it seems ridiculous since I am a resident.
Could you tell me or provide me with instructions to find what limitations I have with this RC visa? I would like to be able to work and find a job.
You are permitted to work with a resident or M-1 marriage visa.
Will this new health insurance requirement also effect the time on a Resident Visa or will it still be good for 5 years?
Ask the visa agency we partnered with – click on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa service” button in the article. That will take you to a page with a chat during business hours.
Hi Jeff, great post, thank you. I just received my M-visa and I was quite surprised to see it’s only valid for 1 year. Would you know why, and have you heard this more often?
Due to requirement for health insurance, which limits time of the visa to time for the health insurance.
Interesting as no one ever asked me for my health insurance or proof thereof…
How long before your M-1 visa expires should you apply for the Residency visa? Anyone care to comment on how it went going from the M-1 visa to the Residency visa during this pandemic?
At least a month. See our popular article about how long visa processing is taking – https://medellinguru.com/how-long-to-get-a-colombian-visa/
I was wondering what sort of documentation you need to submit for the proof of health insurance. I have travel insurance that meets the requirements stated but do I just need to submit the policy documents? Do they need to be translated?
I can’t see anywhere online on the migracion/cancilleria websites that this is a requirement and have been having trouble contacting them by phone.
Thanks!
Hi, question on the apostilled documents (birth certificate and divorce decree) – when it requires a 90-day timeframe does that mean the date on the document, or the date the apostille was certified?
Thanks!
It is the date of the document.
Originally we were planning on getting married so I got a single status document apostilled in Canada (my home country) which states the marriage between us. If we decide to settle for an union libre instead do I have to get a different document or is it okay to use the one I have even though it talks about marriage?
Best to ask the visa agency we partnered with – click on this link – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/ and there is a chat available during business hours.
Hi all,
Does anyone know how two foreigners (Australian and Venezuelan) can get married in Medellin? I’m looking for experiences of actual couples. If anyone’s willing to share their experience getting married in Colombia, but not being Colombian.
Thanks,
Narelle
Ask the visa agency we partnered with – click on this link and there is a chat available – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
Hi Jeff,
I am a U.S. resident (not a citizen) applying for an M visa (my spouse is Colombian, but we both live and work in the US.
I read in your article that with an M visa if I leave Colombia for more than 6 months, I lose it. Can you please refer me to the official source that says that? Also, there was no mention online on the Colombian consulate website of the translated and apostilled marriage certificate (we were married in Washington, D.C.). Is that a requirement that I missed that I need it to be translated into Spanish?
Thanks much,
Niyara
The requirements may differ if applying at a consulate and they may not require translations from what I have heard. You need to confirm with the consulate.
Sorry don’t have a link to official source about M visa if you leave Colombia for more than 6 months, you lose it but we confirmed this with the visa agency we partnered with and a lawyer.
Hi Jeff, I’m hoping you can help me find a script or a video of what to expect at my notary wedding; it’s scheduled in medellin on January 12th. After 3 years together, we have all our paperwork together and our wedding date, but my Spanish isn’t perfect (probably never will be) so it’d be nice to review a script beforehand. I recently saw on TV a wedding in California (American guy marrying a woman from Finland) and although she spoke very good English, she screwed up more than a few lines that she was asked to repeat during the ceremony. I’m trying to avoid this. We did have the option to have a translator for our ceremony, but I feel like that’s for English speakers who speak zero Spanish which is not me, but I’d still like to review a script, thanks for your help
Sorry don’t have a script and haven’t seen a video. And I suspect it is different for each notary.
It wasn’t that difficult, when I got married I spoke less Spanish than now and they said a translator wasn’t needed and didn’t have any problems.
Thanks, good to hear. I’ll keep looking online and my buddy is planning on filming the service, so I’ll see about transcribing the dialogue(with the help of my span speaking bride) and sharing with the community.
I see that you can also get married at a Reconciliation Center with fewer documents such as the apostilled Birth Certificate. I was told this marriage will suffice for the M-1 Visa. Is this true?
Hi Jeff,
Has covid-19 impacted the governments willingness to grant visas? Are they granting visas to people who are not in Colombia at the time of application? I am not in Colombia right now – I am returning shortly and plan to get married and apply for a marriage visa. I will most likely have to leave Colombia for a short while as I imagine my tourist visa will expire before I am granted my visa.
Colombia is still processing visas. In November, the visa agency we partnered with helped several readers obtain marriage visas.
Thank you so much for keeping this updated. Waiting patiently for the world to come back to normal.
What if you have no source of income? Can you still apply for a R-visa? I do not work and my SS will not kick in for another 5 years and 8 months.
We recommend asking the visa agency we partnered with. You can ask questions via chat at the bottom right on this page during business hours. Note tomorrow is a holiday – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
Jeff can possibly tell you better, but I believe that if you are married and your wife works you can use your wife`s source of income as well for the R Visa and if she`has no source of income than reapply for an M 1 visa again, otherwise R Visa is not possible.
Jeff!!
Do you know if you have to wait until the 3 years expires to reapply for an M-1 visa or can you reapply a month or 2 before the visa expires?
Or do I have to leave Colombia reenter with a tourist visa and reapply for an M-1 visa again?
I was considering applying for an R Visa but there are some issues with the source of income requirements, since the company I worked for for over 20 years closed in 2018 and its not enough to show bank accounts.. I asked the expat group agency already I would have to certify where the funds came from and that would be quite impossible since the company closed in 2018 so I am just considering reapplying for an M-1 visa again. in the future.
Hi Victor, yes you can re-apply before the M-1 visa expires. We recommend starting this process about 2 months before.
Jeff I currently have an M visa. I was out of Colombia when all this lockdown took place. I had a ticket for a flight back to Bogota but had to cancel it as all flights were cancelled. My 180 days will expire on about May 20th. Will I be forgiven for being late back to Colombia when the corona virus lockdown has been lifted. I have heard you talk about other instances with visas but not about my case. Stay Safe.
Sorry, this question has been asked by many readers but there has not yet been a communication from the Colombian government that addresses this.
Anyone know of Notaria in Cali that works with foreign-Colombian marriages?
thank you for the reply…do I get the apostille and translation done in the uk or when in Colombia ?
Apostille in the UK, translation in Colombia. We partnered with a visa agency that can handle the translation and applying for the visa – https://medellinguru.com/medellin-guru-visa-services/
Hi how does it work in Colombia if my wife to be gets married in the U.K. 1st? Then we are thinking of moving to Medellin once I sell
Up in the U.K.?
Do we follow the same rules ?
Bit of a mine field right now as it’s all so new
You can still get a marriage visa in Colombia.
You will need an official copy of your UK marriage certificate with an apostille and official Spanish language translation in Colombia. And none of the docs can be dated older than 90 days.
Hello Jeff.
I’d like to know ‘M titular Principal’ visa has same meaning of marriage/partnership/spouse Visa.
I saw many articles, but i don’t have confidence that it is right.
I know who has this visa can work in coliombia legally, but the purpose of this visa is not getting a job,
so this visa different from Work Visa. am i right?
Thank you for help and sorry to my poor english.
M titular Principal is the Principal Holder of a M visa.
A marriage visa is different from a work visa. With a marriage visa you can work any job in Colombia. A work visa is for a specific job.
So ‘M titular Principal’ visa is not a marriage/spouse visa? or, is a smiliar to marrige/spouse visa?
i understand a marriage visa is different from a work visa.
Thank for your help.
“M titular Principal” means the primary holder of a M visa. See under TÍTULO I here for more about Titular Principal – https://www.alcaldiabogota.gov.co/sisjur/normas/Norma1.jsp?i=70275
If you have additional questions, you can chat with the visa agency we partnered with here during business hours – https://visasincolombia.com/
Thank you so much for the quick reply!
Hey Jeff,
You really have some great content on this site. It has a lot of well researched information that I often reference.
I understand that the decision to interview is random. So, what happens if you fail to complete the interview process and simply have the visa denied. In theory would you one able to apply again after a period of time and then maybe they would not be randomly select you? How does that work?
The reason I ask is that in terms of my time, airline tickets, hotel ect. it will cost me well over $1000 appear for an interview in Bogota. And I really don’t like the city very much…
Perhaps it would be a legitimate strategy to simply not go to the interview due to “whatever reason” then just reapply. It would come out cheaper in the end.
Cheers!
Hi Shawn, thanks. I recommend asking the visa agency we partnered with what would happen if you didn’t go for the interview, as they may know based on experience. If you click here https://visasincolombia.com/ it will bring up a page with a chat at the bottom right where you can chat directly with the visa agency during business hours.
I have a question about the documents. I have my birth certificate for many years. when they require ” no older then 90 days” are they saying the document needs to be issued in the last 90 days or that Apoltille and Translation needs to be under the 90 days?
Yes, the birth certificate needs to be issued in the last 90 days with an apostille and Spanish language translation also within 90 days. They do this because in Colombia birth certificates are living documents and include information about marriages and divorces.
Hi Jeff/Medellin Guru:
I wanted to thank you for your information on your site regarding Colombian visas. Through the information that you provide, I was able to get my M-1 Visa. In fact, I received it today. I have to get to Migracion Colombia once I arrive to register it. I plan on looking to live in Tolu or Cartagena. (I am a costeña at heart.) Once I do get settled in finally, I would like to fly down to Medellin for one of the meet ups.
Once again, many kindest thanks!! :):)
Thanks Jeff
Appreciate it
Hi
I’m getting my migrant (m) visa of category 1 (m-1 visa) this week
I just need to know if i have to be there for the whole 2 years to get the residence visa?
Or it’s just ok to travel every 6 months to Colombia for the visa validity and after 2 years can apply for residence visa?!
I recommend asking the visa agency we partnered with what the residence requirements are. If you click on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button in the article it will bring up a page where you can chat directly with the visa agency on the bottom right of the screen.
I have married here recently, i need your help as how to apply for a marriage visa , what is the requirement you need from me and the cost.
The marriage visa requirements are listed in the article above along with the cost. If you want to use a visa agency, click on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button in the article that will take you to a screen where you can get a visa services quote.
What is the cost and time requiment
Cost for the government fee for the marriage visa is in the article in the first section – $282 USD. For the cost for visa services you will have to get a quote on this page – https://visasincolombia.com/. Once the visa agency has all the required docs from you it normally takes a week for approval but you may have to got to Bogotá for interviews so can take longer. Once approval is received the visa agency can take care of sending your passport to Bogotá for the visa stamp in your passport that will take about 5 business days.
Great! Thank you so much for the quick reply 🙂
Hi Jeff, do you know if Migración in Bogota accepts cash when paying for the cedula? Or are the only options by debit or credit card? Thank you.
It is possible to pay in cash at their bank. Migración can provide you payment information to pay at their bank for your cedula.
Hi Jeff. 2 questions. Can i do the Marriage Visa in person or can it only be filled out online? Also what is the wait time to be approved?
Hi Evan, No, you can’t apply for a marriage visa in-person in Colombia. All visa applications in Colombia have to be done online. The time to get approved is typically about a week unless they have additional questions.
Thanks Jeff.
Hi Jeff
Thanks for the great article and comprehensive information!
Quick question, I currently have the old TP-10 visa and it will expire in 2 months. I am looking to renew the visa and was wondering if a notarized copy of the original marriage certificate I received would suffice, or do I need to renew it/get a new one? I was confused by the “Must be issued within three months prior to the visa application, but that might be just for first time visa applications?
Any clarity or info you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Hi Justin, you will need a new copy of your marriage certificate as the three month prior to visa application applies for renewals also. In addition, if you’ve had your TP-10 visa for 3 years you are eligible for a resident (R) visa that won’t require a marriage certificate – https://medellinguru.com/resident-visa/
Excellent, thanks again!!!
Hi Jeff and all!
I wanted to thank you for all of the information. It helped with applying for my visa. I received my visa last week and wanted to give a little information since there isn’t many of those who begin the process in Cartagena.
In Cartagena you have to go to the notary that does marriage certificates and civil uniones which is Notaria Septima in the Centro Historico. It’s on avenida venezuela by the Transcaribe Centro station. From there they gave us all of the required documents needed in order to have the union libre.
I’m from the US and I only had the short version of my birth certificate with me. You will need the long version and it will need to be apostilled (which is done in the capital of each state). I didn’t have time to return to the US. So I ordered my long form bc from vitalchek.com and had my sister drive to Austin, Texas to apostille it. She arrived to the capital and it took about 10 minutes to get my bc apostilled. She overnighted it via fedex to Cartagena. If you don’t have someone that can take it to the capital there are companies that offer this service for about $100+ and it takes about 10-21 business days. I paid just $20 at the capital. Once I received the bc in Colombia i had to get it officially translated. The notary referred me to someone official and it took 1 day to receive the translation.
I also needed to have a document that stated I was single and not married in the US. This can be done at the US Embassy in Bogota or at the US Consular office in Barranquilla. I had to email the Barranquilla office for an appointment. They take about 24 hours to respond. Once there, it cost 175,000 COP to have this letter done. All my partner needed was his birth certificate. After having all of these documents we were able to apply for the union libre. It took about a week and a half later to receive it due to the holidays. They gave us two copies. They originally quoted us 300,000 COP but paid 250,000 COP for the union libre. It varies depending on the notary.
For the visa process we needed the union libre, notarized photo copy of my partners cedula, copy of my passport information page and my last entry/exit stamp, a letter from my partner giving me power to request the visa and a letter from my partner requesting the visa. I uploaded all of these using a scanner app. I also downloaded an app for a passport picture that they would use. Once all of the information was submitted on their website we had to pay 163,280 COP. You cannot use a foreign card for this payment. After this, I received an email in two days requesting we come in for an interview.
We went to the interview in Bogota. There was no set appointment time, just before a certain date and between 8am and 12 pm we needed to come in. We arrived early around 9:30am. There were only 2 other couples ahead of us. Once called in for the interview it lasted about 10 minutes. She asked us how we met, why i didn’t want to go back to the states, when we started living together and to show a few pictures. Went back to the waiting room and they called us back in to let me know i’ve been approved. We went next door to pay cash 722,200 COP. Returned with the receipt and received the visa in my passport.
We’ve been together only for a year and 4 months. The biggest hassle was notary and all in all it took about a month and a half to do all of this. We were rushed since I had to be out of Colombia by July 19 since i’ve used all of my 180 days. I hope this helps!
Hello Jeff, I am planning to marry my Colombian girlfriend in October this year. I did live in Colombia in 2017/18 on a working visa but that ran out. I am now in the UK, I am British. When I return to Colombia this October to marry, I will be entering on a normal 90-day tourist visa. I was under the impression that I could marry with this, or do I need to apply for a specific marriage visa in order to be able to marry in Colombia?
I have been reading a lot of forums on the topic and the consensus is that you do not need a marriage visa in order to marry in Colombia. You can just enter Colombia on the normal 90-day tourist visa, and then marry your Colombian partner. Can you clear this up please?
Yes, you can come to Colombia with a tourist visa, get married and then get a marriage visa. You get the marriage visa after being married and you don’t need a visa to get married in Colombia. See the docs required to get married in Colombia in the above article.
Jeff,
First I want to thank you for all the information available on your site. You do a wonderful service, and have made my transition to Colombia, so much easier!
My question is, can you apply for citizenship, after 3 years with a TP10 visa, or only after obtaining a M visa.
Thanks for all you do.
Steven D Naar
As it says in the article under dual citizenship, “If you are married to a Colombian, after having one of the new R resident visas for two years you are eligible to become a citizen of Colombia.” After a TP-10 or M marriage visa you need to get a R visa for two years before being eligible to become a Colombian citizen.
Hi Jeff, All,
I thought I’d add a bit of information about our recent experience getting a Union marital de hecho and partner visa. Your articles and the comments were very helpful when we were going through the process so hope this can be of some use to others. It seems it is becoming harder to obtain the Union de Hecho from notaries unless you have your original birth certificate and also proof of no impediment. We tried several notaries in Bogota but all of them wanted these, some said they also needed to be apostilled. We then heard about another route – you can go to a Centro de Arbitraje y Conciliación, there are several in Bogota including Usaquen, Chapinero and Cedritos. We went to the Cedritos one, located in the Cámara de Comercio, Carrera 19 # 140. It is more expensive (COP 459,000) but you only need to show your passport and partner’s cedula, and I worked out I’d spend at least that amount on getting original documents sent to me in Colombia plus all the waiting time, and documents possibly not arriving, stress etc! The process was very easy, almost no waiting time, very helpful staff etc and you receive the Union document straight away. We then applied for the visa online. Each document you upload now has it’s own specified field, so you need to upload them separately as pdfs, ensuring the total of all the file sizes together does not exceed the limit (I think it was 3MB total). The required documents were as stated EXCEPT two letters are required (we wrote to the Migracion office to clarify this as it didn’t seem clear, and they confirmed it is the case). One letter should be from the Colombian partner/spouse giving Power of Attorney to the foreigner over the visa procedure and signed by both. The second letter should be from the Colombian partner/spouse simply requesting the visa and signed by just the Colombian partner/spouse. We got both letters, my passport details page and last stamp page, and my partners cedula all notarised then scanned them using a phone scanning app. We then got a request to come in for an interview. It was pretty painless (the worst bit is sitting around waiting for a couple of hours), they interviewed us together and asked things like how long we’ve been together, dates we moved in together, when/where we met each others families, holidays together and asked to see photos together, with each others families and asked what we’d done to celebrate our recent Union and to see any photos of that (which we didn’t have). After a further brief wait we were called in and they confirmed the visa was granted, after which we paid (COP 722k, on top of the COP 160k previously paid for the study of the papers), and received the visa in my passport! I have now also got my cedula and I’ll put a brief update about that on the relevant page also.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the update.
Do you know how long it takes to receive the answer from the Immigration after you applied?
Hi Joanne, after applying online I got a response 2 days later.
Hi Joanna
It was very quick – I received an email the next day after submitting the application online, to say I needed to attend an interview. We then went in for the interview two days later and received the visa in my passport that day.
Hope all goes well for you in the process.
Best,
Mark
Wow! We did not go through that whole interview process two years ago. My husband wasn’t even allowed to go in with me. I didn’t have to show any pictures, or answer any questions about how we met or our families. We had to do that in the U.S., but not here. It must be getting harder!
I went last week and we had no interview either. I had my husband and both my kids with me and they said because we’ve been married 7 years and have 2 kids they won’t be interviewing us. Got approved on the spot.
Maybe that was the reason for us as well. We have no kids, but had been married for 12 years.
Hi Mark,
Was the government willing to send you templates of the required letters. If not, could you give a brief description of their contents, format, etc.
Hi,
Thanks for all the helpful information on this blog.
I would like to know if you need to register the visa in Bogota and apply for cedula there or that can be done in your city. I live in Barranquilla and there’s a Migracion office here. Can I register the visa here and apply for cedula? I read on another blog that you must register the visa at the Migracion office in Bogota.
Yes you can register a visa and apply for a cedula at the Migraction office in Barranquilla. You can register a Colombian visa and apply for a cedula at any Migracion Colombia office.
But to get a visa stamped in your passport, you must travel to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores office that is in Bogotá.
Thank you so much!
Hi Jeff,
I have a question. Can you apply for the partner visa with a Union libre document from the notario? Because they said union libre or union marital de hecho can be done without escritura publica.
Hi David, I recommend asking the visa agency we partnered with. You can do that by clicking on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button in the article. This will bring up a screen with a chat box at the bottom right. If you ask questions after hours or on weekends they will answer when the get back in the office.
I got married in Colombia (2018) and I used services at Notaria Sexta in Medellin. They typed my age incorrectly on a matrimonial document (not a marriage certificate). Now they are asking me to pay 200.000 COP and sign to make correct changes. I need a Power of Attorney document to let my wife sign in my absence and proceed to correct the document. Make sure you read documents they give you before you sign off for anything.
Hello, What exactly is a “U.S. divorce decree with an apostille”. I am currently moving to Colombia to live with my wife and wish to legally marry in Colombia (Currently US legally married) and want to make sure I have appropriate documents.
“U.S. divorce decree with an apostille” is an official copy of a divorce decree that has an apostille from the state it was issued in so it can be used in another country. An apostille is an international certification comparable to a notarization in domestic law. And it must be dated not more than 90 days before and have a Spanish language translation.
I’m from Canada and I needed my documents “Apostilled” to get married in Colombia. From my understanding it means to get your documents authenticated from the government proving it to be legitimate.
Hello,
Do you have any information on marrying a Colombian citizen and bring them to the US?
Thanks
Hi John, we haven’t covered this topic yet. But we do plan to cover this in the next month or two.
Hi Jeff, another question from me sorry! I am so confused at the moment. We went through a long process of getting our marriage registered at Notoria 1 in Bogota. But we didn’t receive an actual Colombian marriage certificate. Just a booklet with notorized pages confirming that the marriage is registered. Are we supposed to go somewhere else to get the certificate? I was hoping that what we received from the notoria would be enough, but The online application only allows 1 page to be uploaded per whatever they are requesting.. so confused!!!
You will need to get from the notary your marriage certificate. When we were married had to pay extra for the marriage certificate.
Thanks for the quick reply Jeff! Can you also tell me if my Australian passport needs to be translated and/or notorized for the online application? It never really specifies this anywhere..
Hi Samie, no the passport copy doesn’t need to be translated or notarized in my experience.
Hi everyone, can someone please inform me if it is still possible to apply for the marriage visa in person at the Cancillería in Bogota? And if so, do they do the whole process and approval same day? Thank you!! Appreciate the help.
No, you can’t apply in person. Now Colombia only accepts visa applications online. And it takes about a week or so for approval plus you may need to go for an interview.
I got a union libre in March 2017 with my then Colombian partner. In March 2018 he moved to the UK for one year but left in Jan 2019 and we are now no longer together. I am living in the UK, he is in Colombia. I am Wondering how to annul our partnership without having physically go to Colombia.. any ideas? Many thanks
Hello,
I am planning to get married in Colombia sometime this year. I am a US citizen and my fiancée is a Colombian citizen. Now, I have all documents needed but one thing that I do not quite understand is a “solemne de bienes”. I do not know what document that is here en the U.S. They need this document because we both have kids from a previous relationship.
I recommend clicking on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button in the above article. On the page that button takes you to there is a chat box on the bottom right that will permit you to chat directly with a visa agency that may know the answer to your question.
Hi Jeff, I am applying for the migrant visa and just wanted to ask about the “Notarized letter from the Colombian spouse or permanent partner granting you legal power to apply for the visa.” What exactly is this? Is there a form we get from the Notoria and my husband signs it? Or literally just a letter we write up ourselves and then take to be notorized? Thanks for your help!
Hi Jeff, thank you for providing this site. It seems to be the only reputable source of information on colombian visas out there. My situation is that I have lived with my colombian boyfriend for 11 years in the UK (he has indefinite leave to remain in the UK), we have a son together. We would like to move to colombia. It seems we would be classed as permanent companions. I would like to apply for the migrant visa.
My concerns are:
1. We haven’t lived in colombia for 2 years, I have only visited as a tourist. Does the fact that we have lived together outside of colombia for 11 years qualify us?
2. As permanent companions what evidence can be submitted to a notory to support our application. No paperwork exists.
Any guidance would be so much appreciated.
Hi Yvie, as it says in the article, to document this type of civil partnership relationship requires a declaration in front of a notary in Colombia. This is called a declaracion union marital de hecho. No issue if you have lived together outside of Colombia for 11 years.
Also, if you click on the button “Use the Medellin Guru visa service” it will take you a visa agency page where you can chat with the visa agency using the chat at the bottom right corner. This will get you quick answers to your questions.
Hi Jeff, you really are the best! Thank you so so much for your help.
Hello Jeff, I like to know how I could renew a invalid M titular principal visa that was issue to us in Panama and we were not informed that you could not stay outside Colombia longer than 6 months. We show up at immigrations in Medellin and we were told that I could only stay 90 days and that my visa is invalid. The visa had validation till May 2021. Any help on this matter is greatly appreciated
Fred Serrano
The rule is you lose an M visa or old TP visa if you are out of the country for over 6 months. So, you will have to apply for a new visa.
My Colombiana fiancée is now here in the United States with me on a K1 visa. We plan to do a courthouse type marriage so we can obtain the documents needed for her adjustment of status. We were going to wait to do our ceremony in Colombia months later once she is legally able to travel outside the country. Is there a way that I can apply for my colombian marriage visa with our marriage certificate from here or does it have to be from colombia? Thanks in advance!!
The marriage certificate can be from any country. But if it’s not from Colombia you will need an apostille and Spanish language translation. Also all docs must be dated within 90 days of applying for the marriage visa.
Buenas noches señor Jeff, seria usted tan amable de resolver algunas dudas que tenemos mi novio y yo? Yo soy Colombiana, vivo en Cali y mi novio es de India, él nunca ha venido a Colombia, pero este año queremos reunirnos y queremos hacer un matrimonio civil por medio de apoderado para que él pueda solicitar directamente la Visa por matrimonio. Lo que nosotros queremos saber es acerca de los 15 días hábiles en los que tiene que presentarse al llegar al país, podemos ir a la oficina de migración Colombia en Cali o debemos ir a Bogota? Y usted mencionó una entrevista, en este caso la entrevista seria cuando el llegue? Y si nos piden una entrevista, que tipo de preguntas hacen? Ya que nosotros aun no hemos convivido. Tiene usted algún conocimiento acerca del matrimonio por medio de apoderado? O él debe solicitar una visa de turista y venir, después casarnos y luego solicitar la Visa por matrimonio? Nosotros creemos que de esta ultima forma es más costoso y complicado. Por favor cualquier duda que me pueda resolver quedaré muy agradecida. Muchas gracias.
(in English)
Good evening Mr. Jeff, would you be so kind as to resolve some doubts that my boyfriend and I have? I am Colombian, I live in Cali and my boyfriend is from India, he has never come to Colombia, but this year we want to meet and we want to make a civil marriage by proxy so that he can directly apply for the Visa through marriage. What we want to know is about the 15 business days in which you have to show up when you arrive in the country, can we go to the Colombia migration office in Cali or should we go to Bogota? And you mentioned an interview, in this case the interview would be serious when he arrives? And if they ask us for an interview, what kind of questions do they ask? Since we have not lived together yet. Do you have any knowledge about marriage by proxy? Or should he apply for a tourist visa and come, then get married and then apply for the Visa by marriage? We believe that this last form is more expensive and complicated. Please any questions that you can solve me, I will be very grateful. Thank you.
Le recomiendo contactar a una de las agencias de visas en el artículo para obtener ayuda. (in English) I recommend you contact one of the visa agencies in the article for help.
Does anyone have an updated 2019 total cost for everything needed? The pre-nup at a notary, the marriage at a notary, M-1 marriage visa is $282 USD (per top of this page), any cost for Cedula? Did I miss any cost besides a possible trip to Bogota?
Yes, cost for a cedula is covered in our cedula article, here: https://medellinguru.com/cedula/. And yes, you need a trip to Bogotá to get the visa in your passport and/or if an interview is needed. Or the cost of a visa agency to avoid the trip to Bogotá unless an interview is needed.
Dear Jeff
Thank you for detailed information and reading those question and answer also made me realize a lot.
1. My daughter is getting married in civil in Popayan with Colombian fiance and applying for the Migrant visa, is this type visa is categorized Temporary or Resident online. She entered the country with her British passport.
2. I could not find so far Visa Agency or law firm specialized for marriage visa…how I could find it, you mentioned Calicapital law firm, perhaps they should travel to Cali?
3. Is it a good idea they go to notary office before getting married to ask for the necessary documents since different notary office seems a different requirement for civil marriage? Birth certificate of my daughter is of UK and I have the copy at home ( she did not take it) but 90 days requirement is with apostille, and Spanish translation, not necessarily the birth certificate copy issued date, no? I live in Buenos Aires, could I apostille and translated by a certified Spanish translator and apostille in Buenos Aires, or it should be done in Colombia?
4. I understood now her Colombian fiancee has to write for two letters requesting for my daughter’s visa as his wife, is it for Cansilleria?
And also he has to write Power of Attorney request for her again to addressing to Cansilleria? you need two letters and it should be also legalized by a notary?
3. Prenuptial agreements, if past acquired assets are not of concern if any dissolution of marriage, but how about her receiving after the marriage from the UK and Japanese family as gift or inheritance, is divorced husband is entitled half of her inheritance as future assets after the marriage? Any law firm in Popayan could help them to do capitulaciones matrimonial for them?
Thank you for answering my questions !
Here are answers to your questions:
1. The Migrant visas are replacements for the old Temporary (TP) visas. They are not resident visas and there are separate resident visas, see: https://medellinguru.com/resident-visa/
2. Popayan is a smaller city so unlikely there is a visa agency there. I couldn’t find one online. So, traveling to Cali or another larger city would work to find a visa agency.
3. Yes, should go to the notary to find out the documents required. The birth certificate needs to be dated within 90 days of the visa application. The apostille is a document that verifies and legalizes the birth certificate for use in another country and this needs to be done in the UK as I see the UK embassy doesn’t provide this service. The translation should be done in Colombia.
4. Yes, the spouse must write letters for the visa. A visa agency should provide these letters.
5. I recommend talking to a lawyer.
Hello Jeff,
I am planning on applying for the TP10 visa as well but am unsure as to which path to take. I have a colombian girlfriend and I am from the states. She has a kid from a previous relationship (never married). I have been in CO for a total of 14 months (less than the two years).
Questions that I have:
1)I have no problem attempting the civil union but what if I get the notarized letter and down the road Migracion CO looks at the database and sees that I only have 14 months in CO since 2018?
2) If I get married will the fact that she has a kid with someone else be an issue for Migracion?
3)Is there anything that they might ask at the “potential interview” in Bogota that I should be aware of outside of what was already stated in this page?
Thanks for all the help.
It is no longer a TP-10 visa it is now a Migrant visa – the TP-10 visa is the old marriage visa. The fact that she has a kid shouldn’t be an issue. I have met several expats who have gone the civil union route without being in a relationship for two years and received a visa. If concerned about this should talk to a visa agency listed in the article.
Hi Jeff,
First off the comments are not wrong about this being a goldmine of accurate information. Thank you and all the people in this online community.
I am looking to apply for the visa as well but I’m unsure as to which is the better path.
I am a US citizen with a Colombian girlfriend. I have the option of getting married but we’ve also been living together for about 14 months (a bit short on the two years).
She also has a kid.
My concerns are:
about getting the notarized letter saying we have two years only because if they tally up the entry exit stamps it will only be 14 months.
If successful acquiring the aforementioned document, is there a chance I might have problems with the cancillería when going to get the visa? For example what if they see on their database that I’ve only been in Colombia less than two years?
Option two is getting married officially:
Concern is if considering my situation it’s better to just go with civil union?
Lastly she has a kid which is not a problem for either of us but I’m wondering if it might pose a problem at the interview that is required for some applicants?
I’d hate to go through the process for it all to go bad at the last step.
Hi Jeff,
Do you know with this visa if it entitles you to public healthcare?
I am looking into private health with Bupa, I was just curious in the meantime if I needed hospital if I cam covered with the public system.
Many thanks and Happy New Year.
Chris
Once you have a cedula that you get when you have a visa you can sign up for EPS health insurance. SISBEN is free government subsidized healthcare system, but is only for very poor or homeless Colombians. And Prepagada is private healthcare insurance in Colombia.
See our health insurance article for more information and you can contact the listed insurance broker with any additional questions you have – https://medellinguru.com/health-insurance/
Hi Jeff or anyone else who has any other information on this topic. I was married with my Colombian Spouse November 30. I did everything online, and it was easy and all documents were accepted. Yesterday we received the email that we were summoned by the Cancilleria for an interview (my spouse and I). They only requested in the email to bring all of the originals of the documentation we provided. I was just wondering basically what is the interview process like? I was told to get there as early as possible. What all questions do they ask? Just would like to know if we should bring our pictures together, our apartment lease, bills, ets?? Thanks everyone.
Hi Justin, when we went for the interview, they interviewed us separately and compared answers. They asked things like how we met, how many sisters and brothers we each have, have we met the other’s families, where we have traveled together, some personal things like any tattoos or surgeries. Also asked to see photos that we didn’t bring with us.
Hi Justin, me and my partner went through the process in December, we booked a hotel close to the Cancilleria and arrived at around 6:10 and there were just a few people in front of us. Once we arrived inside and registered we were called in within about 5 minutes. We were anticipating being interviewed separately but we were interviewed together. The man interviewing us took it in turns asking me a question and then my wife. Things like how we met, why I want to be together in Cali and not take her to the UK, what we did the day of our wedding and the night after. My Spanish is a good intermediate level but he also offered me to answer in English which did help as it helps in those situations to speak in my native language and feel more relaxed. I did have a folder on my phone ready of many photos of us together and with her family. He did ask to see the photo of us from the day we were married. I definitely would take the apartment lease you have in both names, after we showed this also he took a copy. We were only in the interview for around 10 minutes and waited outside and got called back to say it had been approved, paid and you get the visa in your passport there and then. Good luck and hope all goes well 🙂
Hi Chris
See my comment above-Power of attorney- this was missed in the steps above. I was asked for this and the online application is not very clear about this. Basically my husband needed to write a letter addressed to the Cancilleria giving me Poner Legal i believe its called to apply for the visa and to be allowed to stay in the country as his wife. We then had to go to the local Notaria in Neiva and have this notarised and documented. This was in addition to the Letter from Spouse requesting visa.
hi Penny,
Thank you so much that was just what we needed and online application we now gone through 🙂 just curious if you had your visa granted recently, how was the process in bogota? We go next week, was your interview very difficult? just would like to feel prepared to know what to expect and all go smoothly. Many thanks
Thanks for your previous information, we are currently making the online application now and at the point where we are submitting the documents, it is asking for “Poder especial otorgado por el cónyuge o compañero permanente colombiano al extranjero para solicitar dicha visa” has anyone else come across this? It basically will not allow us to proceed without it, even though we have all of the other documents that we need.
If anyone has any information or knows what this letter should consist of, any help would be much appreciated.
Hi Sami. Im glad it helped. You don’t technically need your birth certificate, but I would bring it along just in case, as i found that each notaria I visited (including in Bogota), they wanted different things. You don’t necessarily need to have it apostilled, just bring it along, but more importantly your passport or a certified copy of your passport. (again just bring both in case).
The notaria in Bogota wanted my husbands birth certificate when trying to register our marriage there.( we didn’t have it with us as you technically only need Cedula). The one in Neiva did not, just his cedula. The hardest part was the registering the marriage but after we got this sorted then the other part was fine. Regarding the Aust certificate, that was apostilled! I said “No you can’t take it, i need it” > they were like, ?why when you have a colombian one now!” I said please can’t you take a copy? They said no , they need the original as if they got audited they would need to show proof as to why they gave us a Colombian marriage cert. So i shrugged my shoulders and gave up. However, if we were to go to Australia I guess we can technically get our certificate replaced in Australia, say it was lost. Not happy about them taking it, but what can you do. I needed the visa and was sick of the back and forth.
Also , make sure you take the ‘ORIGINAL ‘ translation and not a copy of the Marriage certificate. Goodluck. Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Hi Penny! Just another question regarding what needs to be taken with us to the notoria when registering our marriage..does my Australian passport need to be translated? Thanks!
Hi Samie, when I got married there was no need to translate my U.S. passport.
Hi Samie. No, it does not need to be translated. Just the marriage certificate. Make sure you bring the original certificate and the original of the translation and not a copy of the translation.
Hi Jeff. So i finally obtained my visa after much back and forth. Things that would have made my process easier was,
1.for marriages outside of Colombia, having it apostilled before you enter Colombia, thus saving you a trip to the embassy here as well as your birth certificate just in case.
2.Power of attorney- this was missed in the steps above. I was asked for this and the online application is not very clear about this. Basically my husband needed to write a letter addressed to the Cancilleria giving me Poner Legal i believe its called to apply for the visa and to be allowed to stay in the country as his wife. We then had to go to the local Notaria in Neiva and have this notarised and documented. This was in addition to the Letter from Spouse requesting visa.
3. Need to get your foreign marriage registered in Colombia first before you can apply. I thought we could use our marriage cert from Australia. Thus our austrlian cert needed to be Apostilled and translated. Then with the ORIGINAL copy of the translation, plus passport, partners cedula and birth certificate, we went to local notaria in Neiva and registered the marriage. They then TOOK my original marriage certificate and KEPT this( which i was not happy about), and gave us a COLOMBIAN MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE and notarised copy to upload for online application.
4. Online application PHOTO. i got a professional 4x3cm photo taken but when i went to upload it wasn’t accepted. Thus i then downloaded an app for passport photos and took it at home against a white wall, 3x4cm and this was accepted.
Just a few little tips that I learnt along the way as it has been a long process with different notarias asking for different things etc. Also what may appear to be a simple upload a 3x4cm photo turned out to be an issue, and cancilleria are very brief with their rejection letters back about what they need. They are also impossible to reach on the phone.
@penny wow thank you SO much for those tips! I am about to apply for mine here in Bogota and your post really helped.
You mentioned to have your birth cert handy just incase. Did they actually ask for yours? I only apostilled and translated our Australian marriage certificate. I did it back home.
Ps. Were you able to fight to get your Aust marriage cert back? I wonder why they need to keep it? I really don’t want to give ours up 🙁
Thanks again!
Hi Jeff, great article thanks for all of the information. I am marrying my partner this Friday here in Cali. We want to submit my application for the visa soon after, do you know where I can find any examples of what needs to be written on the letter from my colombian partner requesting the issue of the visa? Also another question I am just curious about the interview in bogota, is it quite intense or “how long have you been together” “how did you meet” and these kind of things? Just to know what to expect 🙂 many thanks again
Hi Chris. thanks. The letter just needs to be simple with your Colombian partner requesting the visa. I did it over 3 years ago and can’t find a copy. Not everyone is interviewed. For our interview in Bogotá it was more intense than we thought. We were interviewed separately and they compared our answers. We were asked things like how and where we met, what side of the bed we slept on and body marks of each other, how we met, how many brothers and sisters we each have and their ages, our honeymoon and so on. Also, they asked for photos that we didn’t have with us.
I am in the process of getting Married here in Jardin Colombia and the notary is requesting a paper from the USA that states I am not married? I have never been married in the USA or anywhere else so I have no “U.S. divorce decree with an apostille and Spanish language translation not older than 90 days” that I can produce for them. What exactly are they asking for and how do I go about getting such a paper that I am pretty sure does not exist.
They are asking for a doc that doesn’t really exist in the U.S. One expat I talked was able to get a statement from their local county in the U.S. with an apostille for his state saying that he is not married. But what the Colombian notary didn’t know is that as you could get married somewhere else in the U.S. as there is no nationwide marriage tracking in the U.S.
Or better, try another Colombian notary as not all notaries will ask for such a doc. I am aware there are some notaries in Medellín that don’t require such a doc.
Thank you Jeff.. that is what I thought and tried to explain to them at the Notary here in Jardin ….. we will try Andes and if not there, then a trip to Medellin will be in order…. maybe during one of your next meetups!!! 🙂
No problem. The U.S. isn’t like Colombia. In Colombia, a citizen’s marriage status is tracked country-wide.
Hey Jeff
“with a M-1 visa if you leave Colombia for more than six months without returning to Colombia your visa loses its validity like any other migrant visa.”
I plan to make permanent partner paper and visa with my girlfriend. But I m working abroad by rotation of 6weeks,means I m more than 6 months yearly out of Colombia.
Does the the visa won’t be valid anymore. Or they talk about 6 month one shot.
Thanks a lot
It is 6 months consecutively to lose the visa. You can leave multiple times and return but if you leave for more than 6 months consecutively without returning you lose the visa. I updated the article with “6 months consecutively” to make it more clear.
I have a question about a retirement visa. I presently have a wife in Thailand and would like to bring her to Colombia and live. I can get a retirement visa easily it looks like. How can I get her into the country with me and get a visa for her also?
Thanks
Hi Gary, once you have your retirement visa your wife would be eligible for a beneficiary visa – see: https://medellinguru.com/beneficiary-visa/.
But it looks like your wife would need a visitor visa to travel to Colombia as a tourist before getting the beneficiary visa since no visa free travel to Colombia for Thai citizens. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Thai_citizens
Wow thanks for your updates. I haven’t been back in Colombia since Dec. of 2017 and it seems a lot has changed. If I remember correctly, it used to be you only have to have the “intentions” of getting married. Kind of like a fiancé visa in the states. If I am wrong and this visa still exists or is maybe a different category please let me know. Also regarding for the job visa, your employer HAS to show that he has 10x the average amount of income? I thought it was always just a letter of intent from the employer and that you as the person applying for the work visa must prove to be able to sufficiently provide for yourself incase you lose your job? Am I wrong in any of these?
No there was never a marriage visa for “intentions” of getting married like a fiancé visa in the U.S. There is essentially a common-law option, as it states in the article “Colombia also has the option for documenting a civil partnership, which can also be used for a ‘marriage’ visa. A civil partnership is like a common-law marriage. Two consecutive years of cohabitation in Colombia essentially represents a legal and defacto marital union in Colombia.” While this is supposed to be 2 years I have met some expats that got this visa in less than 2 years.
For your work visa questions, see the the requirements listed for the work visa in our work visa article – https://medellinguru.com/work-visa/
Dear Jeff,
Thank you for this helpful article. I do have a couple of questions I would like to ask you and I would be very appreciative if you can answer these questions.
1) I’m Syrian, so I had to apply for a tourist visa which got approved. The duration of the visa is 30 days. Me and my girlfriend who is Colombian and lives in Armenia, Quindio are planning to get married. So the question is:- Can I get married in Colombia and apply for the visa change without leaving Colombia?
2) How long will the papers for marriage take for it to be finalized?
3) How long will the marriage visa process take?
I am sorry Jeff to bother you with many questions
Thank you,
Ahmed
Hi Ahmed, for a marriage, the marriage certificate is available immediately after the marriage at a notary. So, if you have all the required documents you will need to find a notary that can marry you quickly.
The quickest possible for a marriage visa is about 1 week but it can take longer. For the marriage visa, applying online you should hear back in about a week with an approval or perhaps asking for more. For example, you may need to go to Bogotá for interviews. It’s possible to do it all in 30 days but I recommend using an experienced visa agency for the visa to ensure you don’t run into problems.
Hi. Are there requirements to maintain a marriage visa or rules? Some countries require the spouse to be in the country at least 3 out of the 5 years. I ask because I still work abroad and wondering I have to stay in COL or I can come and go for work outside of COL. Thank you.
Yes, you lose a marriage visa if the visa holder remains more than 180 consecutive days outside of Colombia.
How about total number of days per year? Is it true that cant be outside of the pais for more then 6 months in total per year?
With a migrant visa (M visa) you can’t leave the country for more than 6 months consecutively without returning. But you can return within 6 months and leave again and the 6 month clock starts again.
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to clarify this. If I hold a marriage visa I can’t leave for more than 6 CONSECUTIVE months, however, I can return to Colombia and leave again a week later for another 6 months. I.e. I simply must return to Colombia every 6 months, correct?
Yes, that is correct.
Thank you for you prompt response. One last question, do you know if it is possible to get a single status document from the Canadian Embassy in Colombia?
Here is how to do a Single Status Document for Canada – https://www.wikiprocedure.com/index.php/Canada_-_Single_Status_Certificate_(Single_Status_Declaration,_Single_Status_Affidavit)#:~:text=A%20Single%20Status%20Declaration%20or,by%20a%20Canadian%20Notary%20Public.
If you are not in Canada visit the Canadian embassy for notary and authentication services in the country you are residing in.
Is a single status document required to get married in Colombia?
Depends on the notary. Some won’t ask for it.
HI Jeff. One thing I am not clear about is the marriage certificate. I am australian, married to a colombian citizen. we got married in australia. the colombian embassy in australia just told us to bring our marriage certificate to colombia. we are now in colombia and i applied for the marriage visa but they declined the document. So now I have to get the document translated into spanish and also Apostilled at the Australian embassy in Bogota. Is this correct. Then do i need to get the marriage registered in Colombia at the Notaria Primera and obtain a colombian document or can i upload the Apostilled translated marriage certificate? This is the part I am confused about. THey have given me 10 days to arrange, and I live 7 hours drive away from Bogota in Neiva. I wonder if I can use the Notaria Primera here. any advice would be appreciated.
You need to get your marriage certificate Apostilled first at the Australian embassy and then translated. Regarding your other question, I recommend asking one of the visa agencies listed in the article – http://inter-col.com/ is responsive in my experience.
So your forum was a great help, but I just applied for the visa and was lacking the following document before I could continue:
Power of Attorney granted from my wife (Colombian) to myself (Canadian) for the visa procedure – which had to be signed and notarized.
Not sure if this is the case for other people. Once we got that document, everything was good to go. Hope the rest goes easy.
Thanks for the tips!
Hi Jonathan, thanks. Interesting, that power of attorney doc wasn’t required when I applied. I will ask a visa agency about this in the next week or two and update the article if it’s a new requirement.
HI Jonathon. I had the same issue. where did you organise the Power of Attorney from your wife to you?
Hi Jeff,
my Colombian girlfriend and myself (Italian Citizen) are currently living in Australia, where we have registered our relationship as a Civil Partnership in January 2018, and have lived under the same roof since that date.
Would this civil partnership document and the time in the relationship count towards the 2 years of living together to be counted as a de-facto relationship, even if this was outside of Colombia?
Thanks in advance
Yes, that would count towards the 2 years.
Hi Jeff, Im in a similar situation here. My partner is Australian, I am myself a Colombian citizen. We have our civil partnership registered in Australia as well. She is in Europe at the moment but we are thinking of settling in Colombia later this year. Would that document be legal in Colombia? as in can our relationship be recognized here? and can we later on use it for a partner visa? Thanks
Hey jeff i was wondering if im married to a Colombian citizen in the United states am i able to get a visa that way? And as far as the birth certificate and marrige licence from.the us how do i get it to 9nly be 90 days old? Get a new copy before i got to colombia? And am i able to get them translated into spanish there? Sorry for all the questions. Thank you!
Yes, marriage to a Colombian citizen in the U.S. would qualify you. And yes get the documents before you go to Colombia so they are recent. Also, any documents from the U.S. will need an Apostille. And you can get documents translated here. I used http://inter-col.com/en/,
Hi, Thank you for all this great information!
I am an Australian citizen and my family is planning to move to Bogota. My husband is Colombian citizen. After reading your info I had the impression that we are to apply for everything IN Colombia? Or is it better to apply before leaving while we are still in Australia. We also have 2 boys who are Australian citizens. Would they just automatically be under my visa?
Hi Samantha. It may be a bit easier to apply at the Colombian consulate/embassy in Australia. For example, I have heard some consulates/embassies don’t require translations of docs in English but you will need to check. And there are beneficiary visas available for children less than age 25.
Hello Jeff!
Great article, and very informative! However, I am not sure if the question i had in mind has been answered. I understand that, if someone was to be married to a Colombian, then they would automatically be eligible for the Colombian marriage visa. However in my case my husband and I are both Canadian citizens, who are planning to settle in Medellin, Colombia. Now my husband just got a job in Medellin, so I believe he will get a work visa, however I don’t have a job in Colombia, and I will be on Tourist visa (which means I can’t stay longer then 180 days in a Calendar year, where my husband can). Is there any way, I can obtain a spousal visa, because my husband got a job there?
Thank you
Hi Taj, the marriage visa is only for marriage to a Colombian citizen. But if you husband gets a work visa — a spouse or permanent partner of a principal visa holder who are economically dependent on the visa holder can get a beneficiary visa.
Hi Jeff,
Thank you so much for your up-to date article. I am planning to marry my Colombian partner in June 2018 (next month). I am just a little confused on the translations and apostilles for the documents required for the marriage. I am just about to start getting all my documents together so that they are within date and valid for the marriage. Do the English to Spanish translations of the documents need to be done by official Colombian translators in Colombia, and then those translations apostilled in Colombia? Or can I use a translator in my home country (Australia)? I know I will need to have my documents apostiled here also. I have read mixed things online, any help would be appreciated.
Hi Katie, The English translations should be done by official Colombian translators in Colombia. I used a translator at the visa agency http://inter-col.com/ listed in the article. You only need apostilles for foreign documents. No need for an apostille for a translation in Colombia.
Thanks for answering my question so quickly! Much appreciated! Thanks for clearing that up!
My Birth Certificate, in fact a combined document from Finnish Registry, also stating me to be a widow, is ready written in Spanish, as Spanish is one of languages used in many Finnish documents, due to innumerous Finnish citizens living in Spain and EU legislation. I believe this should be sufficient?
The document is apostilled, but I need translation of the apostille from either Finnish or Swedish. We are trying to get it officially traduced either in Finland or by one ttraductor in Malaga, Spain.
If your birth certificate is in Spanish obviously no need to translate.
Hi Jeff, so I have dual citizenship. I was born in USA but also have Colombian citizenship through my parents. I have a cédula and both us and Colombian passports. Will I need my US birth certificate or will the Colombian registro civil be enough?
That is a technical question. Best to ask the visa agency we partnered with – click on this link – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/ and there is a chat during business hours.
Hello Jeff! Much has happened since I asked your advice in November. But things are now much better. I have a new start in Colombia, but been living with my colombiana from October and paying two times fines to Migracion. Now my matters with Migracion are OK and we plan to marry in July. Also my relationship was in bad state, lot of quarreling. We had a three weeks beach holiday in Lima and now our relation is totally different, we know each other much better and love each other. Thanks to previous experience and your advice our marriage appears now a straightforward thing, but needs lot of arrangements.
Hi Tomi, happy to hear things are going better for you. Good luck.
Hi Jeff this was helpful but I am little unclear on one aspect. You said that your apostilled and translated birth certificate had to be no older than 90 days, so does this mean that one needs to marry within 90 days of leaving one’s home country (documents in hand)?
I ask because I am planning on going to Colombia with my native girlfriend in 2019 but prior to that we will be living outside of my home country for several months. We’re not ready to marry just yet but I was planning on bringing my documents with me to keep the option open.
Hi Nigel, yes the documents need to be dated within 90 days of the date of the application for the visa. Normally you start getting the documents for the visa shortly before the wedding or after the wedding.
Hi Nigel. Another option is to have it apostilled here if there is an Embassy that serves your country in Bogota. You can also mail it to them if you can’t visit in person. I had to get my birth certificate, our marriage certificate apostilled and had to visit the australian embassy in Bogota to do that or I could have posted it to them.
The U.S. embassy in Bogotá does not offer apostille services. So, if you are need documents from the U.S. apostilled the U.S. embassy isn’t an option.
Very helpful, detailed information. Thank you. Are you familiar with how the wife may change her name in Colombia after marriage? I am a US citizen and I would like to take my husband’s last name. I have been having a hard time finding information on it as it seems a bit dated here.
In the U.S. it is common for the woman’s last name to change after marriage. But In Colombia marriage has no impact on either person’s surnames. This means that people keep their same surnames their entire life. For example, if you were Jessica Lucia García before you were married, you will continue to be Jessica Lucia García after you are married. But I have heard it’s possible to change your name in Colombia, so ask a Notaria or Lawyer.
Hi Jeff, me and my girlfriend have been living together in Bogota now for a year, what proof do they need for a declaracion union marital de hecho? Her Cédula has been registered at her mothers house and no in the same location as we’ve been living in.
Depends on the notary if any proof is needed. Best to ask at a notary what is needed. Also, it’s unlikely that where a cédula is registered is important.
Hi Jeff, I still don’t understand one thing. If I go to Colombia on a 90 day visa (extendible to 180 days) how do I Live in marriage for 2 years before I can apply for the M-1 Visa? In other words, I go to Colombia on a tourist visa find the love of my life and marry her. Effectively I can only stay in Colombia for 180 days on a tourist visa….. My spouse does not want to leave Colombia as She already has a home, family and friends and plan to live together in her home. BUT..! I cannot stay for 2 years..! I only have a Tourist Visa….. Am I missing something? Thanks. PS: Great article.
If you are married to a Colombia you can get a M-1 visa immediately, there is no wait. For civil partnerships, technically a couple should be living together under the same roof and the relationship is reportedly supposed to have been for two years. But I have met some expats that received this declaration with much shorter relationships.
The marriage part makes sense. The civil partnership does not. How can I be living under the same roof for two years if at the most I can only stay 180 days on a tourist visa… and when you say shorter period….. what, 1-2 months? Otherwise I can’t see this working.. great article and I do appreciate your concern on outdated websites…you can’t believe the B S that’s out there.
Hi Joseph, I have met some expats that received this civil partnership declaration with shorter than 2 year relationships. I met one recently that did this after less than a year. I personally think it would be crazy to do it after only 1-2 months as it’s like a common-law marriage.
And yes there is so much out-of-date BS out there – that’s why I have a policy of keeping everything up-to-date on this Medellin Guru site.
I appreciate your quick reply but how can I live in Colombia for 2 years? Is there a way to continuously repeat the tourist visa?
Hi Joseph, as a tourist you are limited to 180 days per year – see: https://medellinguru.com/tourist-visa/
That actually makes sense. Thanks for the info. As nothing is easy in Colombia, I find myself getting different answers everywhere I go. 🙂
Unfortunately there are a lot of old, out-of-date or just plain inaccurate posts about Colombia out there. A pet peeve of mine is websites that publish posts that aren’t updated when the rules or other things change. With the new visa rules in Colombia there are so many out-of-date posts out there on other websites that haven’t been updated. My goal for Medellin Guru is to keep the content on the site up-to-date.
Do you happen to know how long you need to stay in Colombia to apply for the visa? My wife and I go back and forth to the states. But we tend to stay here a couple of weeks and then head back. I would love to have a spousal visa but was going to wait until we moved here permanently. But if i could do it without living here or with one or two extended trips, I would consider it. Thank you for all the info and good luck on your site!
Hi Karl, as far as I know there is no residency requirement to receive a Colombia marriage visa. But once you have the visa there is a residency requirement where you lose the marriage visa if you are outside Colombia for more than 180 consecutive days.
Hello Jeff! I am in two weeks time from now leaving my visa application for Marriage Visa, so it seems to be following the new rules. I would like to know, what is the reason to travel for part of couples an interview to Bogota and who is deciding this? Of course, this is a significant additional cost to the whole process. In our case, the main reason to marry each other is simply because we do not want to live alone.
Hi Tomi, the need for an interview for a marriage visa is a decision made by the Ministerio folks reviewing/approving the visa application. This may be random or they may see something in the application that concerns them.
Interesting article is there anywhere you can find example of the citizenship test?
Hi David, thanks. I haven’t yet seen an example of the citizenship test but I’ll ask around.
I have also been searching for a sample citizenship test. I have not found one. I would love one! Otherwise, I have no idea where to start studying.
Hi Nicole, I haven’t yet had any luck in finding an example of the citizenship test. I’ll let you know if I find one.
Hello Jeff, have you come across any study guidelines for the citizenship test? It would be very helpful for many of US. I think it would be a good venture for one of the visa agencies to offer a course too. I’m sure a lot of people would be willing to pay to attend.
Hi Kevin, I will follow up and see what I can find out.
Excellent article, we found it very helpful, thank you for sharing it.
I am Colombian, my husband is Canadian and I have been in Canada for 20 years. We are thinking to live in Colombia so we are researching and reading online articles about retiring there.
For Mark, who is concerned about the foreigners who marry Colombians and then divorce:
Inter-racial marriages end in divorce for many reasons, cultural differences, age differences, personalities, etc. There are many old foreigners who go to Colombia to marriage beautiful young girls…Well, I have seen this very often that these gentlemen end alone; there are those who take the lady back to their country and never want to go back to Colombia; there are others who never bother to learn about Colombian culture and because of that, many problems start in the relationship. Colombians are very attached to our families and country and if our husband doesn’t care about that or doesn’t want to learn Spanish, or doesn’t want to go often to Colombia…well he is going to end alone as well. We are very different than other women and if the foreigner man doesn’t take the time to research about it, he is going to be in an unhappy marriage.
Thanks Jeff, once again a great post. Will wait for the new Visa rules to come out. Just in case any big changes
are forthcoming. Also will get in touch with Juan Dario.
Cheers, Brock
Nice article. How about also doing an article about divorces in Colombia. I bet a number of the foreigner marriages to Colombians end up in divorce. So this would be helpful.
Hi Mark, thanks for the suggestion. We plan to cover divorces in Colombia in a future article on this website. This will take some time to research.
Thanks this article is so helpful. I am planning on marrying my Colombian girlfriend early next year so I was looking for updated information. Everything else I could find out on the Internet about Colombia marriage visas is out of date. That Medellin Living site is the worst with almost every post out of date.
Hi David, Thanks. And yes, Medellin Living has been around for over 8 years and they don’t update most posts so it’s chock full of out-of-date information. That is one of the reasons I started this Medellin Guru site to provide up-to-date information. In addition, the articles on this Medellin Guru site will be kept up-to-date as seen in our Editorial Policy – https://medellinguru.com/editorial-policy/.
I have gone finished this process and I can tell you that its best to hire a service to assist you. I have used ExpatGroup from this website and they have helped many people, even during the closure of the country. I now have my Visa and expat ID.. Call Expatgroup, they are very good and great people.