Medellin Guru partnered with a visa agency to offer Colombia visa services to foreigners at a very competitive price. Over a period of 30 months, this visa service has helped 547 clients successfully obtain visas, passport renewals and tourist visa extensions.
Colombia offers many different categories of visas, which enable you to stay in the country for a year or more.
If you are interested in being in Colombia for more than 180 days per year (which is the limit for tourists), you will need a Colombian visa. And the Medellin Guru Visa Service provides an efficient and cost-effective way to receive a Colombian visa.
Features of the Medellin Guru Visa Service
Medellin Guru partnered with expatgroup.co to offer a very competitive visa service. Features of this service include:
- Virtual or in-person meeting to discuss your visa application.
- Provides a list of documents required for each type of visa.
- Initial review of documents for your visa.
- Provides templates for some required documents.
- Reviews your visa application to ensure maximum probability of approval.
- Applies for your visa online.
- Visa stamping service – once the visa is approved, couriers your passport to Bogotá to get the visa stamped in your passport and returns the passport to you (not currently but when the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores office reopens).
- Visa registration and cedula application – assists with documents and schedules appointment with Migracion.
- 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.
- Offers remote services – if you aren’t in Medellín, you can use this service.
Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service
Inside the Expatgroup.co office in El Poblado
We reviewed all the Colombia visa agency services in Medellín. And we found one agency – expatgroup.co – which offers more efficient visa services with more features and more comprehensive communications including online chat, WhatsApp, Skype, email and phone plus a low price and a convenient office in El Poblado.
Our visa partnership with expatgroup.co 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 expatgroup.co has helped hundreds of clients successfully receive Colombian visas. For example, here is a video of David Hammel, a U.S. citizen who obtained a Colombia retirement visa using expatgroup.co’s visa services:
And here is a testimony of Sam Green, who obtained his marriage visa recently using the visa service of Expatgroup.co:
I came across Expatgroup vía Medellin Guru when my wife and I moved to Medellin from the U.S. We were looking for information on applying for a Migration Visa for myself as my wife is Colombian and could be the sponsor. Spanish not being my first language, I wanted as seamless of a process as possible, particularly since I was in Colombia on a 90 day tourism visa. We went to their office and they were incredibly informative, friendly, and experienced in handling visa applications. I also found their rates to be competitive. Quite quickly, they were able to complete the process and in about a month, I had my visa. I would highly recommend them to anyone seeking migration services.
How to Use This Visa Service
To use this service, it is easy, just click on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button below. This will take you to a page with a chat box on the bottom right where you can chat directly with the visa agency. A box at the bottom right will show “We are online” if they are currently online. Also, there is a WhatsApp chat at the left.
Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service
And to get a visa quote just fill in a few fields on the page to get a visa quote. Or WhatsApp to +57 350.894.8130.
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.
First 30 Months Statistics for The Medellin Guru Visa Service
The Medellin Guru visa service was launched in March 2019. In this time, 454 visas have been successfully received by clients:
- 160 Retirement visas
- 121 Marriage/partner visas
- 76 Student visas (visitor visas)
- 32 Resident visas
- 22 Investment visas
- 13 Work visas
- 4 Mercosur (M) visas
- 4 Beneficiary visas
- 4 Rentista visas
- 18 other visas
Also, our visa service renewed 55 American passports in Bogotá using our passport renewal service and provided visa stamping service to 10 clients (getting the visa in a customer’s passport who applied for a visa himself before the pandemic). In addition, 28 clients extended tourist visas using our tourist visa extension service.
So, in total we had 547 clients of the Medellin Guru visa service in 30 months.
In addition, many more visas are in process – short, medium or longer term, depending on client needs.
Why Use Colombia Visa Services?
It is possible to apply for a Colombian visa yourself. 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 that you won’t benefit from the experiences of a visa agency, which has processed hundreds of visas and knows exactly what is needed for each type of visa.
Also, another big benefit of using the visa services of a visa agency is that they offer services to courier your passport to Bogotá to get the visa stamped in your passport. So, you can avoid a trip to Bogotá (needed before the pandemic).
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 – helping foreigners obtain Colombian visas
Why Offer the Medellin Guru Visa Service?
1. Comprehensive Series of Colombia Visa Articles – Medellin Guru has a comprehensive series of articles about Colombian visas that are kept up-to-date. These articles are so popular they have received over 140,000 page views and over 1,100 comments.
In addition, over 150 questions are now received by Medellin Guru monthly about Colombian visas. By partnering with a visa agency, questions can now be answered more quickly, as the visa agency offers online chat.
2. Competitive Price and Services – we reviewed all the Colombia visa services offered by visa agencies and law firms. There is a wide range of prices and the Medellin Guru Visa Service in partnership with expatgroup.co has a very competitive price. Readers can save money with our visa service.
Visa service prices based on Medellin Guru survey, January 2021
Note that some agencies and law firms charge a different price depending on the type of visa. In this case we used the lowest priced visa in our chart above. For example, Expatgroup.co, the visa agency we partnered with, charges:
- $160 for a student visa
- $190 for a retirement visa
- $190 for a work visa
- $250 for an investment visa
3. Supports Medellin Guru – the Medellin Guru website is costly to run and with this visa service Medellin Guru receives a small commission from expatgroup.co. This is at no additional cost to you.
The price remains the same, whether you use the links to the Medellin Guru Visa Service from this website or not. You support the Medellin Guru website by using the Medellin Guru Visa Service and you can save money compared to other providers offering Colombia visa services.
To use this service, it is easy, just click on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button below. This will take you to a page with a chat box on the bottom right where you can chat directly with the visa agency. A box at the bottom right will show “We are online” if they are currently online. Also, there is a WhatsApp chat at the left.
Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service
And to get a visa quote just fill in a few fields on the page to get a visa quote. Or WhatsApp to +57 350.894.8130.
Medellin Guru’s Comprehensive Visa and Passport Series
The Colombian visa changes that went into effect in mid-December 2017 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
- Coronavirus Impacts on Colombian Visas and Tourist Visas
- Visa Agencies: A Guide to Visa Agencies in Medellín and Colombia
- 7 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 early 2020 to ensure they are up-to-date and are being updated again in 2021. In addition, all visa articles on this website will be kept up-to-date as new details are disclosed.
Obtaining a Colombian Visa
The Bottom Line: Medellin Guru Visa Service – Providing Colombia Visa Services
Medellin Guru partnered with expatgroup.co 30 months ago to offer Colombia visa services to foreigners at a competitive price with a convenient office located in El Poblado in Medellín.
Over this time, this partnership has helped 547 Medellin Guru readers successfully obtain visas, passport renewals and tourist visa extensions.
If you are in Medellín or another city in Colombia and you don’t want to travel for your visa or passport renewal you can use the Medellin Guru Visa Service to obtain a Colombian visa. This visa service provides visa services remotely throughout Colombia. So, you do not need to be in Medellín to use this service.
This service will take care of the online visa application and will courier your passport to Bogotá to get the visa in your passport (not currently but when the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores office reopens).
The visa agency we partnered with has helped 547 Medellin Guru readers obtain Colombian visas, renew U.S. passports and extend tourist visas.
To use this visa service, it is easy, just click on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button below.
Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service
We highly recommend using a visa service over doing a Colombia visa application yourself. The bottom line is with a visa service from a visa agency you are less likely to run into problems, which can save you both time and money.
Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.
Editors note: updated on March 20, 2019 to answer questions from readers about using this visa service.
Editors note: updated on September 14, 2021 to add statistics for the first 30 months of the Medellin Guru visa service partnership with ExpatGroup.
Congrats, this looks like a great visa service partnership. I especially like the chat ability to enable getting fast answers to visa questions.
And thanks for all your visa articles that I am sure have helped many people. Keep up the good work.
Thanks looks like a helpful visa service with a good price.
Is the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores still open as of the 15th of January? They don’t seem to be answering their emails or answering their phones.
If they aren’t open, what do I do with this electronic visa that I received?
Thanks.
There is no need to travel to Bogotá to get the visa stamp in your passport as Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores is closed for visa stamping. Print out the e-visa to keep with your passport and that works as your visa and you can apply for a cedula with your e-visa.
See our popular guide to obtaining a cedula – https://medellinguru.com/cedula/
Nice idea this visa service. How does the chat work and how to get a visa quote. Thanks in advance for your answers.
Hi Tom, thanks. First click on the “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button. This will bring you to a page with a chat box on the bottom right where you can chat directly with the visa agency and it will say “Estamos en línea” if they are currently online. To get a visa quote just fill in the seven fields on the left of the page to get a visa quote.
I will update the article with this information.
Hi Jeff , just a Thank You and acknowledgement, of the benefits Guru offers world travellers. I think I am about 6 months out, for the move to Medellin.
See you at the Factory . Randy
My visa will expire 11/17/19 and i am thinking of using the expat agency. My question is how soon should i begin the process. I am planning to arrive in Medellin on 22/10/19 which gives me 4 weeks before it expire.
It depends on what type of visa you have and if you have all the docs. It should be enough time for several types of visas if you have the docs. I recommend clicking on the blue “Use the Medellin Guru Visa Service” button in the article which will bring up a page where you can chat with the visa agency and ask how much time should be needed based on their recent experience.
Does this service also have an office in Cartagena or can it recommend a comparable service in Cartagena?
No, doesn’t have an office in Cartagena. And we haven’t yet found a visa agency offering Colombia visa services in Cartagena for foreigners.
But the visa agency we partnered with in Medellín may be able to help you remotely. You can ask them – https://visasincolombia.com/
Jeff, thank you. I’ll contact. Sounds like you ex-pats in Medellin have your act together better than Cartagena!
If I apply for a M-11 retirement visa here in the United States will I need to ‘officially’ have my letter(s) showing retirement income translated to Spanish before applying or is that only necessary if applying in Colombia?
I have heard from two foreigners that the requirement for Spanish translation was not needed at some Colombian consulates in the U.S. But best to check with the consulate you are going to.
Thanks sir! I will call on Monday.
Hello Jeff thank you for all you do to inform people to immigrate to Colombia easier.
My question is, I’m moving to Cali, Colombia.
Can you offer where and what I need to do to live full-time in this beautiful country, Colombia?
I draw social Security Disability from the US.
Any information will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you sir.
Hi Joseph, Social Security Disability should qualify for a Colombia retirement visa – https://medellinguru.com/retirement-visa/
You can contact the visa agency we partnered with to confirm and they can answer any visa related questions you may have – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
Are offices now open to process visas
The visa agency we partnered with is still processing visas and obtained visas for many Medellin Guru readers last month and so far this month. You can contact them at: https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
Hello, I’m in Colombia and I want to contact you can I have contact number please
Sorry we don’t give our our phone number, as there are thousands that visit this website per day. We can be contacted here – https://medellinguru.com/contact/
Or contact the visa agency we partnered with at – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/
I hope this is the right place for this praise. My companion and I have been bashing the ministry about renewing her visa since March of 2019 [sic!]. (She had been an ESL teacher here for several years. with a work visa, but that lapsed.) She had had to go on a quickie to Ecuador in early 2019 to renew her tourist visa, then get a medical-procedure extension, then leave the country again in late 2019 in order to get yet another tourist visa upon return, while we continued to pursue a beneficiary/dependency visa for her, based on my olde folke’s blue-hair visa.
She returned early this year and then the virus hit, isolating her, and her tourist visa went on hold. Finally, after this year and a half in purgatory, we took Jeff’s advice and went through expatgroup. What a difference! Just under the wire, when people on tourist visas trapped by the pandemic had until the end of October to either find a way to extend, renew, or get outta town, they came through. Our personal year-and-a-half nightmare seems to be over. Do yourself a favor if you’re having trouble with any kind of a visa: let someone else do the heavy lifting.
But wait, there’s more! We had an additional problem, that the Colombian medical insurance company that covered me previously, (I’m in my 70’s) simply picked up its skirts and left Popayan, where we live. For some reason, though, they kept me in their records which made it (incomprehensibly) impossible for me to get a replacement policy with a different company. We tried, friends in the medical insurance biz here in Popayan tried, and we could not wriggle loose. Once again, expatgroup came through.
I can’t sing enough praise for these people: they are responsive, well informed, and, for me a blessing — they speak English. (Ditto for Jeff of Medellinguru, of course. He’s a national resource for us expats.) Do yourself a favor, take my advice, and spare that hair you would be tearing out trying to navigate the ministry and its necessarily evolving conditions in these trying times: pay the pittance and let expatgroup do the work. I wish we had done so almost two years ago.
Can I get a Visa if I have not arrived in Colombia from the US? I would like to stay in the country permanently.
Ask the visa agency we partnered with they can help remotely – click on this link – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/ and there is a chat at the bottom right.
Hi Jeff, I am in process using the referral and unfortunately have to remark that their communications and response times are very weak, emails go unanswered. I submitted a visa extension application based on the timeline they indicated, paid the $ and I am in limbo, frequently. Given the time sensitivity of visas this really isn’t appropriate customer service; given MedellinGuru are partnering with the service provider I hope you can discuss with them. I have now overstayed my 90 days and have no idea where my extension stands. Thanks, Ian
Recommend contacting the visa agency via chat – click on this link – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/ and there is a chat available now at the bottom right that is active and someone online.
Hello I have a 5 year Residence visa. It expires July 13th. I live in Rionegro in an apartment. I read that paper need to be sent one month in advance which would be June. I intend to stay in Colombia. I have a Social Security pension and may teach English later.. I read that it would cost $160 for your service. 1. Do you suggest I go to Medellin to meet you? I do not like to be without my Cedula and Passport so tell me how I Handle that. I know I have time but I would like to plan ahead. I look forward to you response.
Thanks for your time. Lawrence Glickman
Hi Jeff Just a simple question I want to move to Colombia I have social security and a small pension what papers will I need to get changed to Spanish here in the USA before I lave to go there to get permanent residency Later I have a fiancé and her daughter from Russia I want to bring to Colombia and will need information on how I can get them there I will be using the service to get the visa’s Thank you for any help
Hi David, best to ask the visa agency we partnered with – click on this link – https://expatgroup.co/english/visasincolombia/, which will take you to the page of the visa agency we partnered with that has a chat during business hours.
Thanks Jeff I will talk to them my heart felt thanks from me and everyone you help and expat services my fiancé and her daughter will thank you also I hope Colombia is as beautiful as the pictures and videos I have seen Please take care Jeff God bless you and your family and friends David Olga and Alexandra