Student Visa

Best for: Students attending a Colombian university, accredited language school, or vocational program.

Required documents

• Passport (6+ months remaining)
• Passport-style photo (4x5cm white background)
• Acceptance letter from the Colombian institution, in the format Cancilleria accepts
• Proof of ability to cover tuition and living costs
• Travel health insurance

Government fees

All Cancilleria fees are payable by credit card during the online application.

How to apply

1. Gather documents. All foreign-issued documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, pension letters) must be apostilled in the country of issue and translated into Spanish by a translator registered with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Relations.
2. Create an account at visas.cancilleria.gov.co.
3. Start the application. Select this visa type. Upload PDFs (max 2MB each, readable scans, not phone photos).
4. Pay the study fee by credit card.
5. Wait for review. Processing is typically 5 to 30 business days. You may receive a requerimiento (request for more documents). Respond within 30 days.
6. Pay the issuance fee once approved.
7. Download the visa PDF. It arrives by email. Print it.
8. Register with Migracion Colombia within 15 days, and apply for your cedula de extranjeria. In Medellin, Migracion is at Calle 19 #80A-40 in Belen.

After you are approved

Once your visa is granted, you have 15 days after entering Colombia (or after approval if applying in-country) to:

• Register with Migracion Colombia (the RNE · registro de extranjeros). Free.
• Apply for your cedula de extranjeria. The fee is set annually by Migracion and sits in the 220.000 to 235.000 COP range in 2026. Card arrives in 10 to 15 business days.

Path to residency (R)

Time on a Student V does not directly build to R. After graduation, you typically transition to another visa class (Work M, Rentista M, etc.)

Medellin schools that issue accepted letters

• EAFIT Centro de Idiomas
• Nueva Lengua
• UPB International Programs

Each of these schools can issue the acceptance letter in the specific format Cancilleria accepts. Ask for the visa-letter version when you enroll.

Common mistakes

• Acceptance letters in the wrong format · the school must use Cancilleria's specific wording
• Not enrolling in a registered institution (informal Spanish classes don't qualify)

Last updated: 2026-05-26. The 2026 SMMLV (Colombian minimum monthly wage) is 1.750.905 COP. All income floors on this page are multiples of that figure.