Visa
Retirement visa in Colombia
Colombia's pensioner visa (M, pensionado) is for people with a lifelong State or private pension of at least three monthly minimum wages, about COP 5,300,000 a month; to be safe, have more than COP 5,300,000 a month. It lasts up to three years, bars work and counts towards residence after five years.
- Official names
- Visa M Pensionado (pensioner visa), article 77 of Resolution 5477 of 2022; Visa V Rentista (income visa), article 56 of Resolution 5477 of 2022
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia), Presidency of the Republic and Ministry of Labour (DAPRE publication). Checked 16 October 2026.
Who it’s for
- The pensioner visa (M) is for foreigners with constant monthly income from a pension granted by a State or by a private pension fund.
- The rentista visa (V, article 56) is for people who receive periodic, variable income from a lawful, provable source, or who own property in Colombia that produces income. It sits in the visitor group, not the migrant group.
- Neither visa allows you to work in Colombia.
- The pensioner visa does not let its holder join the Colombian social security system, except where a bilateral or multilateral agreement says otherwise.
- The Cancillería's page states no minimum age and no deposit for the pensioner visa.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia). Checked 16 October 2026.
Money tests
- Pensioner visa: a certificate that you are paid a lifelong monthly pension of at least three monthly minimum wages. At the 2026 wage of COP 1,750,905 that is about COP 5,300,000 a month; to be safe, have more than COP 5,300,000 a month.
- Rentista visa: periodic income of at least ten monthly minimum wages, about COP 18,000,000 a month at the 2026 wage; to be safe, have more than COP 18,000,000 a month.
- The minimum wage is reset every year, so both tests move with it. A press report says nullity claims against the 2026 wage decree are still before the Council of State.
- The rentista income must be certified by a public body or by a private company recognised by its government, or come from property you hold in Colombia.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia), Presidency of the Republic and Ministry of Labour (DAPRE publication). Checked 16 October 2026.
Documents
- Pensioner visa: a certificate recognising the monthly lifelong pension, issued by the competent body with an apostille and translation, or issued by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country where you obtained the pension.
- You also give a criminal record certificate from the authority of the country where you lived over the last three years, with apostille or legalisation and an official Spanish translation.
- A medical certificate, issued by a Colombian authority or the health authority of your home country, must show you are physically and mentally fit.
- You must show health cover in Colombia or a policy covering accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death or repatriation for your whole stay.
- Bank statements and certificates can be filed without apostille or official translation if they are in an official language of the Organization of American States and the visa authority can read them clearly.
- Rentista visa: a letter declaring where the income comes from, the income certification or proof of property in Colombia, the same three-year criminal record certificate and a health policy.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia). Checked 16 October 2026.
Timing
- You apply online on the Cancillería's platform, with documents dated within three months of the application and a passport valid for at least six months.
- You have 10 calendar days after filing to pay the study fee, and the Cancillería has up to 30 calendar days to decide once the file is complete and paid; it can take longer if it consults other bodies.
- After approval you have 10 calendar days to pay the issue fee.
- If you apply from a country other than your own, you add proof of your regular stay there. If you apply from inside Colombia, you must stay in regular status while the file is studied.
- The Cancillería can ask for more documents or an interview, and meeting the list does not guarantee a visa.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia). Checked 16 October 2026.
Fees
- The pensioner visa is a migrant (M) visa: US$56 for the study, which is not refundable, plus US$204 to issue, US$260 in total.
- The rentista visa is a visitor-group (V) visa: US$56 for the study plus US$138 to issue, US$194 in total.
- These fees do not include stamp tax, whose amount we did not find, so it is unknown.
- The foreigner identity card costs COP 294,000 under Migración Colombia's 2026 tariff.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Migración Colombia. Checked 16 October 2026.
How long it lasts and renewal
- The pensioner visa lasts up to three years and the rentista visa up to two years.
- A migrant (M) visa loses its validity automatically if the holder is out of Colombia for more than 180 calendar days within each 365 days counted from the issue of the visa.
- We found no rule on how a pensioner visa is renewed beyond the general application process, so renewal conditions are unknown.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia). Checked 16 October 2026.
Path to permanent residence
- Five years as holder of the pensioner (M) visa count towards the resident (R) visa; the rentista visa is not on the accumulated-time table.
- The years only add up if each visa was granted before the previous one expired, and meeting the time does not guarantee the resident visa.
- The R visa gives an open work permit for most holders, but the resolution makes an exception for pensioners, so a pensioner's R visa does not carry that permit.
- The R visa lapses after two consecutive years outside Colombia and has to be transferred every five years.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Checked 16 October 2026.
Tax
- Spending more than 183 days in Colombia in any 365 consecutive days makes you a tax resident, taxed on income and gains from Colombia and abroad; if that spans two tax years, you count as resident from the second.
- We found no rule in the sources that exempts a foreign pension from Colombian tax for a resident, so how yours is treated is a question for a Colombian accountant.
- Interest and monetary correction on savings count as capital income in the general schedule. Individuals who are not required to keep accounting books can set aside the inflation component of those yields.
- Occasional gains (ganancias ocasionales) of resident individuals are taxed at a flat 15%. Residents with a net worth of 72,000 UVT or more (COP 3,770,928,000 in 2026) pay the equity tax.
- Resident income tax is progressive, from 0% up to 1,090 UVT (COP 57,087,660 at the 2026 UVT) to 39% above 31,000 UVT, and tax paid abroad on the same income can be credited against the Colombian tax.
Sources: Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN). Checked 17 October 2026.
Your passport
If you hold a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport
What differs for each passport, from the same sources. A line that says there is no difference means the sources we read name none.
United States passport
- The Cancillería's text speaks of a pension from a State or a private fund; we did not find whether US Social Security retirement benefits qualify, so ask a Colombian consulate before relying on them.
- The criminal record certificate for the US is the FBI Identity History Summary, which costs $18 per person; for use in a Hague country the US Department of State adds an apostille to federally issued documents.
- Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the US, so the health policy the visa asks for is separate from it.
- The Social Security Administration's list of agreements does not include Colombia, so the pensioner visa's rule on joining Colombian social security gives US citizens no agreement route.
- US citizens abroad generally file a US return on worldwide income, and foreign accounts totalling over $10,000 at any time in the year need an FBAR.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia), Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of State, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), US Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Checked 16 October 2026.
Canada passport
- The Cancillería's text speaks of a pension from a State or a private fund; we did not find whether Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security benefits qualify. CPP is payable abroad, and Old Age Security abroad needs 20 years of residence in Canada after age 18.
- Canada joined the Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024; Global Affairs Canada authenticates name-based criminal record checks at no fee, and five provinces issue apostilles for their own documents.
- Canadians holding a valid Colombian visa are exempt from the COP 270,000 entry control fee.
- Canada's list of social security agreements does not include Colombia.
- The Canada-Colombia tax convention in force since 12 June 2012 has a tie-breaker in article 4 for people resident in both countries.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia), Government of Canada (Service Canada), Global Affairs Canada, Migración Colombia, Department of Finance Canada, Justice Laws Website (Government of Canada). Checked 16 October 2026.
Australia passport
- The Cancillería's text speaks of a pension from a State or a private fund; we did not find whether an Australian Age Pension or superannuation income stream qualifies. After 26 weeks outside Australia the Age Pension rate depends on years of Australian residence between age 16 and pension age, with 35 years or more leaving it unchanged.
- The AFP National Police Certificate costs A$57, or A$114 if fingerprints are needed, and DFAT charges A$105 an apostille per document; a document that is not an original Australian public document first goes to a notary.
- Medicare does not cover you while you are overseas, and Australia's list of social security agreements does not include Colombia.
- The Canberra consulate sends visa requests to the Cancillería's central page; we found no Australia-specific checklist.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia), Services Australia, Australian Federal Police, DFAT (Smartraveller), Department of Social Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
New Zealand passport
- The Cancillería's text speaks of a pension from a State or a private fund; we did not find whether NZ Super qualifies. Payments abroad depend on months lived in New Zealand between ages 20 and 65, out of 540, and you must apply at least six weeks before you leave to keep them going.
- New Zealand's closest equivalent to a police certificate is a Ministry of Justice Criminal Record Check, answered within 20 working days; a police vetting request for visa purposes sends the result only to the authority. The Department of Internal Affairs issues apostilles.
- Work and Income's list of social security agreements does not include Colombia.
- The Auckland consulate sends visa questions to the Cancillería's central page; we found no New Zealand-specific requirement or fee.
Sources: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia), Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand), Ministry of Justice (New Zealand), New Zealand Police, New Zealand Government (govt.nz). Checked 16 October 2026.
Other visas
Other visas in Colombia.
The country
More on Colombia.
Questions about Retirement visa in Colombia.
How much pension does Colombia's pensioner visa ask for?
A certified lifelong pension of at least three monthly minimum wages: about COP 5,252,715 a month at the 2026 wage. To be safe, have more than COP 5,300,000 a month. The certificate needs an apostille and translation. The wage is reset every year.
Does Colombia's pensioner visa allow work, and does it give health cover?
No to both. The pensioner visa does not allow work in Colombia, and it does not let the holder join Colombian social security except under a bilateral or multilateral agreement. You show your own health cover or a policy valid in Colombia.
What is Colombia's rentista visa and how does it differ from the pensioner visa?
The rentista visa is for periodic income of at least ten monthly minimum wages from a certified source or Colombian property; the test is about COP 18,000,000 a month (to be safe, have more than COP 18,000,000). It is a visitor-group visa, lasts up to two years and does not count towards residence.
How long is Colombia's pensioner visa valid, and can it lead to residence?
It is valid for up to three years. Five years as a pensioner (M) visa holder count towards the resident (R) visa, if each visa was granted before the last one expired. Meeting the time does not guarantee residence.
What does Colombia's pensioner visa cost in government fees?
The pensioner visa is a migrant (M) visa: US$56 for the study, not refundable, plus US$204 to issue, US$260 in total. Stamp tax is not included and its amount is unknown. The rentista visa totals US$194.
Do I become a tax resident in Colombia as a retiree on a pensioner visa?
Your days decide, not the visa: more than 183 days in any 365 consecutive days makes you a Colombian tax resident, taxed on income from abroad too. We found no rule that exempts a foreign pension, so ask a Colombian accountant.
Sources
Official sources we used.
Government and official pages only, each with the date we checked it.
- Visa types: remote worker (nómada digital), rentista, pensionado, worker, spouse, partner, investor and resident visas, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia). Checked 16 October 2026. Read in Spanish on 16 October 2026.
- Resolution 5477 of 2022 (visas), compiled text with later amendments, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, compilation on the Cancillería website. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. Articles 11 to 13, 20, 21, 24 (general requirements), 46, 54, 56, 66, 67, 68, 70, 74, 77, 79, 81, 82, 87, 88, 90 and 93.
- Identity History Summary Checks, Internet Archive copy, Federal Bureau of Investigation (Internet Archive copy of 6 October 2026). Checked 16 October 2026. The fee is US$18 per person.
- Apostille requirements, Internet Archive copy, US Department of State (Internet Archive copy of 24 June 2024). Checked 16 October 2026. Page last updated 20 May 2024.
- Status table: Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). Checked 16 October 2026. Colombia: accession 27 April 2000, in force 30 January 2001.
- Travel outside the U.S., Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Checked 15 October 2026. Says Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the U.S., with a few exceptions.
- US international Social Security agreements, Internet Archive copy, US Social Security Administration (Internet Archive copy of 10 October 2026). Checked 15 October 2026. Colombia is not among the agreements in force.
- US citizens and residents abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 15 October 2026.
- Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Checked 15 October 2026.
- Lived or living outside Canada: do you qualify, Government of Canada (Service Canada). Checked 15 October 2026. Date modified 8 October 2026. CPP benefits are payable abroad; the Old Age Security pension abroad needs 20 years of residence in Canada after age 18.
- Authentication of documents: frequently asked questions, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 15 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026. The Apostille Convention entered into force in Canada on 11 January 2024; Global Affairs Canada authenticates name-based criminal record checks at no fee, and Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Québec and Saskatchewan issue apostilles for their own documents.
- Resolution 0599 of 2026 (Migración Colombia tariffs for 2026): article 1 and the exemptions in article 2, Migración Colombia, compilation on the Cancillería website. Checked 15 October 2026. Diario Oficial 53.402 of 18 February 2026. Sets the identity card (cédula de extranjería) at COP 294,000 and an extension of a temporary stay permit at COP 150,000; COP 270,000 for control and migration verification of Canadian citizens, with exemptions that include Canadians holding a valid Colombian visa.
- Social security agreements, Government of Canada. Checked 15 October 2026. Date modified 9 October 2026. Colombia is not on the list.
- Entry into force of the Tax Convention between Canada and Colombia, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 15 October 2026.
- Canada-Colombia Tax Convention Act, 2010: Schedule 1 (the convention), articles 4 and 22, Justice Laws Website (Government of Canada). Checked 15 October 2026.
- When you leave Australia if you get Age Pension (archived copy), Services Australia (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 2 December 2025; page last updated 3 March 2022. Check the live page for changes.
- National police checks, Australian Federal Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Each National Police Certificate costs A$57; A$114 when fingerprints are needed.
- Notarial services and fees (fee schedule from 1 January 2026), Internet Archive copy, Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 October 2026: an apostille costs A$105 per document.
- Notarial services in Australia: how to request document legalisation, Internet Archive copy, Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. DFAT legalises documents by mail or in person; a document that is not an original Australian public document first goes to an Australian Notary Public.
- While you're overseas and outside Australia (archived copy), Services Australia (Internet Archive copy). Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 1 April 2025; says Medicare does not cover you while you are overseas.
- International social security agreements (archived copy), Australian Government, Department of Social Services (Internet Archive copy). Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 9 September 2026; Colombia is not listed.
- Consulado de Colombia en Canberra: services and procedures, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Consulate of Colombia in Canberra. Checked 15 October 2026. Lists passports, consular services and apostille and points visa requests to the Cancillería's central visa page.
- Living overseas if you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026. You must apply to keep payments going, at least six weeks before you leave; other payments such as the Accommodation Supplement stop.
- Travelling overseas for more than 26 weeks (NZ Super), Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026. Payments abroad depend on months lived in New Zealand between ages 20 and 65, out of 540.
- Criminal record check, Ministry of Justice (New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026. Requests for a criminal record check are answered within 20 working days.
- Vetting process for visas, New Zealand Police. Checked 15 October 2026. "Police clearance certificate" has no official meaning in New Zealand; the closest equivalent is a Ministry of Justice Criminal Record Check.
- Use your New Zealand documents overseas: apostilles and authentications, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs. Checked 15 October 2026. Country list includes Colombia.
- Social security agreements and special arrangements with other countries, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists eleven countries; Colombia is not among them.
- Consulate of Colombia in Auckland: services, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Consulado de Colombia en Auckland). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists passports, consular registration, apostille and visas, and sends visa questions to the Cancillería's central visa page.
- Decree 0159 of 2026: monthly minimum wage for 2026, article 1, Presidency of the Republic and Ministry of Labour (DAPRE publication). Checked 15 October 2026. Sets COP 1,750,905 a month for 2026. Three wages are COP 5,252,715; ten are COP 17,509,050; 100 are COP 175,090,500; 350 are COP 612,816,750; 650 are COP 1,138,088,250.
- Online visa application form (SITAC), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería de Colombia). Checked 15 October 2026. Says to allow at least 30 minutes, to have a 3x4 cm colour photo in JPG under 300 KB and PDF documents totalling under 5 MB.
- Resolution 3969 of 2026 (consular and Foreign Ministry fees), article 4: visa fees, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, compilation on the Cancillería website. Checked 15 October 2026. Diario Oficial 53.445 of 31 March 2026. Visitor (V): US$56 study plus US$138 issue; migrant (M): US$56 plus US$204; resident (R): US$56 plus US$183. The fees do not include stamp tax, whose amount we did not find.
- Tax Statute (Decreto 624 de 1989), DIAN compilation: articles 9, 10 and 254, Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), compilation of the Tax Statute. Checked 15 October 2026.
- Cédula general, arts. 335 and 336: capital income and financial yields, Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), Colombia. Checked 17 October 2026. Financial yields, interest and monetary correction are capital income; 2022 tax-year page.
- Concepto 14503 de 2025: inflation component of financial yields, Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), Colombia. Checked 17 October 2026. Inflation component applies only to individuals not required to keep accounting books.
- Ley 2277 de 2022, compiled text (art. 314, occasional gains), Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), Colombia (legal compilation). Checked 17 October 2026. Art. 314 sets the 15% flat rate on occasional gains of resident individuals.
- Press release 128 of 2025: UVT for 2026 and wealth tax, Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), Colombia. Checked 17 October 2026. UVT 2026 is COP 52,374; wealth tax from 72,000 UVT (COP 3,770,928,000 in 2026).
- Resolution 000238 of 2025: tax value unit (UVT) for 2026, Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN). Checked 15 October 2026. 2026 UVT of COP 52,374.